Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Mobile Security for Android => Avast Mobile Security => Beta => Topic started by: ggravier on December 21, 2011, 06:50:49 PM
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Hi!
When I remove the notification icon, it tells me " Notification icon is important for the security of the device"... But doesn't go into the details of why.
Why is that notification icon important? Appart from the fact that it tells a thief in advance that Avast is there and gives a possible hint as to what to do to remove it or prevent things happening. (If I were to steal a device and see it's protected by Avast I would stick it in a Farraday cage first then act second to prevent WIPE / LOCK SMS messages, for example)...
So what does the Notification Icon bring that gets turned off if I disable the notification icon?
By the way, the Notification Icon takes valuable space in the notification area of my phone. Maybe just some notification in the pull down notification menu, but not the icon itself?
Gilles
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Hi,
the Android OS kills applications when low on memory based on some rules. Those rules state (besides other things) that the more your application is visible the less is the probability the OS will kill it when low on memory.
Your application gets one of the highest visibilities if it has an icon in the on-going notifications.
Filip
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This is also normally achieved by registering your application as a system service... Apps like Lonelycat Games' ProfiMail do that. You don't have to have the notification icon up to keep the application alive...
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Are you sure this can be done on non-rooted devices?
Filip
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Yes. It's a priviledge that an application can request. None of my phones are rooted and profimail stays alive if/when I enable the "system service" flag in their application. You should download their app and see how the proceede...
Gilles
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Yes, but the permission is not being granted for non-system or specifically signed applications.
The application won't get killed if the system has enough memory and this scenario is not that easy to simulate so it might not be a concern for the emailing application, but might be a potential security hole in an application that is supposed to protect you.
Filip
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Since the application is a security provider, getting the proper signing certificate shouldn't be an issue...
In any case, the GUI should be clearer as to WHY it's better to leave the icon on, or, since it creates a security hole, altogether NOT allow removing the icon.
Also, the notification icon should be smaller, less obtrusive, and potentially cuter... :) As it is today, it's too big, too visible, and not aesthetic. Since the application can go stealth, maybe an option to have the icon less "avast" styled could help...
Gilles
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> Also, the notification icon should be smaller, less obtrusive
You should definitely get rid of the big orange globe. Perhaps do a reverse and just put the little "a" symbol. People who use it will know what that is.
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What about not only choosing a name, but also be able to choose an icon for the app?
And that icon could stay in notification bar?
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Well... I think avast wants its own icon there... It's the brand. So, icon or without it, but would they move to another different icon? ???
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For the notification bar the little "a" that is inside the circle would really communicate your brand. You certainly don't contemplate using what is at the top of this page for your logo do you? So break it down further. Use the "a" or make the circle smaller.
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On my tablet it is tiny, just the ususal Avast "a" just like in Windows.
Could someone post a screen shot of the objectionable icon so those of us who read this thread, and many other similar, can tell what all the fuss is about. Thanks :)
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On my Galaxy Nexus, it is positively tiny, smaller than the other notification tray items that have been on there and smaller than the WiFi, Mobile Network ans Battery icons.
As an example it is about 1/3 the size of the one used in the PC version of avast anti-virus (smaller than the a in the middle of that), see image, click to expand.
This has been used for some considerable time from avast5 and what I believe Tech means about branding.
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On my tablet it is tiny, just the ususal Avast "a" just like in Windows.
Could someone post a screen shot of the objectionable icon so those of us who read this thread, and many other similar, can tell what all the fuss is about. Thanks :)
Here you go. It kind of over-powers everything else. I left the whole screen size so it would be proportionate.
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My suggestion would be to clean it up a little and use something like this (click to enlarge):
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Thanks all. I can see that on the phone it fills the taskbar.
Mine, on Toshiba Thrive, is as tiny as DavidR posted from Galaxy.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/210/screen201201052137.jpg/
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So, are you saying that I can remove the icon from the notification tray and Avast will still work, just that Avast might be stopped by the OS if my phone or tablet memory runs low.
Memory running how is not an issue in my case. I just don't want the logo there. Other applications I have installed allow you to remove the icon and the app still works.
Basically, even though I gave 87 applications installed on my tablet, not one of them has an icon on the notification bar even when running in the back ground. I will admit, the hand full that did gave me the option to hide their icons so I did.
;D
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Here is a question:
How is the theft part separated from the avast mobile security suite, especially regarding this icon?
For instance- I presumably can install the security suite, then install the theft app which hides itself, and then uninstall the security suite and have the theft portion still running. In this scenario, no icon would be showing. Is this an Issue?
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If you remove the Mobile Security part, you probably want to be secured against thieves above everything else. Because of that, Anti-Theft doesn't show any icon if not necessary (it shows an icon when an update is available, but only in the case the device is not lost/stolen).
Filip
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I think it is much better to disable it. Anyone who see this icon knows that I can search for the phone with gps and so hidding antitheft is stupid.
If I disable it the only risk is that if the memory will low the task is closed? It is only the antivirus part and not so important like antitheft.
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That is correct, Anti-Theft won't be affected in any way if you disable the icon in Mobile Security.
Filip