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Gander: an offline file viewer for Android with an empty permissions page. MIT on GitHub, and now on Play too. (github.com)
submitted 2 weeks ago by to c/android@lemdro.id
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GitHub · Google Play

Opens PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, video, audio, Markdown and code, all rendered on the device. About 5 MB, one build for every processor, Android 8.0 and up.

Search works in every document type. PDF text selects, copies and reads aloud to a screen reader, and there is a night mode that turns the paper black and leaves most photographs alone.

Its permissions page is empty and the manifest has no INTERNET so it can't open a network connection. Files reach it through the system picker, an Open-with intent, or a folder you grant once. The About screen asks Android what the app requests and shows you the result.

Not an editor. Legacy .ppt does not open. Complex PowerPoint renders approximately.

I will be in the comments today, so ask away, including why it isn't on F-Droid yet.

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[–] [B] 2 points 2 days ago

The empty permissions page is weaker evidence than people in here are taking it for. That screen only lists runtime permissions, so INTERNET, ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE, FOREGROUND_SERVICE and the rest never show up there whether or not an app has them. Plenty of apps with a blank page can still open sockets.

The manifest line is the actual claim, and it's a much stronger one. Anyone who wants to check it without taking your word or mine: on the Play listing, About this app → App permissions → See more is extracted from the uploaded build, not written by the developer. Or aapt2 dump permissions on the apk. Both show the normal permissions that the on-device page hides.

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