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Author Topic: How did we do? - message on mobile  (Read 5617 times)

Bowdon

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How did we do? - message on mobile
« on: March 11, 2018, 11:41:26 AM »

My Dad has been telling me that recently he's started to receive the "How did we do?" message that people usually get when they have used a companies services.

The strange thing is, he's never given his mobile number to these places.

He told me that it happened when he came out of Asda.

Yesterday he told me that he got that message when he drove past a pub on his travels. He doesn't know how they are sending him the message.

The only thing on his phone that is active is 1. Wifi is on and set to connect to our home network, and 2. He has bluetooth on while in the car to use it hands free.

My theory is its something to do with bluetooth. But I'm not sure. I've never heard of this happening to anyone else.

Does anyone have any ideas or theories to what is happening?
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V_R

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2018, 12:03:01 PM »

Is it actually a text message?

What phone?

Could it be Google Maps thinking he's been in said place?
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2018, 06:20:20 PM »

smartphone tracking commonly uses WiFi and GPS.

If the phone sees (say) Asda’s wifi it can tell other parties that you are near Asda, communicating that information using cellular sata.   Similarly, if GPS location is Asda, it will communicate that fact too. 

If it is an iPhone, go to Settings->privacy->locationServices, and ensure nothing is ticked that does not need to be ticked.  For example, I allow maps and the Network Rail App to see my location, and not much else.  Avoid signing in to anything provided by Google, or at least, make sure you sign out again.

If it is an Android then my personal, biased, slightly tongue in cheek advice, would be to destroy it and buy an iPhone.   I am semi serious as it is how I dealt with my own Android phone after I understood Google’s approach to privacy, but no doubt other more constructive advice will be forthcoming. :)

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Bowdon

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2018, 06:53:47 PM »

I think you're right. It seems to be something to do with that location tracking.

He opened the message and it opened up a list of all the locations he'd been in the last 6 months with the name of the place and 5 stars that you can select.

My cousin was visiting for the day and I mentioned it to him and he said he had a similar experience with some of his friends so he unticked the location tracker and he hasnt had any issues since.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2018, 07:31:09 PM »

Worth mentioning, a pal of mine has been complaining of something not quite the same, but similar.  He gets ‘welcome’ messages and other spam, such as suggestions of where to eat, when he arrives at places shopping centres and the likes.

He’s a pretty competent techie, being a retired software engineer for a major mainframe manufacturer, but he’s not quite figured out how to stop it.   The sledgehammer approach of disabling all location services might work, but he doesn’t want do do that.   His device is an Android.
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V_R

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2018, 09:13:41 PM »

If it is an Android then my personal, biased, slightly tongue in cheek advice, would be to destroy it and buy an iPhone.   I am semi serious as it is how I dealt with my own Android phone after I understood Google’s approach to privacy, but no doubt other more constructive advice will be forthcoming. :)
Fanboy much? Because Apple are so much better right?  ::)

Least I know my Pixel 2 XL won't start getting slower with each software update. ;)


Quote
Worth mentioning, a pal of mine has been complaining of something not quite the same, but similar.  He gets ‘welcome’ messages and other spam, such as suggestions of where to eat, when he arrives at places shopping centres and the likes.

He’s a pretty competent techie, being a retired software engineer for a major mainframe manufacturer, but he’s not quite figured out how to stop it.   The sledgehammer approach of disabling all location services might work, but he doesn’t want do do that.   His device is an Android.

As I said in the first post, could well be GMaps, and if it is you can just go in to the setting and turn off the notifications you don't want.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2018, 09:28:26 PM »

As I said in the first post, could well be GMaps, and if it is you can just go in to the setting and turn off the notifications you don't want.

Not entirely convinced.  On my iPhone, both Apple maps and Google maps (which is better) have location access.   Yet I get no such annoyances.

Difference is, being an iPhone, I am not signed in to Google... they know where my phone is, based on the Google cookie that identifies device, but they don’t know who I am, or how to spam me.   If it were an Android phone, I would almost cetainly be signed in, and Google would know exactly who I was, and how to spam me.
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Bowdon

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2018, 11:11:02 PM »

It is the same for me. I carry my phone (android) and don't get the notifications.

When I was searching online someone mentioned about the google maps option. They say it worked for them. But yea, it doesn't explain why my phone doesn't get those notifications and my dads does.

The only difference between our phones is he has bluetooth turned on all the time because he uses it in the car for hands free.

When I was looking around the net earlier there was a shop owner asking how he could setup bluetooth to send a message to anyone passing his store. According to him a shop up the road had it setup. I've heard its called bluejacking or something like that. That topic went on to talk about the legal issues surrounding that. Apparently it comes down to the content of the message if its allowed or not.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2018, 12:01:49 AM »

So far as I understand, Bluejacking lies somewhere between hacking and prank.  Also not sure whether it depends on weak security by the phone owner?

But Asda being what Asda are, whilst not exactly Waitrose, I’d be surprised if they would stoop so low as to use such a dodgy exploit in commercial practice.   ???
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Ronski

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2018, 06:36:55 AM »

He opened the message and it opened up a list of all the locations he'd been in the last 6 months with the name of the place and 5 stars that you can select.

It's Google maps, nothing sinister. Do you or 7LM ever use Google reviews, find the information that Google states about a place useful, I know I do. How to you think it gets there? The majority is from users like me who actually take the time to leave a review, update opening times, add website details, move the location marker to the correct location etc. If I don't have time I simply ignore the request or clear it. I'm pretty sure if you look there is an option to stop it asking you if you or your father doesn't wish to contribute.

If it is an Android then my personal, biased, slightly tongue in cheek advice, would be to destroy it and buy an iPhone.   I am semi serious as it is how I dealt with my own Android phone after I understood Google’s approach to privacy, but no doubt other more constructive advice will be forthcoming. :)

Rant.

No surprise there really, rather wasteful if you did destroy it. You support the greediest company I know of, and probably least open, one of their biggest successes is how they driven the price of decent mobiles through the roof! Look how it slowed peoples phones down, a good idea but it should have said so, so what else does it not tell users? At least with Android people can pick the code apart, release their own ROMS, so if anything really sinister was going on we'd probably know about it. I'm Android all the way, I wouldn't buy anything that came from the evil empire that is Apple, what do you think will happen if they were the only phone maker?

End rant.
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V_R

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2018, 07:56:53 AM »

@Bowden, Its not blue jacking. I have Bluetooth on all the time using it with my car and an Android wear watch. For a start you need to confirm on both sides of the connection to connect and send and receive data.

As I've said several times now, its GMaps. Open the app hit the hamburger menu on the top left or swipe the menu out from the left, go to settings > Notifications. Turn everything off. He'll never see anything again.


@Ronski, Nicely put, another local guide I see. :)


« Last Edit: March 12, 2018, 09:05:39 AM by V_R »
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broadstairs

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2018, 08:06:37 AM »

I must admit I have never had any of this type of message. I do use Bluetooth but only enable it when using the car for hands free use if really needed (my car phones automatically if I have an accident). I have an Android phone and always have had. Not a fan of Apple either. My Google maps is disabled (cant remove it as my phone is not rooted). I use OSM Maps if I need an online map (which is rare  ;) ). I never leave wi-fi enabled even at home, I always enabled it only when I need to use it. Also I try to avoid using any Google related app if at all possible.

Stuart
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2018, 08:46:31 AM »

Look how it slowed peoples phones down, a good idea but it should have said so, so what else does it not tell users?

I tried to make humour of the Apple vs Android aspect, but this latest Apple bashing really does need to be laid to rest.

In fact, Apple merely arranged for the devices to adapt as the batteries degraded, allowing older devices to carry on working, albeit with slightly reduced performance.  Yet somehow, the Apple Haters managed to turn it into a shock-horror headline, and the mainstream media were suckered into reporting it.

Apple are pretty unique in this day and age, in encouraging several years’ device usage.   My own personal iPhone is a 5c, dating from 2014, you still see plenty of them about.  Sadly, it only runs iOS 10 owing to 32 bit hardware limitations, but our 64 bit iPad Mini retina from 2013 is still absolutely as good as new, and fully supported with latest iOS 11.  We’ve noticed no degradation at all during that period, despite the fact it is now running a much later iOS version than when it was born.   The only disappointment was the iPad 2, which never coped well post iOS 8, though that seems to just have been a ‘bloat’ problem,  it has never been suggested that Apple deliberately slugged it.  Even though a bit laggy, my own iPad 2 still remained in daily use as my ‘go to’ web device, six years after it was launched.

By all means let’s exchange humourous banter over Apple vs Android, but keep it friendly?  That  was my only real intent, whilst drawing attention to the undeniable fact that Google and Apple have different approaches to snooping and privacy. :)
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V_R

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2018, 09:13:52 AM »

Irony. Your first post in this thread was 'Android bashing'.  ???
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: How did we do? - message on mobile
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2018, 09:21:29 AM »

As I've said several times now, its GMaps. Open the app hit the hamburger menu on the top left or swipe the menu out from the left, go to settings > Notifications. Turn everything off. He'll never see anything again

That does sound credible.

Then again, I use Google Maps all the time on my iPhone, because it is better by far than Apple Maps.   i have never seen any nuisance messages or notifications.   On the Notifications settings, only option is “background navigation instructions”.   It is disabled, though I’d be surprised if enabling it gave rise to this problem?

Another difference, that I still consider to be a biggie, is that being an iOS device, I do not have to, and never do, actually sign into Google.  So it would be harder for them to identify me, and send me personalised location-based advertising.   It might be interesting to try using the Android device whilst not signed in, but istr that with Android it was hard, if not impossible, to avoid signing into Google?

Of course, iOS  also provides strong incentives to sign in (to Apple), mine is always signed in to Apple, but I have never been pestered in that way.
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