Would you mind to tell the version number? You may agree one of the most difficult parts is to back track an app history to find the last greatest version... Thanks BrianSim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guQw3nSkXMY

Support? Just buy the product if you like it and not if dont, no need to support any company , support your family

VLC for Android, Videolabs = "Offers in-app purchases". ^ That's the genuine one, yes?

Hi, the version I'm using is v3.2.12 (no "In App Purchases" permission required). I've still no idea what it's for in later versions.

That in-app purchase in VLC for android is for optional sponsorship that came in v3.3.0-RC1.
XDA Developers post about v3.3 release has screenshot about that sponsorship
VLC for Android changelog

Aye it is. And as others note, it's for donations. Because good code might be free, but the people behind that still need to keep the lights on.

Ah, that explains it. Thanks for clarifying!

I don't know about anyone else but for me this is what I do to avoid of all that nonsense - installing your own ROM for your android smart phone. You can choose to install Gapps for the Play Store if you like, if for some reason you need it in your personal life.

For my personal phones I use UBTouch - https://ubuntu-touch.io/ and Lineage OS - https://lineageos.org/. With Lineage OS I use the Fdroid https://f-droid.org/ as my main app store and I side load the rest of my games direct from the devs which are mostly on itch.io or at their own sites.

I have a work phone that is on Google because I do a lot of Admin work in Google Workspace formerly Gsuite for my main job but that phone stays at the office when I clock out. I can remote in, if needed but very rare for me to do so.

hmm do people give them money? did you ? how much?

Yeah, as you can see if you click the link you're sent a bug report. There's a few others like it, as well. I have no evidence that they transfer it anywhere, but they'll store it if you tell them not to. I verified the behavior myself.

The context was that i wanted to login to my SSH server on her phone to access the audio share, so i found out about these bug reports. Naturally, i tried the usernmae:password option. THen i closed the app after it worked, removed the password, and i was still getting in without a prompt. Of course, i naturally then uninstalled and reinstalled the app which fixed the problem, but that's not the kind of bug we call an accident.

I wish that were more of an option. I'm looking into pinephone, lately. Part of me thinks it'd be smarter to go full pi with a GSM addon.

The irony being that they're not owned by Hitatchi, which is what showed me this is a corporate thing.

Sorry, what? What not being owned by Hitachi has to do with anything?

Cool! Thank you. I just checked my notes and the latest I installed (long ago because the -strategy- and VLC is not my primary player) was v3.1.7. So I can jump a couple of steps forward :)

Sweat... Thanks a ton! Not all the android apps have a changelog...

Great advises! My best addition: Because sometimes Gplay is unavoidable, to take a look of the Exodus Privacy report for the app version in concern.
As example, the report for a game currently at 100% discount
Sol 705 Complete Adventure
Version 707
https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/188309/
Pretty clean: 00 Trackers and asks for only 1 permission (Read External Storage)

Now let's check the report for
Classic Words Solo (the Freeemium with Ads version)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lulo.scrabble.classicwords
https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/188768/
The result is very offensive: 18 Trackers and asks for 12 permissions...
The paid version of the game does not have report, the reason is Exodus needs to download the apk to run its analysis and because the paywall that is not possible... unless they offer a temporary giveaway and somebody takes the opportunity to submit a report request to Exodus. Wouldn't surprise me if in this case the paid app persist with all those trackers & permissions... Unfortunately I have seen that in other cases of freemium vs. paid apps.

Exodus to me is a very helpul as an a wide eye opening resource and support apps from GPlay & Fdroid stores. After reading the reports then things start to make sense like this common & sudden problems: battery drain, general slowness, etc might be because that innocent weather app installed 3 days ago has a lot of trackers harvesting as much info as possible.. and much worse if you authorized all the broad unnecesary permissions the app requested!

Link to submit requests: https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/analysis/submit/
Their section for better understanding: https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/info/understand/

I hope you GOG fellows find Exodus useful :)

Sorry MeowCanuck, you forgot to include the youtube link to your reasonable video essay using palatable, audience-targeted content backed by data.
Could you add it please?
I am a lay & too busy person and cannot dedicate hours upon hours of my free time sitting down to read and understand your wall of text in your post involving -maybe- self-inserted quasi-politics and philosophies.
A meme would have been a great helper!
-Watch you later- Gotta go to the gym to save my life

**ironic mode off**

I think I get your point but consider this: -your suggested formula- is not the universal solution. At least not to this fool (me)
We have enough doom happening and a very few being aware of it, discouraging them is not an option.

There are a TON of ROMS, I just picked the ones that work best for my personal life. UBTouch is my fall back HOME PHONE as it's just for phone, text and reading books. I use it like a traditional phone and it's installed on my wall for when ppl call the house using a free phone service.

My Lineage OS phone is for watching movies, shows, playing games, web browsing, reading books and doing some lite work on it. It's the phone that travels with me when I'm out and about.

Excellent find!