[Android Apps and Games] Saber:
About myself, motivation and more

About myself

Hi there :) My name is Joshua Lay and I’m a computer science student at Monash University. I’m mostly known for my experience in tweaking mobile Linux kernels such as for the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Samsung Galaxy S5. I have recently gained interest in the mobile app development field, and so I started off by creating the Privacy Helper Android app.

Motivation

Before I picked up mobile app development studies, I've always had the idea to create an app that would effectively spread my knowledge about app privacy and security to a wider audience. I was further motivated by guides such as PrivacyTools.io and Prism Break providing a easy-to-use webpage for all to see and use, but was immediately intrigued to see if there was something similar but in the form of a mobile app.

While traditionally, a mobile app is something that must be used occasionally and not just once, but however my main goal for creating this app compared to a website would be to utilize the offline capabilities and portability of a smartphone to help educate people around the world.

So why isn't there a download for Google play or xyz Store?

I haven't found the need to publish my app on the play store, especially since I don't have a Google Play developer license and because I have just started to build apps by myself. As for other stores, I'm only willing to make my app available on F-Droid, GitLab and XDA-labs. Any other source should be treated as suspicious.

So if you app says using apps from unknown sources are dangerous, then what does this say about your app?

My app is completely open-source (FOSS btw). No strings attached and no gimmicks. You can see my implementation over at GitLab. Don't trust me? Feel free to remove the app. I'll try to be as transparent as possible should there be any concerns.

I can see everything is in English, I can help translate...

I'll need to make some arrangements before I allow anyone to help translate. Remember that there are many (often lengthy) sentences that needs to be translated. If you have the time, please feel free to PM me to let me know ;)

So you're open-source, but then app icons listed come from real (closed-source, often proprietary) apps. What gives?

If this is an issue, I can make arrangements to seek alternative resources. My main aim isn't to make any app developer feel or look bad, but rather to educated users about problematic apps often seen with apps downloaded from questionable sources.

I feel that I can help improve your app, where can I start?

Feel free to fork my project, make changes, and then submit a pull request. Remember that my project is GPL and so any violations will not be taken lightly (case-by-case).

Want to use some of my code?

I'm completely fine with people using parts of my code. I learnt a large majority of code from reading online, and so due to the nature of GPL, this would also mean others can also learn from mine. I've tried my best to cite sources where applicable.

What changes can I expect in the future?

While the future of my app remains unknown, I have some features I still want to implement (see the issue tracker on my GitLab).