[AnimalPak200]

Hey guys, I've been busy with work lately and had slacked on updating my android apps through snap. Today I finally got a chance and quite a few of the android apps I have installed had updates, so I updated them.

It seems several of the apps that I have been using for almost a year no longer want to work. More specifically:

- Costco app simply force closes after the splash screen launches.

- Xfinity TVGo app opens up fine, let's you start a show, but then simply closes halfway through the initial ad.

- BTN2Go app (for big ten college sports) similarly let's you browse through it, but once you select a show or video, it force closes.

I noticed all of these apps had some sort of "major update" in their change log description, and they all got a noticeable face lift to look much more modern and polished up.

My first reaction was to restart my device (both soft and hard), but didn't have any success.

None of these apps used to require any Google login or show Google ads. If I recall correctly even the Costco app used to use a static map image instead of calling up Google maps in the "store locator" section of the app.

Originally I updated these apps on my daily driver, a Z30STA100-3 running 10.2.1.3175. However I also tried the apps on the latest 10.3 leak on my Z10, with the same negative results.

Has there been a recent initiative by Google to encourage developers integrate more stringent checks for the Google Services Framework? Something in these "revamped" apps is causing issues with my devices.

Anyway... if you guys don't mind, give some (or all) of those apps a try and let me know how they work for you.

Posted via CB10

[howarmat]

There probably are more apps using google services. Afterall this allows them to utilize push services much more efficiently, connect to google maps and google now perhaps. More and more this will happen

[johnnyuk]

Try patching the apps with Lucky Patcher to remove the dependencies on Google Services, and adverts too! Search for Lucky Patcher on CrackBerry, plenty of info about it.

Posted from my BlackBerry Z30 STA100-2 /10.2.1.3247 on O2 UK - Activated on BES10.2.3

[AnimalPak200]

Try patching the apps with Lucky Patcher to remove the dependencies on Google Services, and adverts too! Search for Lucky Patcher on CrackBerry, plenty of info about it.

Posted from my BlackBerry Z30 STA100-2 /10.2.1.3247 on O2 UK - Activated on BES10.2.3

I will once I get some time, I had to do this with some other apps a while back (which I haven't updated). I was just disappointed in seeing previously working apps, for paid services (i.e. not ad supported), getting deeper and deeper in bed with Google and their shenanigans.

Posted via CB10

[AnimalPak200]

There probably are more apps using google services. Afterall this allows them to utilize push services much more efficiently, connect to google maps and google now perhaps. More and more this will happen

This really won't work well for BlackBerry's current strategy of basically offering Android apps in lieu of native ones consumers. Plus I imagine this will further slow down Android app migration to the Amazon app store.

Posted via CB10

[howarmat]

This really won't work well for BlackBerry's current strategy of basically offering Android apps in lieu of native ones consumers. Plus I imagine this will further slow down Android app migration to the Amazon app store.

Posted via CB10

agreed for the most part but blackberry has decided to go that route. I was pretty much aganst the android player from the beginning but BB has become increasingly reliant on android instead of distancing themselves from it

[Ment]

Devs are slowly updating their apps to Android L Material Design look and hooking into the updated GSF services at the same time. Snap is going to be useless in a year.

[mnc76]

Google has brilliantly executed the old "embrace, extend, extinguish" play on Open Source Android.

Even diehard Android fans now refer to pure Open Source Android as being "watered down Android".

I realize Google made Android open source in the first place, but many people (for example: *all* of my friends) initially jumped on the Android bandwagon because it was supposedly "free and open". When my GF got her first Android phone (after owning an iPhone), one of my friends even said to her "welcome to the free world!" lol

Not so "free" anymore though.

I don't fault Google for wanting to have more control over their own software though. They are a business after all, not a charity.

However, I do feel mislead.

Posted via CB10