If it bothers you, I'm pretty sure you can disallow those permissions on phone apps settings, others already explained why they request those permissions
this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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Boost For Lemmy
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I woulsnt use connect if I were you. It's basically Spyware. Someone else on lemmy did a great write up of it.
Could you link it here if possible?
What would you recommend instead for now, while we wait for boost?
I'm using jerboa and it's ok.
Purchase History will be for checking if you've purchased the ad-free unlock. (maybe carried over from BoostForReddit too? Not sure.)
Location is usually less about your location and more about your wifi network. Knowing when to refresh the connection due to network switching or performing actions based on what network you're on.
Your location can be determined from your wifi info + databases of networks that google/apple/microsoft each provide/maintain so location permissions are required to see that info.
You can determine if there's an active Internet connection without checking the wifi info.
But knowing whether you're on mobile data or Wi-Fi can be useful for, say, only allowing images to auto-load on Wi-Fi. Those kinds of network-based options require knowing more information about the type of connection, which on android means asking for Location permissions.
Incorrect. If you aren't using WifiManager, you don't need ACCESS_WIFI_STATE or location permissions. ConnectivityManager gives information to know the connection type with only ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE, which is granted automatically on install without prompting the user to allow.
And besides that, you should really be checking ConnectivityManager.isActiveNetworkMetered() instead of the connection type anyway, since the user could be on tethered wifi, for instance.
I wish more app developers looked at if the connection is metered or not. I have unlimited mobile data, but there are so many apps who needlessly try to protect my precious data by blocking downloads based on connection type.