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Comment by basicplus2 | Hacker News Reader

My Google keyboard on android showed me a red dot within the keyboard. When i touched it, up came an add effectively from within the keyboard

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For those who don't have Android Gboard (coming to iPhone Gboard soon): https://www.blog.google/products/search/say-it-stickers/

We can only hope that they remove this and fire all the product managers involved. There is no way you can justify adding Bitmoji to a default keyboard used by people who want to get work done.

Same here - standard gboard. Red dot on the emoticon -> advert for new make your own emoticon functionality app (not Google owned).

Extremely disappointed in Android today.

Ugh yeah I saw this too. I'm heavily invested in Android (apps, etc) but the experience is really starting to sour.

I am starting to think that in spite of being more expensive than a desktop gaming computer, going iPhone is starting to be the only viable alternative.

Either that or back into feature phones, because I don't see any other mobile OS alternative winning over Android, regarding general public.

As do I. I bought my first ever iPhone just recently. The ads inside the keyboard were the last straw.

There is no need of nor no sense in going to Apple to be rid of corporate control, Android can be tamed to serve the device owner instead of its manufacturer and distributor. Make sure to get a device which is supported by one of the AOSP-derived distributions, install said distribution and use one of the alternative repositories (FDroid being a good choice). Don't install any Google-specific apps, don't install - or remove - Google Play Services, in short don't play along with Google's game plan. This way you can have a device which serves you and your needs instead of those of Google or Apple. You might need to forego on the latest app craze because those are not available on FDroid but that just gives you so much more time to do other things instead of search for virtual fame and fortune by herding virtual sheep or finding virtual friends.

Which part of the "regarding general public" did you not understand?

Of course as I geek I can do all of that, but I rather sponsor someone that cares about the joe and jane on the street can do with their devices.

The general public part of the problem can be solved by offering an alternative Android-based distribution which can be installed by 'the general public' in a way similar to that which they install updates to the stock OS. For some devices this process is already available, for others there is more work to be done.

I have a certain amount of hope in that direction because of Project Treble.

Leave all hope ye who enter.

Project Treble[0] only enforces a certain level of hardware requirements.

There are zero requirements for OEMs or carriers to actually push updates to their devices, and they are still allowed to customize their forks. [1]

Also it requires consumers to buy a new device running Android O, hoping that the OEM will actually push updates, because even those getting an update from Android N to O won't have any guarantees of further updates.

[0] - https://source.android.com/devices/architecture/treble

[1] - http://androidbackstage.blogspot.de/2017/08/episode-75-proje...

I don't count on OEMs in any way. However, if my understanding is correct, Treble should make it far easier to install an aftermarket ROM on a Treble-compatible device.

When I shop for my next phone, "Treble-compatible" will be the top requirement.

Assuming the boot loader is unlocked.

There are alternatives to unlocking the bootloader. My current device (a 2011 Motorola Defy) can not be unlocked yet still I'm running it with Android 4.4.4 on a custom kernel. The trick here was to subvert the update process, other ways exist to do the same.

Which is something non-technical users can't do.

Which is a business opportunity for technical users.

Make sure to get a device which is supported by one of the AOSP-derived distributions

Which devices and which distro's ?

back into feature phones

A few years back I got fed up with everything, and tossed my smartphone in the sea - spent 3 years with a feature phone, and frankly, it was awesome. I had to get a smartphone again due to changes with my business, and it doesn't make me happy.

Which non-Google service was it?

Bitmoji, part of Snap Inc (Snapchat).

Is there a way to uninstall gboard in favour of a better open source alternative? (And any recommendations?)

Not open source, but I really like the Swype keyboard. First thing I install on any new phone.

Gboard gives you some very nice word completion features. I doubt whether you'd get the same level of features without worse attacks on your privacy.

Swiftkey is not open source, but I'm happy with it. All android keyboards, bar none, are keyloggers...

So that's what that was. It happened to me on a Google Pixel phone.

(I was hoping it was a custom keyboard in the app but apparently not!)

Was it on the emoji icon and did this?

http://imgur.com/a/Lwua1

This is somewhat frustrating since I have a Moto-E from Republic Wireless running Android 4.4.4. I only use this phone for texting and calls since it is like 12 bucks a month. For browsing and watching movies I use a iPhone 6 my sister gave me that doesn't have cell or data service. No other software besides what came with the phone has been installed on the Mote-E. I use the default phone and texting applications.

I actually never learned how to screenshot with Android so I just snapped a pic with my iPhones camera.

Usually it's pressing the down-volume & the power button at the same time.

I recently learned that, on Samsung, you need to swipe from right to left with the entire hand. (Since Samsung is world champion in needlessly changing Android UI.)

Yes that was it

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