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

[Kelly Kearns]

Just curious here; I've only used Facebook on my SGN.IV via Google Incognito Mode. Would the issues experienced here encompass how I've been accessing FB?

Oh and forgot..it only happens on the app that is pre-installed on the phone. It never happened on my S5.

 

[Neo_ii_Droid]

No, this is only the actual Facebook app. The mobile browser version isn't affected.

Oh and forgot..it only happens on the app that is pre-installed on the phone. It never happened on my S5.

Looks like my phone's good(?) to go since I've disabled the FB app and have not used it.

Thanks!

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Looks like my phone's good(?) to go since I've disabled the FB app and have not used it.

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

Thanks!

Should be as long as you are completely updated. When the Note 4 came out, it was re-enabling a disabled Facebook app and updating it. From what I read, Samsung got this fixed.

Also it will give you a notification when it updates. Not Play Store, but a Facebook one, with a big Facebook logo F. I'm on my laptop, let me get to my phone and post that screenshot.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Here is what the update notification looks like. This day, I had never logged onto any account or app on my phone. It was 30 mins out of the box. And I was upgrading to Lollipop. No Google account on the phone, can't access the Play Store and we know that comes "update automatically on WiFi" by default. Nothing else updated and when I tried to open Play Store after this, it asked me to log in.

 

[Neo_ii_Droid]

Here is what the update notification looks like. This day, I had never logged onto any account or app on my phone. It was 30 mins out of the box. And I was upgrading to Lollipop. No Google account on the phone, can't access the Play Store and we know that comes "update automatically on WiFi" by default. Nothing else updated and when I tried to open Play Store after this, it asked me to log in.

Okay, I haven't seen that as of yet, hopefully not. Thanks!

 

[anon(5719825)]

Facebook also no longer offers a way to delete the app. When you go to the app drawer and hold a finger on the app, there isn't a uninstall option for this app.

There is the option to turn off. Not sure what that does.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Okay, I haven't seen that as of yet, hopefully not. Thanks!

It should only happen if you enable the Facebook app. They did an update for KitKat where it would enable itself and then update, but the Lollipop update kept it disabled, but it still updated.

I still think many don't realize it is updating outside of the app, as long as it updates without making their phone stop. It doesn't play nice with some carriers. I have AT&T and it doesn't freeze my phone, but lets it update.

Due to my 2 years of beta testing Facebook, being in a special group with developers, working very closely with them, I knew this was Facebook and not the Play Store, right away.

If you ever decide to enable the app and use it, follow the directions of my fix here and it won't be a problem for you.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Facebook also no longer offers a way to delete the app. When you go to the app drawer and hold a finger on the app, there isn't a uninstall option for this app.

There is the option to turn off. Not sure what that does.

Yeah, that is the problem. Turning it off will disable it like other apps you disable and don't use.

On the Note 4 they installed Facebook and Instagram like bloatware. They didn't do that on the S5.

The pre-installed version on the Note 4, comes with those two files that allow it to update outside of the Play Store, without asking, which is what really, really bothers me.

I can't even side load without telling my phone it is ok to do this. I'm worried some malicious person will figure this out and do it with some cool, free app everyone gets. If any app can download and install on our phones, without asking and bypass "unknown sources" that is a problem. The first time it happened, I thought it was a malicious script pretending to be Facebook.

I've talked about Samsung about this, there is an escalated case, the techs don't understand the worry here, for the most part. They hear "Facebook" and nothing else and don't understand the security issue I'm worried about.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Would be nice for others to call Samsung and explain how it is outside of the Play Store and bypassing security and means others could do this and mention there is an escalated case about this.

Samsung is one for sure that can make Facebook get this stopped and Samsung can release a patch to make sure this apps can't bypass security and update outside of the Play Store.

The more complaints, the more likely to get it corrected.

 

[anon(5719825)]

All these months of owning a Note 4 and Note Edge, I never realized that FB was preinstalled. Both of my phones are rooted and I found a way that supposedly deletes the app. I may try it. I really have no respect or trust for FB anymore.

 

[Neo_ii_Droid]

I did find the two "apps" causing the auto update in my turned off updates. If you have these listed in the downloaded part of your App Manager, uninstall updates, force stop them, clear data and then disable them.

They are causing the auto updates.

I searched in Application manager but don't see anything with com.facebook.### as you pictured anywhere in DOWNLOADED/SD CARD/RUNNING/ALL/TURNED OFF. Is it possible that FB has not been downloaded/updated on my phone?

 

[Kelly Kearns]

All these months of owning a Note 4 and Note Edge, I never realized that FB was preinstalled. Both of my phones are rooted and I found a way that supposedly deletes the app. I may try it. I really have no respect or trust for FB anymore.

Oh you are perfect then. Yes, delete the app and then it won't ever be a problem again. You can sideload an apk you want or download the current version and turn off auto updates and it won't update.

IN THEORY IT SHOULD. When you delete the app due to root, it should remove those two files. You can also remove those files with root and then do what you want with the app.

Samsung had two people that denied to me the app was pre-installed, well it is, like bloatware. It is like v16 which is a REALLY old version and best you can do is uninstall updates and disable it.

I sideload v27 and want to stay on 27, Facebook prefers we go anywhere above 27. Above that, you have no choice but to install Messenger.

 

[Neo_ii_Droid]

It should only happen if you enable the Facebook app. They did an update for KitKat where it would enable itself and then update, but the Lollipop update kept it disabled, but it still updated.

If you ever decide to enable the app and use it, follow the directions of my fix here and it won't be a problem for you.

Were I to do so, will keep this in mind. Thank you once again. But for now I think I'll leave it disabled and simply access FB via Google if need be.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

I searched in Application manager but don't see anything with com.facebook.### as you pictured anywhere in DOWNLOADED/SD CARD/RUNNING/ALL/TURNED OFF. Is it possible that FB has not been downloaded/updated on my phone?

Your screenshot shows it disabled, so you probably did that right away and the data is clear, there are all zeros there. Since it is in your "turned off" it is disabled and it shows not updated, since there is no data showing.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Were I to do so, will keep this in mind. Thank you once again. But for now I think I'll leave it disabled and simply access FB via Google if need be.

If I didn't use Facebook so much, I would do the same. Facebook app can use a lot of resources also.

 

[Neo_ii_Droid]

Your screenshot shows it disabled, so you probably did that right away and the data is clear, there are all zeros there. Since it is in your "turned off" it is disabled and it shows not updated, since there is no data showing.

Ah, now that little tid bit is something helpful for me to understand. Again, thank you!

 

[ELHHLE]

...

 

[Kelly Kearns]

My Verizon version definitely had the FB app pre-installed. It does not have the associated com.facebook apps but I disabled the FB app within hours of getting the phone so I suspect these would have been pushed out later if I hadn't. The list of permissions on this app makes my stomach churn. Thanks to the OP for looking out for the rest of us.

Yeah..those two files I posted only show up after the first out of Play Store update.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

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.

I have a fix for this and my way to do it after your phone is set up, seems to have been tested. Maybe a thread can be written up and pinned, this is being noticed, not happening, more and more. I found a way to stop the updates if you do not have root and this should work on any phone that comes with Facebook pre-installed.

The pre-installed app is the only one that is the problem of updating like this and it is updating OUTSIDE of the Play Store, but through the app, which is a violation of their contract with Google. Google probably won't do anything to them, but at least we can now stop it from updating.

I've had some convos with a couple of developers I know, they ignored me until I reminded them it was against their contract with Google and I would report them and not go away. They are supposed to keep me informed. I have informed them the files causing this and how I know it is outside of the Play Store.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Just heard from Facebook and they are out of their minds. Google gave me a link to complain, they said anyone can share this link anywhere, that the more that report, the better. You need to explain that Facebook is updating outside of the Play Store and will not stop.

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contact/takedown

You also might want to call Samsung and tell them Facebook suggests not to use Samsung phones if you do not want Facebook to violate security.

Here is the convo with Facebook.