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by jwalton 2442 days ago
> I wanted to try the google podcasts but it was a brick because I had disabled "youtube & web activity"

This is the worst. I have all the privacy settings turned up. In Google Maps on my phone, when I try to set my "Home" location, it tells me I need to turn on "Web and App Activity". What? Why? How are these two things related? Why do you have to track what apps I use and upload this info to Google in order to remember where my house is?

It's a bit like a psycho ex; "You want to have my phone number in your phone even though we broke up? Ok, but that means I get to install this camera in your bedroom."

The worst part is, it's all lies. If I open up Android Auto it says "12 mins to Home", so maps in Android Auto still knows where "Home" is, even though the Google Maps app claims it can't set home anymore.

2 comments

I had an app that refused to work unless high accuracy location was turned on. There was a location aspect to it but demanding the highest setting of location sharing was vastly overreaching and I just uninstalled the app.
Out of curiosity how did you know the precision of location the app was asking for? If I recall correctly android gives the same permission prompt for fine and course location.
You get asked it you would like to "Improve location accuracy", just after giving location permissions.

http://i.imgur.com/KTkrQvN.png

> Why do you have to track what apps I use and upload this info to Google in order to remember where my house is?

It's not a real requirement at all. I have "Home" and "Work" remembered from before it was a "requirement". They pop up as quick nav actions when holding the Google Maps homescreen icon on my phone, or when opening a GMaps Driving icon.

But I'm not allowed to set the "Home" and "Work" locations in the actual app, so they don't work via text or voice search.