Beware of Facebook app: seems to cause note 4 to freeze!

[Bravesga1972]

I was in the Facebook app and suddenly gray bars appeared across the screen, then a white screen and then the phone completely froze.

I shut down the phone, restarted, and went to the Google play store (the phone was no longer frozen). I read horror stories of hacking, etc, in the FB app comments.

So I unchecked auto updates, uninstalled, and disabled the app. Then I bookmarked the actual Facebook site on my phone. Seems to be working well so far.

Just letting you all know my experiences.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Golfdriver97]

Thanks for the heads up. The Facebook app has a history of either bad updates or not working well. I have run into numerous threads about it (on various issues) for quite some time.

 

[Gunny94]

Well,

Funny thing you you mentioned it... Just happened to me.

I knew it was some weird App update that was freezing up the phone.

Gonna disable it and wait for next update.

P.S Can we keep this thread alive till next update that stables the app?

 

[Bravesga1972]

Sure.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Kelly Kearns]

An update won't help. There is a problem with the pre-loaded version. I've been dealing with this for a week (since I got my Note 4). I posted this on another thread.

The pre-installed Facebook app is updating outside of the Play Store and bypassing security.

I have been in discussions with Samsung and AT&T about this. You guys need to be reporting this to your carrier and Samsung.

Make sure you turn off auto-updates in the Play Store so you can let them know it for sure is not coming through the Play Store.

I wasn't even logged into any account on my phone, so no access to the Play Store, the app still updated directly through the app.

The more people that report this to Samsung, the quicker something can get done.

 

[anon(5719825)]

An update won't help. There is a problem with the pre-loaded version. I've been dealing with this for a week (since I got my Note 4). I posted this on another thread.

The pre-installed Facebook app is updating outside of the Play Store and bypassing security.

I have been in discussions with Samsung and AT&T about this. You guys need to be reporting this to your carrier and Samsung.

Make sure you turn off auto-updates in the Play Store so you can let them know it for sure is not coming through the Play Store.

I wasn't even logged into any account on my phone, so no access to the Play Store, the app still updated directly through the app.

The more people that report this to Samsung, the quicker something can get done.

I remember a year ago noticing that my Nexus 4 would upgrade the Facebook app outside of the app store. There were lots of complaints about it here on AC at that time.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Yup and it is doing it again. I've discussed with one of the Facebook developers, they are looking into this. They are not supposed to do this according to Google's terms.

Anyone can send a message to the Facebook Android Beta page and you don't have to be a beta tester. I am a beta tester, I sent a message and sent them the info about my problem.

I would suggest everyone do the same that is having the issue, provide screenshots if possible. I was getting a notification that wasn't a Play Store notification, but a Facebook notification, that told me it had updated.

The more that complain to Facebook, the quicker they will do something.

 

[mrcil20]

Same for me this morning. Auto updates are disabled in Play Store but Facebook updated itself in the background.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Reporting to Google will also help.

From an AOSP M8

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Maybe will help. There is a link to report that, but Google will be limited in what they will do with Facebook versus a smaller developer.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Also while it is irritating Facebook is doing this, I have a bigger issue with Samsung.

If Facebook can go around my security settings and download and install something, without getting my permission, others can too.

This is why I suggest complaining to Samsung also. There is a problem if someone, anyone, can do this.

 

[natehoy]

The Facebook mobile web site is very functional and works great. Of course, I don't Facebook a whole lot, so the lack of instant notifications of stuff doesn't bother me all that much.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

This has been the fix for me so far.

Clear the data on the Facebook app, then uninstall updates. Do not log into the Facebook app.

Eventually it will update through the app. When you get a notification it updated, go to the App Manager, then downloaded apps. Look for these two files listed with your downloaded apps.

com.facebook.appmanager
com.facebook.system

Uninstall updates on those, then disable them. Then uninstall updates on the Facebook app and sideload the version you want or update through the Play Store.

I use version 27 because it allows a tiny app to trick Facebook into thinking you have messenger and you can still message through the app.

Starting with version 28, Facebook fixed that and no one has found a workaround for the newer versions of Facebook.

 

[svargas05]

This is a whole lotta complicated...

This has been the fix for me so far.

Clear the data on the Facebook app, then uninstall updates. Do not log into the Facebook app.

Eventually it will update through the app. When you get a notification it updated, go to the App Manager, then downloaded apps. Look for these two files listed with your downloaded apps.

com.facebook.appmanager
com.facebook.system

Uninstall updates on those, then disable them. Then uninstall updates on the Facebook app and sideload the version you want or update through the Play Store.

I use version 27 because it allows a tiny app to trick Facebook into thinking you have messenger and you can still message through the app.

Starting with version 28, Facebook fixed that and no one has found a workaround for the newer versions of Facebook.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

This is a whole lotta complicated...

If you call something taking 3 seconds to do, complicated, not sure what to say.

No, it is a simple fix, not complicated at all, disabling apps isn't complicated. I give detailed instructions in fixes or explaining how to do something, because all aren't as always as familiar with how to do everything in their phone.

 

[JaceKG]

I have no problems at all with FB on my Note 4. FB has latest updates as do all my other apps that I choose to keep

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[doohsun]

ya i had some problems every now and then when i'm scrolling just to read any articles. Seems like it's an issue whenever they do updates on that stupid app.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Well the big problem is the updates outside of the Play Store.

 

[rob367]

Well the big problem is the updates outside of the Play Store.

This is a severe problem for me. There should not be any app that bypasses security to update on its own. Everybody knows that FB and the NSA are bedfellows, whats saying there looking threw your phone for anything and everything. Either Samsung or ATT needs to look into this for the concerns of their customers.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Kelly Kearns]

This is a severe problem for me. There should not be any app that bypasses security to update on its own. Everybody knows that FB and the NSA are bedfellows, whats saying there looking threw your phone for anything and everything. Either Samsung or ATT needs to look into this for the concerns of their customers.

Posted via the Android Central App

Well it is happening with all carriers. I'm still in contact with Facebook, they are supposed to keep me updated. They know me well enough by now to know in won't let this go.

That was my issue that Samsung couldn't understand, but AT&T seems to more understand.

They need to take the word "Facebook" out of it. John Hacker Developer could make an awesome free app that many get and develop it just for this reason, to install malicious software.

You understand the big issue, Facebook is frustrating me, the fact anyone can download and install on my phone around my security, makes me nervous.