[APP][FIRETV][NOROOT] Launcher Manager (Change Launcher without Root)

[realwheel]

Same problem on mine (4k max), also today.

The app was installed but it had disappeared from the launcher and it couldn't be started from the list of apps either.

I have had to reinstall over.

A very rare issue.

Yes. Mine are also 4K Max-es. Two devices and on both the LM disappeared from installed apps.

 

[Finnzz]

Okay, the strangest thing happened today. LM 1.1.8 just disappeared from all the devices I had it installed on.

Could be that Amazon took notice after AFTVnews and the YouTubers started posting about LM 1.1.8. AFTVnews suggested LM could be blacklisted, Amazon must have liked that idea.

Amazon may have a way of uninstalling apps remotely similar how they can remotely protect/unprotect any package.

When you reinstall LM 1.1.8 and then reboot your FireStick, does LM disappear again?

If Amazon has blacklisted LM, it may need to be installed with a random package name to avoid their detection.

 

[realwheel]

Could be that Amazon took notice after AFTVnews and the YouTubers started posting about LM 1.1.8. AFTVnews even made the suggestion (practically recommended it) that LM could be blacklisted.

Amazon may have a way of uninstalling apps remotely similar how they can remotely protect/unprotect any package.

When you reinstall LM 1.1.8 and then reboot your FireStick, does LM disappear again?

If Amazon has blacklisted LM, it may need to be installed with a random package name to avoid their detection.

Just rebooted the thing. LM remains installed.

 

[HillsmanUp]

Also happened to me. Amazon is definitely uninstalling LM so we have to put up with that trashy homescreen again.

 

[Timbo303]

I can confirm this happened to me as well. Might recommend app cloning if it's daily.

 

[xnappo]

Wow. I can't believe they care that much lol. I will pay them if they want like they do for Kindle...

 

[MulderX33]

Today... same problem: LM disappears from the launcher (it is NOT uninstalled) and the "start" option also disappears (accessing the app from "installed apps").

If I reinstall it on top everything goes back to normal.

There were also some junk updates from Amazon last night, so yeah, I also think Amazon is trying to block LM.

Solution? I have blocked updates by firewall. I hope there are no more issues now.

 

[brackenhill_mob]

Solution? I have blocked updates by firewall. I hope there are no more issues now.

Can you share how you did this please? I'm, wondering if this can be done via adguard home rather than my router firewall. TIA

 

[AFTVnews.com]

Could be that Amazon took notice after AFTVnews and the YouTubers started posting about LM 1.1.8. AFTVnews suggested LM could be blacklisted, Amazon must have liked that idea.

Amazon may have a way of uninstalling apps remotely similar how they can remotely protect/unprotect any package.

When you reinstall LM 1.1.8 and then reboot your FireStick, does LM disappear again?

If Amazon has blacklisted LM, it may need to be installed with a random package name to avoid their detection.

The YouTube and site coverage likely sped things up, but there was no doubt LM would get blacklisted. The last app Amazon blacklisted did exactly the same thing as LM, which is to take over the Home button by reading logs. It sucks but there is nothing that Amazon defends more than the Home button, so anything that remaps it will eventually get blocked or blacklisted or both.

When blacklisted, the app isn't uninstalled. It's just not allowed to launch. Back in the day this was done using a package name list on the device in an sqlite DB file. Then Amazon added a NIMH system app that seemed to handle the gatekeeping. Now it seems to just be handled by Vizzini, the appstore app, but I'm not positive about that as I haven't dug into it in a long time.

My guess is that changing the package name will make LM work again but I'm sure Amazon is also going to modify the log output so that LM or any app can't detect the Home button being pressed. That change just takes longer to push out so the package blacklist is used as a temporary block while they work on the real block.

 

[Finnzz]

The YouTube and site coverage likely sped things up, but there was no doubt LM would get blacklisted.

IDK LM has been hijacking the home button for 2.5 years, and there were other apps in the last few years that did the same, but they were never blacklisted. Tasker can be used to read logs and do the same remapping and isn't experiencing the blacklisting as far as I know.

I think Amazon pays more attention to AFTVnews than TuKDR and Troy. Your suggestion that Amazon might blacklist LM and then a blacklisting a week later seems a bit coincidental. No way of knowing if they took inspiration from your post. Either way I'm sure you were right, a block of some type was likely to come soon.

What I don't understand is that in the past you have said that you intentionally never posted about LM because it would make Amazon more likely to counter it.

 

[MulderX33]

Can you share how you did this please? I'm, wondering if this can be done via adguard home rather than my router firewall. TIA

Yesterday I bought and test the new TDUK app to close apps.

It is very useful but very "dangerous" without a "white list" of apps.

I forgot that that app also closed the app that I use as a firewall (NetGuard).

In NetGuard I have all the useless apps from Amazon and updates blocked so they can't access the network.

At night new junk updates came from Amazon and this morning LM was gone and couldn't run (again).

 

[xnappo]

For the love of God - please do not do an AFTVnews post about Tasker. I use it for tons of stuff

 

[AFTVnews.com]

IDK LM has been hijacking the home button for 2.5 years, and there were other apps in the last few years that did the same, but they were never blacklisted. Tasker can be used to read logs and do the same remapping and isn't experiencing the blacklisting as far as I know.

I think Amazon pays more attention to AFTVnews than TuKDR and Troy. Your suggestion that Amazon might blacklist LM and then a blacklisting a week later seems a bit coincidental. No way of knowing if they took inspiration from your post. Either way I'm sure you were right, a block was likely to come soon.

What I don't understand is that in the past you have said that you intentionally never posted about LM because it would make Amazon more likely to counter it. So why the change?

I don't think Amazon takes blacklisting things lightly. It looks really bad for them to reach into a device and take an app away. That's probably why they haven't done it in years, that I'm aware of. My guess is they would much rather patch the exploit/vulnerability that is being abused, even if it takes much longer to do, than to just dish out blacklists over and over. LM originally worked for so long probably because it just took that long to patch the method it used. This time it was a different method that used log reading so my guess is Amazon already blacklisted for that reason in the past so since it's a line they already crossed they immediately did it again. Maybe they have no intention on cleaning up the log so they just blacklist when that method is used, but like you said no way of knowing for sure. I tend not to write about launcher/home button methods because I know they'll be blocked without a doubt, so I don't like to lead people on only for them to lose the functionality in no time. The only reason I covered it this time is because of the app button remapping in LM because a lot of people who used my remapping app before it got blocked keep bugging me for a replacement. As for Tasker, my guess is it flies under the radar because it's a do-everything app and is complicated to use compared to a purpose-built app like LM that specifically targets Amazon. All that said, if LM is updated to work again or the package name is changed, I won't be writing about it in case my covering is the trigger for Amazon.

 

[AFTVnews.com]

For the love of God - please do not do an AFTVnews post about Tasker. I use it for tons of stuff

I won't.

 

[JUSTINMARMER]

Well I cloned it. Changed package name by one character. Clone opens but when you select enable custom launcher I get an error that says the shell is busy. I uninstalled the original, rebooted and tried again. No joy, same error shell is busy. I turned ADB off and rebooted then turned ADB back on and try it again. No joy same error. The original app still works fine after uninstall and reinstall many times.

 

[alex78ita]

someone has this remote? there are 2 customizable buttons

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RX4HKTD

 

[xnappo]

someone has this remote? there are 2 customizable buttons

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RX4HKTD

Yes, but they are limited as to what they can launch. You can use Tasker to make them do anything though... Basically use the same logcat method as the home button. A few caveats, I can expand on this if you are interested.

This post is old, but gives you the general idea. I use adb wifi in tasker now instead of the Termux stuff.

 

[Timbo303]

Is launcher manager open source by any chance maybe we can fix the app since app cloner clearly won't clone the app properly?

 

[SweenWolf]

Since the original package is now flagged, I've changed the package name from "com.wolf.lm" to "com.wolf.lm1"

I'll try to change some static codes of lm so app cloner will work, if lm survives these blocks.

Amazon can do many things to stop LM from working, and most of them cannot be stopped, but i would not like to give someone some idea.

 

[Timbo303]

Not only that

Since the original package is now flagged, I've changed the package name from "com.wolf.lm" to "com.wolf.lm1"

I'll try to change some static codes of lm so app cloner will work, if lm survives these blocks.

Amazon can do many things to stop LM from working, and most of them cannot be stopped, but i would not like to give someone some idea.

Not only that I managed to disable adepfos app which handles blacklisting according to the notifications i got whenever it gets removed from my device. Im not sure if rebooting is the reason it gets removed by this app but I'll see if it lasts for 1 day. adb shell pm disable-user com.amazon.adep