The Tasker developer recently posted a warning on the app’s user group regarding features that will no longer work without root if you’re running Android 4.2. The features in question include control of airplane mode, making the display stay on, WiFi Sleep, and Vibrate on Ringer. The reason? Google is continuing to “improve security” on Android, which seems to basically mean “make it like iOS”. Google doesn’t seem to like that apps do anything outside of themselves, so it’s gradually removing third party access to certain features. The removal of third party pattern lock disabling in ICS is another, older example. You will likely be able to get the features through root, but how much is going to become root only on Android before people wake up?
The kicker here is that Google isn’t just making it more secure, by, I don’t know, throwing as many warnings in a user’s face when enabling it as it does with keyboards. It’s just flat out removing stuff, pulling a “we know better” type of thing that makes it very hard to see Google as any different than Apple. It almost seems like Google is trying to iOS-ify Android, making it more like the competitor by removing the features that sets it apart.
In my opinion, that last worthwhile update to Android was Gingerbread. Since then, each subsequent release has added to the pile of fail that is Android’s update history. By the time 5.0 comes out, you might not be able to change the wallpaper without root.
The major difference being though. Google makes it easy to root your devices and access these things. I don’t think increased security is bad thing. Restrictions like this might limit power users (who can just root their devices anyway) but its a big improvement for the average user – don’t have to worry about viruses as much.
But it limits what developers can do with the device for the average user. Sure, you could root to get access to these features, but if the majority of users can’t use your app, as would be the case, then much of the motivation to create it are gone. By continuing to restrict device control to root access Google is killing what makes Android stand out against iOS- options and control.
I’m worried now that Android has built such a large consumer base, and is less concerned about pulling down the tower of iOS, Google will continue to tighten and lock down Android to appease the masses and will in turn stifle the flexibility that made Android so great to begin with.
True, but the first requirement for virtually any user is stability/reliability. By removing the ability for an app to touch the core OS is a good thing in those cases.
Enterprise use requires security, lost/stolen phones are less of an issue if the device cannot get around security measures like a lock screen.
Certainly Tasker will be one of the few apps that will feel each new restriction keenly, but it is a mixed bag of issues, and I’d think that Tasker specifically will have a core audience among rooted phones and custom ROMs (aka power users)
I’d have to agree with radimus on this. While restricting an apps access does kind of seem like a step in the opposite direction for Android. I feel like most of tasker’s users already have root access, if they do not they probably aren’t taking advantage of all the features of tasker..so they probably won’t be affected