Android App is LYING to me (permissions)

[ChrisFNP]

Why the latest Android app is lying about giving it the phone permission to change the modes or sent the push notifications. I'm a developer and this is a lie. Can somebody explain it to me before I go to press. Push notification permission is granted to every app by default. Phone notification on the other hand is categorised as dangerous permission allowing the app to get your call history and to make calls on your behalf without notifying you about it. Can somebody contact me about it, cause right now it looks like a rouge operation within Netgear. See the screenshot with the popup notification which is trying to convince you by lying to give it phone permission. Without granting the permission notifications not working with the latest version of the app and I cannot change modes.

[ShayneS]

What permission are you trying to deny? The Arlo Mobile App needs this permission allowed to send you push notifications.

[ChrisFNP]

I'm not giving "Phone" permission to the app as it doesn't need it. None of the Android application require to ask a user in order to have Push Notification permission granted. The app is lying about the requirement of "Phone" persmission to be able to send push notifications. 

In that business where we store sensitive footage on Arlo servers it's all about trust. How can I trust the company who lies about notifications in their app in order to get more permissions then required.

Please explain. How Arlo Mobile App needs access to my Call History to send me notifications. Please note "Phone" permission is categorised as Dangerous in Android SDK. On the other hand "Push Notifications" are granted for any app who requested it without asking the user.

The way app is working now it checks is "Phone" is granted before enabling notifications. Once you allow "Phone" permission and turn it off immediately it will send notifications desplite "Phone" permission is not granted. BECAUSE PHONE PERMISSION IS NOT NEEDED TO SEND THE NOTIFICATIONS. Stop lying about it and explain why all trouble? Is it to get peoples call history, pick up their calls, make calls behind their backs? Why? 

I know there is a functionality where you can call 911 or a friend, but in case not giving this permission you should disable just this functionality not notifications. Looks like a rouge operation within Netgear? For security you should not utulize the "Phone" permission at all, but simply redirect to the dialer with phone number already in place.

Please explain why?

[ChrisFNP]

Any information about this really worrying behaviour? I'm still not having notifications. Here is the demonstration how arlo is lying to their users: https://youtu.be/Wtu63zpdDqE

[jguerdat]

"Lying" without actual proof is a strong sentiment. You can subscribe to conspiracy theories all you want but that doesn't mean it's true. Then again, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not following you.

If you don't want full fuctionality, don't allow all permissions. If you do, allow them.

[ChrisFNP]

That wasn't nice. The app was sending notifications without "Phone" permission for the last few years. According to SDK no user permission is needed to send the notifications. Therefore in-app popup message is lie. All I want is notifications back. I don't care about the 911 functionality. Your rude attitude doesn't change a fact. You might not care about your privacy, but I do.

[mocodi]

Saw the same prompt after updating the app today. But in my case, denying the permission does not prevent notifications, and checking "don't ask again" in the Android permissions prompt also supresses the "Arlo would like to send you notifications" nag from appearing whenever the app is loaded. So it's not causing an issue yet on my phone in practice.

But either way, why would it need or claim to need the phone permission? When an app ties functionality to an unrelated permission, it's undermining the granular privacy controls Android provides users via app permissions, so it should at least be properly explained.

[ChrisFNP]

I had the same thing. Saw the popup, denied the permission and still worked fine. Until I had to reinstall the app (or rather factory reset the phone). Then the only way to bring back the notifications is to grant the permission, even for a moment. This would suggest that blocking push notifications is made deliberately, to be inline with the popup message. Dirty trick.

[vinhboy]

Thank you for bringing up this topic Chris. I also think it's crazy Arlo is requesting this permission to send dot notifications. I've been wondering for weeks why I stopped getting notifications, now I get it!

No other app on my phone does this. Arlo has always been a solid product. They really should look into fixing this.