How To Guide [CLOSED] Debloat Script v2.6.5 - Vivo X90 Pro+

[extremecarver]

The big problem is identifying which services are responsible for sending data to China as they are bundled together. This is the relevant parts for messages and phone services so you cannot remove their access without cutting off many needed internet access services. (Last point on this list is cell broadcast service).

I restored the messages app for showing the dilemma


Also this list with a second list of 64 services cannot be blocked by Adguard but only by rethink DNS+

 

[extremecarver]

This bundling turns the phone into a brick if you remove internet for both bundles.



Upon opening messages app that has all rights removed the log shows this

 

[extremecarver]

This is the second block bundled together (maybe bigger / smaller according to your debloat.




And yeah, both rethink DNS+ and Adguard in theirog make it clear that the app that most frequently contacts Chinese servers is the vivo push notifications service. It's the number one bloatware/spyware app on this phone and cannot be debloated, nor stopped. At least it's not bundled to other system apps so internet can be removed.

I think the list of 17 apps above with phone/messages is the bigger spyware problem than the list of 64 here. There is one more block of services but no service out of it sent something so I think that block is clean.


And yeah, there could on top be spyware that goes by IP instead of domains. That cannot be stopped by a DNS firewall. Without root hard to assess if that happens or not. I don't have hardware to check that. With IPs often changing I don't think many bloatware spyware goes by hardwired IP instead of domains however.

 

[ivanox1972]

@extremecarver how you disable internet for some apps which cant be deleted by adb?
btw. I have used paid owner app from package disabler which is disabling apps, not deleting. Some apps cant be clearly disabled but some as (themes, push service...- mostle those you mentioned in post37) goes in some undefined state- owner app dont se them as disabled but they goes greyed icons in nova launcher drawer and cant be opened...

 

[extremecarver]

You cannot really on a OS like vivo that removes the standard android way of restricting internet.

The only thing you can do is take over the DNS. So any web address can only be resolved if the app allows it. IP addresses aren't resolved so it's hard to assess how complete that is for blocking spyware.

The most complete app is rethink DNS+ to my knowledge. Adguard goes a long way too, but only for apps not services.

It's however also clear that blocking internet to as many services/apps as possible without bricking the phone helps in battery life.

Problem is you cannot use Adguard and rethink DNS at the same time. Android only allows a single VPN. Channeling VPN behind another VPN isn't possible.

Seeing how virtually all android options to stop spyware/the phone itself from connection to the internet are missing in rotten oranges and then debloats of some apps cause the phone/messages to brick gives a good indication on the OS to be made with a purpose to spy on you as much as possible.


Actually I don't get the focus on bloatware by so many reviews or users. I don't care about any bloatware that isn't active, but spyware sucking sour battery due to transmitting your data, constantly waking up your phone, that's horrible software. That's why origin OS is the most horrible software quality on a phone I've ever seen (in addition to the notifications management that sucks big and other faults). I've never used another China OS before so cannot compare it Samsung China OS or Xiaomi China OS is as bad or worse. Clearly any global OS I've used is was better, and that includes Xiaomi (which is pretty horrible for my taste on its own too).

@extremecarver how you disable internet for some apps which cant be deleted by adb?
btw. I have used paid owner app from package disabler which is disabling apps, not deleting. Some apps cant be clearly disabled but some as (themes, push service...- mostle those you mentioned in post37) goes in some undefined state- owner app dont se them as disabled but they goes greyed icons in nova launcher drawer and cant be opened...

 

[extremecarver]

Oh yeah and I maybe I'm mistaken but I don't think any package disabler app can do more than adb commands. If you have examples then would be interesting to here why it's better than adb, plus remove as many rights as possible, plus eventually removing internet for an app. The more interesting thing anyhow is services. Services by definition cannot be opened because otherwise they would be an app including a service.

 

[ivanox1972]

which tools you use to detect if some apps uses internet and share data?

 

[extremecarver]

The logs of adguard or rethink or Adguard. That's why I said I can only provide spyware activity on any activity that needs DNS resolving. It could well be that some reporting is hardcoded to IP addresses - so would go unnoticed without a man in the middle attack between the phone and the internet (without attack you can kinda only see if traffic takes place - but not to where).
That's the problem because Vivo removed the option to only allow internet going through VPN. It could be reasonable to think that any kind of data requested by the (unpublished to the public) law in China on what they want to have goes directly to fixed IP addresses to avoid detection - and the activity I find above is just spy activity on user data to be sold/harvested by Vivo itself.

 

[ivanox1972]

@extremecarver where is best place in settings to watch ram usage totally and by apps? As device care on Samsung. Thanks

 

[Haskren]

Well likely you cannot write messages in this phone without using the spyware messages app (like the phone app it frequently contacts Chinese servers). I've never sent a message from this phone.

I never tried to send a message. Receiving messages is fine on Google messenger app.

Could be similar to google phone that stopped being able to make calls after removing the vivo appstore.

This phone simply fails as a phone if you try to avoid the spyware.

As there are quite a few system apps that cannot be controlled I don't actually know how much improvement you can do by removing internet access to apps that you cannot debloat.


To me it seems impossible to get rid of all spyware on this phone (maybe the same to all China OS phones contrasting China phones with global OS which can be debloated to open little or no additional connections to Chinese servers (e.g. besides updates)

I will reinstall the original messaging app. Google messages in chat still says "trying to verify your phone number"
Which line do I need to activate in the debloat script?

 

[extremecarver]

I will reinstall the original messaging app. Google messages in chat still says "trying to verify your phone number"
Which line do I need to activate in the debloat script?

You need to restore the line that contains messages. See one of the restore bat files.

 

[ivanox1972]

@extremecarver I can confirm that owner app of package disabler developer (they have site, no on play store) can disable themes push mesages app and wallet for example. it work a litle weird...
for less integrated apps, those you can delete by adb, it immediately goes to disabled state with clena notification in check box. for themes and others it goes in disabled tabs buth without check box filled... but, app goes greyed out icon on nova app drawer and if you try to start it , system says it is forbiden by device admin (it is way how owner app works, see on their page...)
afer phone restart it is clean - totaly lost in app drawer, disabled. if you enable it in owner app it appears again as it should. so, yes, it works for my opinion. try. worth of testing I think...
please, if you know, tell me where to look for ram usage with usage by apps, thanks

 

[extremecarver]

I don't care about RAM usage because i never even get close to maxing out RAM. Please check with Adguard or Rethink DNS+ if "Vivo Push Notifications" service can be disabled and actually is disabled and never tries to connect to the internet (by looking through the log). Any app you can start on the Vivo can also be removed with adb. It's only services which cannot. You can never start a service anyhow. Services get started by apps or by the system.

I don't know what you mean with themes push messages app. I have debloated anything related to themes. What you describe sounds to me just like appops but it doesn't work for the two most important apps on this phone - being below:

Maybe the app uses something like this - but it doesn't work for me!
adb shell cmd appops set com.vivo.pushservice RUN_IN_BACKGROUND ignore
adb shell cmd appops set com.vivo.abe RUN_IN_BACKGROUND ignore

adb shell cmd appops set com.vivo.pushservice RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND ignore
adb shell cmd appops set com.vivo.abe RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND ignore

it should block any network usage - but it doesn't https://source.android.com/docs/core/power/app_mgmt


Here is the nitty gritty - maybe someone finds the problem?:
PD2227:/ $ appops set com.vivo.pushservice RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND ignore
PD2227:/ $ appops get com.vivo.pushservice
Uid mode: LEGACY_STORAGE: ignore
WRITE_SETTINGS: default; rejectTime=+10s956ms ago
WAKE_LOCK: allow; time=+11s156ms ago; duration=+204ms
GET_USAGE_STATS: default; rejectTime=+5h3m24s630ms ago
RUN_IN_BACKGROUND: ignore
RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND: ignore
READ_MEDIA_AUDIO: allow; time=+68d23h32m25s913ms ago
MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: default; rejectTime=+68d23h32m25s913ms ago
NO_ISOLATED_STORAGE: deny; rejectTime=+68d23h32m25s913ms ago
USE_ICC_AUTH_WITH_DEVICE_IDENTIFIER: default; rejectTime=+10s951ms ago


Seeing the wake_lock - maybe we can increase wake_lock to hours so this stupid app doesn't get called all the time anymore?


And here it is for abe after setting the ignore bits:
PD2227:/ $ appops get com.vivo.abe
WAKE_LOCK: allow; time=+4m44s562ms ago; duration=+128ms
RUN_IN_BACKGROUND: ignore
RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND: ignore

 

[ivanox1972]

You consider push service and which is second one most important to debloat but you can't?

 

[extremecarver]

Push services and smart engine constantly connecting to Chinese servers and constantly waking up the phone..

Following settings with appops fix it (best use app ops app from playstore):
127|PD2227:/ $ appops get com.vivo.pushservice
Uid mode: COARSE_LOCATION: ignore
READ_PHONE_STATE: ignore
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: ignore
WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: ignore
LEGACY_STORAGE: ignore
VIBRATE: ignore
WRITE_SETTINGS: ignore; rejectTime=+45m23s90ms ago
READ_CLIPBOARD: ignore
WRITE_CLIPBOARD: ignore
WAKE_LOCK: ignore; time=+2h38m6s68ms ago; duration=+265ms
GET_USAGE_STATS: default; rejectTime=+8h29m32s685ms ago
RUN_IN_BACKGROUND: ignore
RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND: ignore
READ_MEDIA_AUDIO: allow; time=+7h9m2s249ms ago
MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: default; rejectTime=+7h9m2s251ms ago
AUTO_REVOKE_MANAGED_BY_INSTALLER: ignore
NO_ISOLATED_STORAGE: deny; rejectTime=+7h9m2s249ms ago
USE_ICC_AUTH_WITH_DEVICE_IDENTIFIER: default; rejectTime=+45m23s269ms ago
SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM: ignore

 

[luontokoodaus]

It's been said a million times, the messaging and calling apps are not spyware. They do ask to connect to servers but that is to sync a list of spam numbers so you can enable blocking on your phone. For messages you need a data connection so you can SMS others for free who also use the same app. It's the same as the "Google Messages" app which regularly asks for the exact same thing.

 

[Red-79]

Having problem to get notifications from many apps . Did turn on notifications. Anyone found a different way to get everything to work ?

 

[M5Pro60]

Having problem to get notifications from many apps . Did turn on notifications. Anyone found a different way to get everything to work ?

Kill vivo.pem like @P6P suggested in other thread. Works very good and battery is good too.

 

[Red-79]

Kill vivo.pem like @P6P suggested in other thread. Works very good and battery is good too.

Thx ! Can you tell me what thread it was ?

 

[M5Pro60]

Thx ! Can you tell me what thread it was ?

For kill vivo you need old debloat script. Code is in old script