Android 12 Adds a New Device Search API For Third-Party Launchers (xda-developers.com) 4
The developers behind Niagara Launcher, a popular third-party home screen replacement app, have found new evidence in the Android 12 preview documentation, which suggests that Google is adding a new device search API in Android 12 that will let third-party launchers offer a similar universal search feature. XDA Developers reports: [T]he feature will give third-party launchers "access to the centralized AppSearch index maintained by the system." It further highlights that the AppSearch index is a search library for managing structured data featuring: A fully offline on-device solution; A set of APIs for applications to index documents and retrieve them via full-text search; APIs for applications to allow the System to display their content on the system UI surfaces; and Similarly, APIs for applications to allow the System to share their content with other specified applications. This feature will essentially provide a native alternative to universal search apps like Sesame, giving users the option to search for almost anything on their device in an instant.
Goldmine for malware (Score:4, Insightful)
Having an API that can search the device globally can lead to all kinds of problems - you can find out if exploitable apps are used on the system to install custom intercepts, maybe just even scrub the system for data that comes up with a variety of keywords to feed back to a server that holds whatever personal data it can find on you for later spearphising attempts.
I guess it's only given to launchers but you can easily imagine a malware version of some popular launcher...
Re: (Score:1)
So, same spyware and abuses as before then (Score:4, Insightful)
Google: Makes loud noises about removing the ability of apps to scan the phone for every app you have installed and use that data to build an even larger and more precise profile on you.
(see https://tech.slashdot.org/story/21/04/01/1948238/google-play-limiting-android-11-apps-from-seeing-whats-installed-on-devices-this-may )
Also Google: Quietly adds an API to do *literally exactly that FOR them*.
ffs...
Re: (Score:3)
No, this is very different. For a start it's opt-in, it doesn't allow apps to scan for everything installed on your phone.
Another major difference is that while the API can be used to get other apps to manipulate data, e.g. a PDF reader might provide search functionality for PDF files, it doesn't allow apps using the API to figure out where that functionality comes from. So at best they can guess that you have some kind of PDF reader installed, but not which one.