Verizon’s My Verizon app received an update today that introduced three widget styles. You may recall that Verizon finally brought back their auto-refreshing data widget to this app a few weeks back, but this time they are giving you choices in how that data is displayed. You can view your data consumption through a bar, half-circle meter, or simply as a number.
To switch between widgets, you’ll have to grab the single widget entry in your widgets menu. Once added to a screen, you can tap on the widget, then hit the Settings icon in the top right corner to tell the app which widget to display.
On a related and confusing note, at least two readers have mentioned that after the update, My Verizon is asking for root permission. I’d imagine this is some sort of mistake on the developer’s part, but then again, this is Big Red so you just don’t know. You may want to deny the app root privileges, just to be safe.
it’s real guys.. i shitlisted the app from root access… just in case…. O_O https://www.dropbox.com/s/j7xl7vwe9srsoxl/Screenshot_2014-04-12-21-38-16.png
Just had this happen and was googling to find out why.
Maybe those two readers got compromised phones from using non-Play store apps.
Nope, mine are all from the play store and it just happened to me too…try again 😉
The permissions weirded me out before it started asking for root access. Uninstalled.
All Verizon appz on my GS3 now reside in the “Turned Off” column. Jackholez!
What root is used for: https://gist.github.com/Tortel/10276327
TL;DR/WTF – Its checking for root by trying to execute ls as root. Its also pulling build information, debugging, model, and more
I got the root popup too. Denied it lol
I just blocked it from asking for root access using the Xposed module Root Cloak.
Ditto. Thanks for the tip.
When Verizon asks for root access, don’t run — fly.
Nice try Verizon
Didn’t ask me for root, but is asking to add authorization to control the camera – WTF?!?
Yeah, why on earth does this need all the permissions requested????
How else is Verizon supposed to watch you if they don’t use the camera?
It needs camera access to make the new features work, i.e., scanning when you’re in a mobile store lol.
Honestly, if feels like even if you say yes or no to the root access, you’re screwed. So glad I froze this along with all the crappy bloat on the 24A G2 stock rom.
They can update My Verizon, but they can’t update my S4 with KitKat?
I hesitated to update after seeing one of the new permissions were camera access. Any explanation?
None. Makes no sense.
Theres some new camera feature when you go to pay your bill. You can scan your check or something?
Queue the Verizon hatred in 3…2…1
as Sylvia said I’m surprised that anybody able to profit $6796 in one month on the internet . check my source
Jobs5000.ℂom
it hasn’t asked me for root access yet… It did ask if it could use my bluetooth and wifi sensors to detect when I’m at a Verizon store. I said no.
I just disabled it on my Moto X. Is that sufficient? I haven’t rooted it yet, not sure if i’m going to. Pretty happy w/it so far.
Yes. a disabled app will not run or show up in your app drawer, it’s about the same as uninstalling, cept without freeing up the space
Thanks, Cheers!
Saw the “enhanced logging” and said awww helllll no
I disabled this spyware back a few updates ago. All it took was one glance at the permissions. “May cause dizziness, hallucinations, and death.” Oh no, thats my prescription bottle.
Yesterday a guy at the VZW corporate store asked me if my Galaxy S3 was “Jailbroken”. I honestly answered “no”. But it is rooted, bootloader unlocked and running AOSP (didn’t mention that part).
Agreed with most of the other comments, this is useless if you have unlimited. It’s an easy way to track your data if you need to, but you can get the same information without installing VZW bloat/trackware.
For people that are rooted, install xposed and then xprivacy…its just like CMs if ur not running a CM ROM. I limited what it can do, like ask for shell commands, contacts, etc. I do this for all apps, makes me feel safer 😉
You should never feel safe using xposed. Trusted devs should be ok but xposed really affects the security of your device and one bad module can leak secure info.
So does rooting your phone. Well aware of the risks of running xposed. XPrivacy is not one of those apps.
Never
Would uninstall, but that doesn’t seem to be an option…. without root, ironically.
Go to Settings > Apps > My Verizon > Uninstall
Not sure if “without root” means you denied it root privileges, or you are not rooted at all.
If you are rooted, you can uninstall anything with Titanium Backup.
On many devices it’s a preinstalled system app that you cannot install (unless you have root). Should be able to disable it though.
which is what most people, myself included, do.
Unlimited = No use for this.
Even if you’re not unlimited, you have no use for this since this functionality is baked into Android since ICS.
I guess if you’re the only one on your plan, but if it’s a family plan then relying solely on the android one is no good. The #data code is the only reason I use My Verizon…but now I’m gonna uninstall it.
Why not? I have unlimited data on a family plan, but my phone’s Mobile Data Usage chart is of course only showing the mobile data my phone is using…
Not if your account has multiple lines and you’re on a shared data plan.
that’s a really good point, why hasn’t Android come up with a Stock Widget for that feature?
Yes its so you can see how much you rub it in Verizon’s face.
This is exactly why I use it.
My thoughts exactly!
Verizon asking for root < uninstall. Trying to track me
Regardless of what you do, Verizon, and any phone company for that matter, is tracking us.
FWIW, I’ve seen many apps that still say you’re rooted even if you denied root access. Denying root access sends a completely different command back to the root request than something like “root is missing” if you’re unrooted.
TLDR: Even if you deny root access, if Verizon is checking for this they will know either way.
Different apps check for root in different ways. If you go into Xposed Installer and look at the comments for RootCloak, it goes through how a lot of apps do it. Requesting root privileges is the lazy way of checking for a rooted device, but you’re right in that there are other ways to find out.
“Hide My Root” fixes this 🙂 Can’t remember if that’s the name of the Xposed Module or an app.
Time to uninstall, not sure why I had it in the first place, because unlimited.
They’re trying to see who all their rooted users are so they can break their unlimited data plan under some obscure clause in their contract. /tinfoilhat
Why do we still call them “tin” foil hats? Tin foil hasn’t been available since WWII
It’s an expression, that’s why.
Because brainwave cloaking device doesn’t have the same ring to it and everyone knows that aluminum foil doesn’t have the same brain control blocking properties as good ol’ tin foil.
Yup. They plan to monitor the rooted users to see if they are tethering without paying for tethering service. Also if you have a phone less than a year old, they will cancel your manufacturer’s warranty if you’re rooted…….. This info came directly from Verizon when I called to ask about it.
“They” can’t cancel your manufacturer’s warranty.. only the manufacturer can based on a pre-disclosed clause. And if VZW is notifying manufacturers of conditions that void warranty, I’ll say that’s pretty f’dup.
I would imagine that if both Verizon and the manufacturer are losing money, they would work together to eliminate the cause
Of course that doesn’t get into the fact that merely having a rooted phone won’t lead to more warranty claims or cause anyone to lose money. Now the process of rooting, if it goes wrong, can brick or semi-brick a device but if you are already rooted you are past the danger point there.
Companies who void warranties based on your phone being rooted are merely looking for any excuse to void the warranty.
Also you could get into the situation where a person has a relatively minor problem (say the headphone jack doesn’t work) with their phone and the need to get it fixed under warranty they might break the phone further to make sure it won’t boot out of fear that the warranty claim will be denied if the phone is rooted.
I just went into Titanium Backup and froze the app. Didn’t update to the new version and hopefully they haven’t been able to detect root on my device
can u pass me a tgz of ur old version? i accidentally updated.
Now I have two more ways of seeing how much of my unlimited data I use each month.
I know, right? I’ve thought about sending high-resolution glossy prints to Lowell C. McAdam to rub it in his face.
I find it funny that Verizon still measures your data only in MegaBytes.
Hell, I remember when they showed it in KiloBytes.
Why does the app need access to take pictures and videos?
They’re watching you…
while you poo…
Asked me for root permission as well. Denied.
Root access, okay go ahead, I no longer have unlimited data and I’m out of contract. Ask for root. I want to see what happens