1491094 - Investigate whether we can remove GV's ACCESS_WIFI_STATE permission requirement

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(GeckoView :: General, defect, P1)

Description

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Focus+WebView does not require the ACCESS_WIFI_STATE permission, so this permission may be preventing some Focus+WebView users from updating to Focus+GV.

GV uses Android's Wi-Fi APIs to check whether the network is offline. We may be able get the same network status using some other API without this permission.

https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/de7676288a78b70d2b9927c79493adbf294faad5/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml#5

Comment 1

[Colin Lee]

Note that this also causes some valid privacy concerns for Focus users: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/focus-android/issues/3441

Comment 2

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

We should try to fix this bug in GV 62 in Focus 7.0. Adding this permission causes an annoying update process for users updating for Focus+WebView to Focus+GV. Users with Android >= O have to click through a permission prompt. Users with Android < O have to open the Google Play Store and manually update.

Comment 3

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

If we can remove the ACCESS_WIFI_STATE permission, we might be able to remove (android:required="false") the android.hardware.wifi feature requirement (like android.hardware.touchscreen bug 1490786).

Comment 4

[James Willcox (:snorp) ([e-mail]) (he/him)]

Attachment: Bug 1491094 - Don't require ACCESS_WIFI_STATE for GeckoView r=droeh

Fennec will continue to require this.

Comment 5

[Dylan Roeh (:droeh) (he/him)]

Comment on attachment 9012698 [details]
Bug 1491094 - Don't require ACCESS_WIFI_STATE for GeckoView r=droeh

Dylan Roeh (:droeh) has approved the revision.

Comment 6

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/149bad7f0537
Don't require ACCESS_WIFI_STATE for GeckoView r=droeh

Comment 7

[James Willcox (:snorp) ([e-mail]) (he/him)]

Comment on attachment 9012698 [details]
Bug 1491094 - Don't require ACCESS_WIFI_STATE for GeckoView r=droeh

Approval Request Comment
[Feature/Bug causing the regression]: N/A
[User impact if declined]: Unnecessary permissions in GeckoView apps
[Is this code covered by automated tests?]: No
[Has the fix been verified in Nightly?]: No
[Needs manual test from QE? If yes, steps to reproduce]: No
[List of other uplifts needed for the feature/fix]: None
[Is the change risky?]: No
[Why is the change risky/not risky?]: Removes a permission and guards around the couple places where we used the thing provided by said permission.
[String changes made/needed]: None

Comment 8

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Fixed in GECKOVIEW_62_RELBRANCH:

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-release/rev/97c33560b0e2

Comment 9

[Arthur Iakab [arthur_iakab]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/149bad7f0537

Comment 10

[Pascal Chevrel:pascalc (PTO until April 26)]

Comment on attachment 9012698 [details]
Bug 1491094 - Don't require ACCESS_WIFI_STATE for GeckoView r=droeh

P1 got Geckoview, uplift accepted for 63 beta 11, thanks.

Comment 11

[Eliza Balazs [:ebalazs_]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-beta/rev/20a95b6b2494

Comment 12

[Ryan VanderMeulen [:RyanVM]]

Comment on attachment 9012698 [details]
Bug 1491094 - Don't require ACCESS_WIFI_STATE for GeckoView r=droeh

Retroactively setting the GV62 approval flag.