Are you serious? v3.0.1

Community Forum
, , ,
1

Users have already reported issues with Google Assistant in versions 2.9 and 3.0, yet you keep pushing it in 3.0.1? On 2.9, I used ADB to remove every Google service I could, thinking they were finally gone. But after updating to 3.0.1, they all got reinstalled. Is this some kind of joke?

This update policy feels like user feedback is being ignored: instead of giving us a choice, the system keeps forcing Google Assistant and its related services back onto our devices. So even after going through the hassle of removing them with ADB, you have to repeat the process after every update—which is inconvenient and raises serious questions about the developers’ priorities.

/e/os version : 3.0.1-a14-20250607498955-community-alioth
Build number : e_alioth-user 14 AP2A.240905.003 eng.root.20250607.044727

1 Like
2

What’s the exact name of the package? I don’t see any apps with “google” or “assistant” on my device even after choosing to show the system apps.

3

Possible that Google Assistant is not visible for you. Try to obtain Developer Mode, enable USB debugging with root access, and without turning off the phone, connect it to the computer.
Then, using adb, do the following:

adb root
adb shell
cd /data/data
ls -R | grep google

Check the output for any relevant Google files or directories

1482
14821080Ă—2277 145 KB

4

Did you report the issue on gitlab?

2 Likes
5

When I do said commands, I do come up with a pretty lengthy list, but I have many apps with Google analytics and other things installed (hence the tracker blocking in advanced privacy). With a quick pass they all seem attached to apps I installed myself.

If I change my query to ls -R | grep assistant I get only this output:

130|ASUS_I006D:/data/data # ls -R | grep Assistant
SSLErrorAssistant
./foundation.e.browser/app_chrome/SSLErrorAssistant:

If I search for the app in your screenshot by running ls -R | grep hotword it returns no results.

Copying the ls -R | grep google results and searching for them, I don’t see any entries that match “hotword”.

My device doesn’t appear to have this app you mention. I am running /e/ OS 3.0.1 T community on an Asus Zenfone 8. I haven’t removed any of the stock apps.

2 Likes
6

running e-2.9-u-community-FP3,

i only find microG related things

/data/data # ls -R | grep google
com.google.android.gms
com.google.android.gsf
./com.google.android.gms:
./com.google.android.gms/cache:
./com.google.android.gms/code_cache:
./com.google.android.gms/shared_prefs:
./com.google.android.gsf:
./com.google.android.gsf/cache:
./com.google.android.gsf/code_cache:
3 Likes
7

So far, as I understand, @particularteal’s “Google find” is only reported in a small number of devices recorded by users here Pre-installed Google Apps on a De-Googled System? My Frustrations with /e/OS Latest Updates - #32 by aibd. When it comes to trying to fix the issue it is useful to have ruled out other devices as you have done with sake.

However, more generally, it might be useful to know if this might affect hotdog or hotdogb where hotdogb is linked thanks to @tcecyk in a historical (currently Closed) issue mentioned on the above thread Post #44.

2 Likes
8

I don’t want to invest too much time in a topic with such a title :roll_eyes:.

This is interesting, though. Which ADB command exactly did you use?
(It’s not mentioned in Pre-installed Google Apps on a De-Googled System? My Frustrations with /e/OS Latest Updates at least, that’s why I ask.)

2 Likes
9

e/os is clean and I can confirm that its leitmotiv remains respect for privacy. I checked it on a rooted smarphone with tcpdump. just the presence of com.google.android.gms, possible to delete it however it is used for notifications, if e/OS had deleted it itself, then e/OS will be blamed for your phone not warning you, it has made the best compromise possible.

5 Likes
10

this top-post could’ve been a bash script !

you can put that energy into that gitlab issue, it’s free to comment there.

Edit: that issue isn’t brought downstream yet, until then every version will bring back the apk in the product partition

11

Okay, look at this Pre-installed Google Apps on a De-Googled System? My Frustrations with /e/OS Latest Updates - #8 by particularteal

12

It’s good, but the fact that these files exist on my device is certain. I don’t use Google services at all, and even MicroG is removed.

13

It is still the hotword implementation snippet, not Google Assistant in itself, just a specific information which - if manually installed - Google Assistant could probably use to recognize “OK Google” etc. verbally.

The snippets seem to be integrated in some builds, in others they are not.
In the lemonadep builds (OnePlus 9 Pro) they’re included right now.
If you have adb root access, you can check those folders:

/product/priv-app/HotwordEnrollmentXGoogle/
/product/priv-app/HotwordEnrollmentOKGoogle/

If they’re not here, the snippets are not integrated in your build. (Without adb root and remount maybe you’ll have no access to the path, dunno.)
Their function is not to communicate with servers from what others (in other forums as well) reported, but what was mentioned upwards.

The folders can be removed by adb root, if wished for.
Alternatively uninstalled for the user without adb root plainly by adb via:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.hotwordenrollment.xgoogle
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.hotwordenrollment.okgoogle

And yes, an update can replace the snippets, but that’s not a feature of “wanted installation by /e/ staff”, merely how an update (can) work, if something is by the used LineageOS basic build for the /e/ build included in the packages.

I’ve the theory that - if an user of /e/ wants to use Google Assistant and installs it manually - without those packages which probably are not installed with the Google Assistant package from app store - then Google Assistant would have no option to recognize people saying “Ok Google”, so those snippets are kept in the basic version builds, be it of LOS or /e/.

In and for themself without any Google Assistant manually installed, there’s no activity to expect, at least that’s my conclusion.

2 Likes
14

Hmmm,my answer to my interpretation to "Users have already reported issues with Google Assistant in versions 2.9 and 3.0, yet you keep pushing it in 3.0.1? On 2.9, I used ADB to remove every Google service I could, thinking they were finally gone. But after updating to 3.0.1, they all got reinstalled. Is this some kind of joke?

This update policy feels like user feedback is being ignored: instead of giving us a choice, the system keeps forcing Google Assistant and its related services back onto our devices. So even after going through the hassle of removing them with ADB, you have to repeat the process after every update—which is inconvenient and raises serious questions about the developers’ priorities.

/e/os version : 3.0.1-a14-20250607498955-community-alioth
Build number : e_alioth-user 14 AP2A.240905.003 eng.root.20250607.044727" is replace every GApp with third party apps (Like Google Play Store to Aurora Store,Google and Google Chrome to Firefox,etc,etc) and make those main in settings,If this doesnt work than use ADB and a force stop tool

15

MistyPigeon,

Another new user with first post complaining of the same subject as the original new user.

To long term eOS users I would read these types of post with caution. It seems someone or some entity is running a campaign to discredit eOS.

7 Likes
16

And again (in this topic) … With which ADB command(s) exactly is this?
There are different ones, with supposedly different outcomes regarding the survivability of OS updates.

1 Like
17

That’ normal behavior for Android. If you uninstall a bundled app, the system doesn’t know any better and the app will re-appear when you do an update. If you disable an app, that’s a user setting that’s retained through an update. So don’t uninstall bundled apps, disable them.

Now Android is not always good about retaining user settings through updates. Personally I think that’s an inexcusable failure, but that’s what we get. I find I have to audit settings after an update to check for errant reversions. Most settings get retained, but there are some here and there that revert to default.

On my stock Android phone I have about 40 apps I disable. I keep a list because that’s something I check after an update. On my /e/os phone it’s hugely easier since there’s only a couple I disable. The /e/os phone is greatly easier to deal with when I need to audit settings and greatly easier to maintain in general. At some point I’ll quit using stock Android altogether.

2 Likes
18

Well …

… is named uninstall, but technically is more of a disable :man_shrugging:.
Anyway, this should survive OS updates.

2 Likes
19

Im not sure and i think you might need some PC software depending on device.

20

i wasnt arguing about the same thing i was just giving the answer by citing what the first dude said,and yes it does seem like that,espescially with LineageOS booming due to a few youtubers (Like isaackingvideos,etc,etc)