Lately, we have been brainstorming internally on simply what next for iodé. We have different projects in mind, some are already baking for you, some are just ideas for now….As we deeply want to concentrate our efforts on what YOU want and what you need, we would like to hear from you. So raise your voice! Here is a poll on current ideas we have for the future @iodé. You can vote here, express your ideas, or complain for the things you don’t like. Your input is precious to us and will be our fuel for our next move!
I think it’s very great that iodé always directly involves its users! So big thanks again to this vote!
Before iodé takes many more devices to it, it would be more important that the security updates for the devices that are already supported as official stable monthly (instead of every 2 months) would come out as soon as possible after the Google release.
A few points from this topic have already been implemented for iodé blocker. An implementation of the so far missing points would be nice. And export/import of the settings. And in addition to the block/allow network access selection for Wifi, mobile data and VPN, the block/allow “network access in the background” selection.
A function that automatically disables wifi and bluetooth.
A function in Android settings to make PIN guessing (brute force protection) impossible. Similar to the app WrongPinShutdown. See also this topic.
An app and a service “find my phone” with which you can find your lost/stolen phone. This service is welcome to be paid. One can log into their “account” via the browser of a computer or phone and initiate the location of the phone. For this to succeed, an SMS is sent to the phone which causes GPS and WLAN to be activated. The position is then displayed on a map. Maybe also a function that you can take photos with the cameras and send them to the account. If one is already at the correct location, the handy nevertheless can’t see/find, over the account arrange that the handy plays a loud and insistent sound. No matter if the phone was last set to silent or not.
How does iodé handle the remoteprovisioning.googleapis.com connection? If no measures have been taken so far, a own reverse proxy server would be conceivable.
At this point, many thanks for this fantastic ROM, which, among many other advantages, gives the user a lot of freedom!
From my technical point of view, focus should be on privacy/security with
good documentation
Transparency
fast security updates
firmware and kernel updates
Google free
iodé blockers
Instead of features like:
Own VPN (which is a question of trust and demands high performance from the exit nodes. These should be freely selectable and not just terminated in a data center)
Own cloud (which represents a high administrative effort and requires fast and high-performance server hardware. You get more problems than you get from it. At least if you want to make the service available free of charge. This creates requirements from the users , which rob you of your time and are even rude. You don’t have this time for important things)
Support for many devices and models (The effort increases exponentially)
You can see what the above points can lead to in murena aka /e/OS.
Yes, of course, I understand, you have to monetize yourself at some point and make money. But IMHO, murena is a good example of how it shouldn’t work and how quickly you can lose focus on the essentials if you build too much around it and lose the original focus.
A large vendor’s tray of services and devices, but miles behind the actual focus on security and privacy and not to mention the up-to-dateness of the software.
So I hope that iodè doesn’t develop in the wrong direction and remains interesting for Teekies like me.
Even if I understand the economic aspect of a company.
Open the source and allow building IodéOS 2 for devices ‘stuck’ on LOS 18. I own three different such devices: Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z3 Tablet Compact. I would like to be able to make builds for those devices
I see it exactly the same way. My 6 points mentioned above are all aimed at privacy and security. They fit to this list or complement it. The points from this and my list and the point from @sts61 (set wildcards for domains in the blocker) can’t all be done by the users themselves. There we have to rely on iodé.
Features like VPN and cloud are secondary at this point. For this there are already other providers that the user (without the help of iodé) can select and use themselves.
It is indeed much more important to support the devices (that are already supported) very well, especially including the already mentioned privacy and security aspects. Possibly having a huge selection of devices at some point, but the support in the mentioned sense is only mediocre or even slips to poor support, does not help anyone in the long run. There are already enough half-baked custom ROMs. In the long run, iodé will certainly have better sales numbers and thus the much-needed income if the supported devices are supported in the above sense in the best possible way and not somehow and half-baked. This gets around. In this way, iodé can make a good name for itself in the privacy scene in the long term. And that’s what it’s all about, and that’s what iodé and the users have the most to gain from. By the way, not only the technically experienced users, but also those who just want to have a privacy-friendly cell phone without having to think about it. If iodé’s reputation of having a very high standard of privacy out of the box spreads, I’m sure more and more non-technical users will order a phone, too.
I see /e/OS as a very negative example as well.
Dear iodé team, please put quality before quantity!
Edit:
Perhaps supplementary to the understanding. I am not completely against adding new devices or offering new services. This should only be done secondarily, if there are still resources left. First, the above-mentioned privacy and security aspects should be implemented.
Providing a VPN or cloud services would be a mistake, since this would take up too many resources. You should concentrate on the quality of IdoeOS which is already superior to Murena, etc.
I’ve been using iodé on Pixel 6a since 7 Feb and for me it is the complete package. I have to try hard to think of improvements and come up with not very much really!
Just one thing I notice sometimes is in iodé blocker I find it slightly slow process to see roughly what time it was when a request was blocked. Maybe I haven’t found the right way yet. Usually it means scrolling down the ‘stream’ page.
Showing all apps in the iodé app (at least as option) - right now I am using the Android function of the private profile and workprofile (via the app shelter). This leads to the strange case, that NONE of the actual more critical apps from the work profile are shown in the iodé app and can not be controlled there.
(my current workaround is to use another firewall app, to get these apps under control, but it’s a pitty that this is necessary)
Improve camera quality
This might be only an issue with Samsung Phones and there is probably not much you can do about it but the poor camera quality is one of the biggest disadvantages to me, using a non-stock ROM.
Spoofing options
As written by some other users above, i also don’t care about features like VPN or cloud services.
Thanks for asking anyhow!
This is generally a problem when using a custom ROM instead of the stock ROM. If it suits you, the best option is probably to install a Gcam port. This will give you the best chance of getting good camera quality. https://www.xda-developers.com/google-camera-port-hub/#samsung
Like many others, i would recommend to focus on securtiy and privacy.
Monthly security updates would be appreciated.
And maybe Sandboxed Google Play like GrapheneOS (i know that that’s a big ask)
I would actively discourage you from creating you own VPN or Cloud services.
Doing those right from a privacy standpoint (no data leaks on the one hand and data and account management in a way that you can’t be forced do divulge information to law enforcement) is not trivial.
Maybe you can partner with existing providers (promoting them in a non-intrusive way) to generate some recurring revenue?
In LineageOS 13, there is a new default camera app called Aperture, based on the CameraX library. It seems to be a significant improvement over Snap, Camera2 and OpenCamera. This seems like a better choice for inclusion in IodéOS than GCam, which - as far as I know - is not available for all devices supported by IodéOS.
Maybe in future this could be included as the default camera app in IodéOS
It is available in the Iodé F-Droid repo, which is enabled by default in IodéOS builds, so you can try it out and see what you think
Thanks to both of you! I don’t want to spam this thread too much but thanks for your hints.
A GCam port is already in use, still with several limitations (e.g. crashs in portrait mode with front camera, picture quality is still limited - but better, picture storage location is not adjustable,…).
I followed your interesting discussion about support of additional devices etc.
Main focus should be on privacy and security and a good customer support!
This is more important than adding too many additional devices - absolutely true in my opinion.
But at least a single tablet should be in the list of supported devices …
So big thanks again to this vote!
