Firefox search app silently logs Firefox address bar searches | Hacker News Reader

Firefox search app silently logs Firefox address bar searches

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72 pointsarcfor31 comments

This is not the Google Search app but rather a search app bundled with Firefox. You can tell: it uses Firefox design language and iconography and is called "Firefox Search"; the Google Search app looks nothing like this. Because of the open intent-based nature of Android, apps can hook into the swipe up gesture. If you also have the Google Search app installed, you should've gotten a dialog to select between the two, at least the first time you activated the swipe up.

If you want to blame someone for this, blame Mozilla, but honestly, it's probably just an innocent mistake. This search app seems rather new (I just noticed it the other day, too) and probably doesn't get much usage, which I suspect is why it's not hooked into all the main app preferences yet. Jumping the gun to criticize Google here is... unfortunate.

For comparison, here's what the Google Search app looks like: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...

I now understand that this app is branded as Firefox Search. However, I find it very suspicious that, at least for me, it only allows Google, even though my default search engine is DuckDuckGo. It also ignores Firefox's data clearing, as you acknowledged.

I think it was automatically enabled on my phone because I explicitly disabled the Google app (my only other search app) in my App Settings.

I updated the page to refer to it as "Firefox's Google Search app". A fair name, considering its search engine options.

It uses whatever search engine you have configured in Firefox. When I tried it a minute ago on my Nexus, this defaulted to Yahoo.

This is unequivocally Mozilla code you're observing. Here's what adb logcat shows when that activity starts:

    I/ActivityManager(29188): START u0 {act=android.intent.action.ASSIST flg=0x13000000 cmp=org.mozilla.firefox/org.mozilla.search.SearchActivity (has extras)}

Not for me. Mine only allows Google. Maybe because I'm using a custom default search engine? If so, it should just use my custom one, and should obviously give me a choice regardless.

This may also be a bug in the Firefox app: I've just observed that when I change my default search engine in Firefox, that setting isn't necessarily reflected in the search intent handler until after I force stop Firefox.

Either way, to reiterate, it's definitely Firefox you're seeing here. If you don't like the way it behaves, I recommend following the other suggestions on this thread to file a bug report with Mozilla.

This is a bug in Firefox. I noticed it when 36 was first refused, and I'm pretty sure there's an open ticket about it.

Change your default search engine to something else and back again, and you'll notice that the widget updates.

this is my first time flagging a topic, i did so because the title is inaccurate - which i would not have realised without your comment. so, thank you. if the mods could rewrite the heading that would be great.

i was expecting a "don't be evil" style debate in here.

Ok, we changed the title from "Google Search app silently logs Firefox address bar searches".

Thanks for this.

That is not the Google Search app. It is the search interface you get when you use the Firefox Search homescreen widget.

(This is on Android, BTW.)

Yep. If you have Firefox installed on your Android, just drag up from the bottom and use "Firefox Search".

I addressed this below, but I should probably repost it here. Here's my take on it:

When choosing search apps, it's listed as "Firefox Search". However:

* it was automatically installed on my phone because it was the only present search app

* it replaced the nearly identical Google Search app, which I explicitly disabled

* At least on my phone, it only allows Google

* it doesn't conform to the Firefox data clearing

* it doesn't conform to the Firefox search engine preference

As far as I can tell, "Firefox Search" means "Google Search hooked into Firefox".

To be fair, I noticed that app name difference only after posting.

> AFAIK, it only allows Google

Mine defaults to Yahoo, which is exactly what you'd expect from the Firefox Search app. It's just a launcher intent that was registered when you installed Firefox.

Here's the help article: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-firefox-instantl...

According to the bottom box on that page, your search history should have been cleared from the steps you took. Sounds like a bug.

edit: you can prove this to yourself by going to Settings -> Apps -> Firefox, scrolling down to the "Launch By Default" section and clicking the "Clear Defaults" button. The next time you drag up from the bottom, your phone will ask you what you want to launch by default (assuming you still have other launchers, e.g. the Google App installed).

I'm on a Verizon HTC M8 running Android 4.4.4. Mine only allows Google.

Oneplus One 4.4.4, only Google.

In addition to what magicalist said, here is some more information:

The Firefox Search widget is indeed installed by default but not activated by default. You can use it either by adding it to the home screen or via the “swipeup” gesture.

A problem is that it seems to have its own “Clear search history” and does not obey the one from the Firefox privacy settings.

Another problem is that you may activate it and set it as permanent default for the “swipeup” gesture by accident, and then there seems to be no way to change it to something else unless you install some other application that provides a “swipeup” action, in which case you are presented again with the interface to choose your default swipeup action.

This is a general problem in Android. An app that can help you change easily the default swipeup action is the Swipeup Utility:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AdrianCamp...

You can use Swipeup Utility to set the default swipeup action to Nothing, or you can use it to clear the default of the swipeup gesture, so that you are a presented with the interface to chose a default again.

Last, the Firefox Search widget does not allow only Google Search. It is set to whatever your default search provider is in Firefox.

Looks like some confusion around the Firefox for Android search activity. I've filed a bug at https://bugzil.la/1143585 to track this.

Edit: For the time being, you can click the gear in the lower right of the search activity and choose "clear history" to remove those entries.

Hi, Mozilla Support volunteer here.

Thanks for spotting this! It is a known bug and has been fixed and rushed into beta testing (in Mozilla speak, this is called uplift). The fix is currently in Firefox beta and is scheduled to be released at the end of the month.

There's a bug logged here: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1124884

And a support article on how you can clear your search history here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-your-search-histo...

Hope this clears things up a little!

Jayelbe

Oh. After reading comments, now I wish I had an unvote button to take my upvote back. I don't need a downvote button, just an unvote.

Some deeper explanation would be nice here - how did the data end up there? Is the app hooking in to Firefox to pick this information up? Or are you just signed in to your Google account on both (Google search itself in Firefox, and Google Search via your Google sign-in on the Android?)

You should file a bug here[0], just to be sure it isn't a bug on Fennec.

[0] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi#h=dupes|Firefox+f...

Does anybody know what app this is? It appears to have a Firefox icon on it. My stock Nexus phone does not seem to have this app - swiping up from the home icon gives you Now.

When choosing search apps, it's listed as "Firefox Search". However:

* it was automatically installed on my phone because it was the only present search app

* it replaced the nearly identical Google Search app, which I explicitly disabled

* At least on my phone, it only allows Google

* it doesn't conform to the Firefox data clearing

* it doesn't conform to the Firefox search engine preference

As far as I can tell, "Firefox Search" means "Google search hooked into Firefox".

Does it work the other way around?

If I type something in any browser on android, will the history be available to other browsers ? (i.e. some kind of history API)

No it does not, in fact it doesn't even work the way the author claimed. He or she mistook an activity bundled with the Firefox app for the Google Search app.

In reality that search history was never persisted outside the Firefox app.

It only allows Google, despite my using another default search engine.

The data is certainly persisting somewhere outside of Firefox proper, as the search app is siphoning data that can only be cleared from within.

> The data is certainly persisting somewhere outside of Firefox proper, as the search app is siphoning data that can only be cleared from within.

That does not follow. They are the same application.

For example, attempt to reproduce this after pressing the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons on Firefox's Android app info screen.

Shouldn't be of any surprise to anyone who's willingly using the whole damn operating system from a company rooted in tracking of everyone in sight.

Edit -- The notability of the post hinges on whether the OP is running one of the stock Android versions or a custom build. Because if it's former, there could really be no expectations of privacy.

AOSP is clean of any Google-ish surveillance programs. Best example is Cyanogen.

Of course, Google Apps are not.

Is OP running Cyanogen?

That would've indeed been something.

I will be within the next 24 hours, if Sunshine 3.0 gets released as promised. :-)

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