Hi all,
I am trying to figure out a way to control (or, as a last resort, safely disable) the Google app. There are plenty of apps to control content, limit time, block specific websites, etc. for the Chrome browser app, but there does not seem to be ANYTHING for the Google app in this vein, despite the fact that it can do almost everything Chrome can do. It's like handing a web-connected flamethrower to a child.
To set this in context, here are the pertinent phone specs:
Motorola Moto X (2014)
Lollipop 5.1
The Google app seems pretty "baked in" to the OS (e.g., cannot be disabled in stock Android OS, and it is set to run on startup), so I'm scared to mess with it too much. "Too much" meaning disabling, locking access, etc. I have already had a crashed Moto X once this year, with the error message "The Google service has stopped." It happened out of the blue, but I don't want it to crash again and have it be my fault this time!
What I'd like to do, ideally, is simply block ALL access to Google search settings (with a password or something). That way, the Google app can still be used, but there won't be much cause to worry about search results if the SafeSearch setting is turned ON and access to turn it OFF is blocked. (I can block the Google Settings app, but access to the exact same settings can easily be had within the Google app itself).
Any suggestions or ideas? Is there an Android app that universally controls all web traffic (with a simple UI)? I've tried figuring out how to make a no-root firewall app do what is needed, but it's too complicated for my brain. If a no-root firewall WOULD work for this (e.g., to block all requests from Google's settings page), please give me some direction in how to accomplish that.
Thanks for any help you can offer!
I am trying to figure out a way to control (or, as a last resort, safely disable) the Google app. There are plenty of apps to control content, limit time, block specific websites, etc. for the Chrome browser app, but there does not seem to be ANYTHING for the Google app in this vein, despite the fact that it can do almost everything Chrome can do. It's like handing a web-connected flamethrower to a child.
To set this in context, here are the pertinent phone specs:
Motorola Moto X (2014)
Lollipop 5.1
The Google app seems pretty "baked in" to the OS (e.g., cannot be disabled in stock Android OS, and it is set to run on startup), so I'm scared to mess with it too much. "Too much" meaning disabling, locking access, etc. I have already had a crashed Moto X once this year, with the error message "The Google service has stopped." It happened out of the blue, but I don't want it to crash again and have it be my fault this time!
What I'd like to do, ideally, is simply block ALL access to Google search settings (with a password or something). That way, the Google app can still be used, but there won't be much cause to worry about search results if the SafeSearch setting is turned ON and access to turn it OFF is blocked. (I can block the Google Settings app, but access to the exact same settings can easily be had within the Google app itself).
Any suggestions or ideas? Is there an Android app that universally controls all web traffic (with a simple UI)? I've tried figuring out how to make a no-root firewall app do what is needed, but it's too complicated for my brain. If a no-root firewall WOULD work for this (e.g., to block all requests from Google's settings page), please give me some direction in how to accomplish that.
Thanks for any help you can offer!
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