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Google nag to turn Discover on

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  Google nag to turn Discover on Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> - 2025-03-20 11:19 -0700
    Re: Google nag to turn Discover on VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-03-20 14:09 -0500
      Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-21 03:54 +0000
        Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-21 05:42 +0000
      Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> - 2025-03-21 11:28 -0700
        Re: Google nag to turn Discover on VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-03-21 18:08 -0500
          Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> - 2025-03-23 16:13 -0700
            Re: Google nag to turn Discover on VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-03-23 19:08 -0500
              Re: Google nag to turn Discover on AJL <noemail@none.com> - 2025-03-24 05:45 +0000
              Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> - 2025-03-25 10:12 -0700
                Re: Google nag to turn Discover on VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-03-25 19:49 -0500
                  Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-26 02:00 +0000
              Re: Google nag to turn Discover on (solution: Disable the Google app) Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> - 2025-03-25 10:39 -0700
                Re: Google nag to turn Discover on (solution: Disable the Google app) AJL <noemail@none.com> - 2025-03-25 20:00 +0000
                  Re: Google nag to turn Discover on (solution: Disable the Google   app) Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> - 2025-03-26 08:31 -0700
    Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> - 2025-03-21 11:20 -0700
      Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-03-21 19:09 +0000
        Re: Google nag to turn Discover on Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-21 21:41 +0000
      Re: Google nag to turn Discover on "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-03-25 20:11 +0100

#147325 — Google nag to turn Discover on

Google Pixel 8a phone, Android 15


I've had this phone since the first week of December, and one of the 
first things I did was to turn off Discover. I can live quite well 
without being served up clickbait in "my" feed, which was created by 
Google not me.

Google's retaliation: About one time in three when I tap any icon to 
open an app, instead of getting whatever I tapped for, I get a panel 
brusquely telling me to turn Discover back on. I swipe right and 
retap the icon I wanted.

This is annoying. Is there a way to turn off not only Discover but 
the nags to turn it on? I couldn't find anything in settings for the 
phone or for the Google app.

-- 
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

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#147328

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> Google Pixel 8a phone, Android 15
> 
> I've had this phone since the first week of December, and one of the 
> first things I did was to turn off Discover. I can live quite well 
> without being served up clickbait in "my" feed, which was created by 
> Google not me.
> 
> Google's retaliation: About one time in three when I tap any icon to 
> open an app, instead of getting whatever I tapped for, I get a panel 
> brusquely telling me to turn Discover back on. I swipe right and 
> retap the icon I wanted.
> 
> This is annoying. Is there a way to turn off not only Discover but 
> the nags to turn it on? I couldn't find anything in settings for the 
> phone or for the Google app.

Google app settings -> General settings -> Discover

Is that still disabled?  After disabling, make sure to stop the Google
app, so it isn't sitting in the background still using its old settings.
When you then next load the Google app, are there still Discover stories
in the Google app's window?

If the unidentified apps are merely web-centric interfaces to a web
site, perhaps you need to ensure the Google app is not opening a web
page instead of whatever web browser you chose.

Google app settings -> General settings -> Open web pages in the app

Since your phone likely connects to your Google account, go to
google.com (and signin), click your account picture, More settings, and
then Other settings.  Disable "Show Discover on home page."

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#147334

On Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:09:23 -0500, VanguardLH wrote :


> Since your phone likely connects to your Google account, go to
> google.com (and signin), click your account picture, More settings, and
> then Other settings.  Disable "Show Discover on home page."

Just to add a side note to Vanguard's great researched response, I've never
heard of "Discover". I've never seen it. I didn't even know it existed.

Looking it up... apparently "Discover" is a personalized feed of content
provided by Google based on your past Google activity, including your
searches, browsing history, and app usage. Yikes! I wouldn't want that.
 <https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10001618/#:~:text=Google%20Discover%20is%20just%20a,your%20search%20and%20browsing%20history.>

Digging deeper why I've never heard of Discover even as I've had Android
since, oh, seemingly forever, I found it's in the Google App, also known as
 <com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox>

I have that package on my Android 13 Galaxy so why don't I see "Discover"?
 C:\> adb shell pm list packages com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
      (this lists it)

Luckily for me, it's been long ago "disabled" by me (probably en masse):
 C:\> adb shell pm list packages -d com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
      (this lists it)

I looked to see if it was "stopped" also (in addition to disabled).
 C:\> adb shell "dumpsys package com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox | grep stopped="

The output indicated that the package wasn't installed for "user 0" but it
was installed (& working) for "user 11", so I needed to figure who is who.

 C:\> adb shell am get-current-user
      This reported that I'm user 0 when running adb

Digging deeper, since I have no accounts set up on my phone, apparently I'm
user 0 (even as for most of you, you're NOT user 0, apparently).

Then I have a work profile, which is user 11. So for the work profile, the
Discover functionality exists, but not for the main profile of mine.

This is confusing to me, but I'm trying to figure out WHY I never see
anything about "Discover" and people like Stan do see it.

Since this is getting long, I'll write up separately how to remove it from
both the user 0 profile (user profile) and the work profile (user 11).

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#147338

On Fri, 21 Mar 2025 03:54:25 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote :


> Since this is getting long, I'll write up separately how to remove it from
> both the user 0 profile (user profile) and the work profile (user 11).

Every time anyone asks a question on this newsgroup, I strive to understand
the question, and help, if possible. In striving to understand the question
(since I had never heard of Google Discover before Stan brought it up), I
dug into my own Android phone to find out what Google Discover was doing.

It turned out to be more complicated than Stan needs it to be, so I wrote
up a *separate* thread if anyone else also wants to dig into removing it.

  *How to delete Google Discover from both your user & work profile*
  <https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=57864&group=comp.mobile.android#57864>

But I won't derail Stan's question, as I see now that I can't help him
figure out how to turn the nag off since I don't even have it anymore.

Now back to Stan's question.... 

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#147358

Note: I wrote this followup before my other note today (11:20 AM, 
UTC-7), but didn't realized I hadn't sent this one. This one may be 
obsolete, but I'm sending it anyway because what the heck, it's only 
electrons.)

On Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:09:23 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
> 
> Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
> 
> > Google Pixel 8a phone, Android 15
> > 
> > I've had this phone since the first week of December, and one of the 
> > first things I did was to turn off Discover. I can live quite well 
> > without being served up clickbait in "my" feed, which was created by 
> > Google not me.
> > 
> > Google's retaliation: About one time in three when I tap any icon to 
> > open an app, instead of getting whatever I tapped for, I get a panel 
> > brusquely telling me to turn Discover back on. I swipe right and 
> > retap the icon I wanted.
> 
> Google app settings -> General settings -> Discover

> Is that still disabled?  After disabling, make sure to stop the Google
> app, so it isn't sitting in the background still using its old settings.

Yes, that is what I turned off within a few days of getting my phone. 
Yes, it is still turned off. 

> When you then next load the Google app, are there still Discover stories
> in the Google app's window?

Maybe I wasn't clear. The issue is not what's in the Google app, the 
issue is that when, for instance, I tap the icon for my bank's app or 
the library's app or others, about one time in three the Google app 
opens and prompts me to turn Discover back on. 

I chose my bank's app and the library's app as examples because both 
of them communicate directly with the respective servers. They do not 
use a web browser. There is no reason Google or Chrome would need to 
turn on for them. And indeed, about 2 times out of 3, when I launch 
an app I _don't_ get the new screen prompting me to turn on Discover.

> If the unidentified apps are merely web-centric interfaces to a web
> site, perhaps you need to ensure the Google app is not opening a web
> page instead of whatever web browser you chose.

Again, we are not talking about what happens after I open the Google 
app. The issue is that, about one time out of 3, the Google app 
_opens_itself_ and displays the nag screen when I am trying to get to 
a completely different application, whether that application comes 
from Google or not.

> Google app settings -> General settings -> Open web pages in the app
> 
> Since your phone likely connects to your Google account, go to
> google.com (and signin), click your account picture, More settings, and
> then Other settings.  Disable "Show Discover on home page."

I don't have such a setting under Other Settings, neither in a web 
browser nor in the Google app, and entering it in the settings search 
box didn't find it. The web browser version doesn't even have 
Discover under Other Settings (or anywhere else that I could readily 
see). Under Other Settings in the app, Discover (which, as I said, is 
turned off) there is an explanation "You'll see stories related to 
your interest on the home tab of the app."


-- 
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

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#147362

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> VanguardLH wrote:
> 
>> Since your phone likely connects to your Google account, go to
>> google.com (and signin), click your account picture, More settings, and
>> then Other settings.  Disable "Show Discover on home page."
> 
> I don't have such a setting under Other Settings, neither in a web 
> browser nor in the Google app, and entering it in the settings search 
> box didn't find it. The web browser version doesn't even have 
> Discover under Other Settings (or anywhere else that I could readily 
> see). Under Other Settings in the app, Discover (which, as I said, is 
> turned off) there is an explanation "You'll see stories related to 
> your interest on the home tab of the app."

In a web browser:
- Visit google.com.  
- Login.  
- Click on the user icon (top right corner of web page).  
- In the popup dialog, click on "More settings" (lower left corner of 
  dialog).  
- In the left pane, click on "Other settings".  
- Under the Desktop section, disable the "Show Discover on home page".  

I don't see how you could have a different web page than anyone else
that logs into their Google account to review settings.  You did login,
right to then view your Google account settings, right?

After logging in, and clicking on the account icon, I see:
https://imgur.com/a/FzoapeI

After clicking on More settings, I see:
https://imgur.com/a/rEJ5PfN

I only mention the server-side account settings since tis possible the
Google app is connecting to your Google account from your phone.  Do you
have a Google account defined on your phone?  Likely yes.  On the phone,
look under Accounts to see which ones you have defined.

While Android apps may connect using only the app, some apps will still
fallback to using the default web browser.  On your phone, which web
browser is the default one?  Regardless of how you think or wish the
bank and library apps to behave, have you contacted your bank and
library to check they NEVER fallback to a web browser.  Just because the
window doesn't look like a web browser doesn't mean it isn't one.  Lots
of web-centric apps want you to believe all their screens are presented
by the apps, not using a web browser as a helper app.  

Alas, the normal contacts at the bank and library are ignorants.  They
have no expertise in how their apps function, so you'd only know if they
escalate the trouble ticket to their dev or web design folks.

You may not be able to uninstall the Google app using normal means, but
you could go into Apps to disable it to see if the problem goes away.

With all the AI shit that Google, phone makers, and web browser authors
(and app devs) want to shove at you, maybe this is a "feature" of some
AI function.  There are lots of online articles on how to disable AI in
Android, but navigation through the settings may vary by brand and model
of phone, so include your phone's brand and model in a search.  My phone
is too old to have all this AI crap.

https://medium.com/@innovirtuoso/how-to-completely-turn-off-google-ai-on-your-android-phone-d1a17f12efe2

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#147384

On Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:08:12 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
> 
> Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
> 
> > VanguardLH wrote:
> > 
> >> Since your phone likely connects to your Google account, go to
> >> google.com (and signin), click your account picture, More settings, and
> >> then Other settings.  Disable "Show Discover on home page."
> > 
> > I don't have such a setting under Other Settings, neither in a web 
> > browser nor in the Google app, and entering it in the settings search 
> > box didn't find it. The web browser version doesn't even have 
> > Discover under Other Settings (or anywhere else that I could readily 
> > see). Under Other Settings in the app, Discover (which, as I said, is 
> > turned off) there is an explanation "You'll see stories related to 
> > your interest on the home tab of the app."
> 
> In a web browser:
> - Visit google.com.  
> - Login.  
> - Click on the user icon (top right corner of web page).  
> - In the popup dialog, click on "More settings" (lower left corner of 
>   dialog).  
> - In the left pane, click on "Other settings".  
> - Under the Desktop section, disable the "Show Discover on home page".  
> 
> I don't see how you could have a different web page than anyone else
> that logs into their Google account to review settings.  You did login,
> right to then view your Google account settings, right?

Because you took the trouble to post and attempt to help, I'm 
following up. But I think this subthread is probably obsolete, for 
reasons given in my article dated "Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:20:45 -0700" 
in this thread.

https://brownmath.com/screenshot.jpg

I was already logged in; I had a "sign out" option when I first 
clicked the S-in-a circle at upper right, but no login prompt. I then 
clicked "More settings" followed by "Other settings", and the above 
image was the result.

> After logging in, and clicking on the account icon, I see:
> https://imgur.com/a/FzoapeI
> 
> After clicking on More settings, I see:
> https://imgur.com/a/rEJ5PfN
> 
> I only mention the server-side account settings since tis possible the
> Google app is connecting to your Google account from your phone.  Do you
> have a Google account defined on your phone?  Likely yes.  On the phone,
> look under Accounts to see which ones you have defined.
> 
> While Android apps may connect using only the app, some apps will still
> fallback to using the default web browser.  On your phone, which web
> browser is the default one?  Regardless of how you think or wish the
> bank and library apps to behave, have you contacted your bank and
> library to check they NEVER fallback to a web browser.  Just because the
> window doesn't look like a web browser doesn't mean it isn't one.  Lots
> of web-centric apps want you to believe all their screens are presented
> by the apps, not using a web browser as a helper app.  

Yes, but we know Google Messages doesn't use a web browser -- we do 
know that, right? -- and nor does Google Nest. Those are two where I 
remember recently being thrown into the Discover nag screen.

But all of this is probably beside the point; please see my other 
response to you yesterday in  this thread, datelined "Fri, 21 Mar 
2025 11:20:45 -0700".

Since making the changes described in that article, I haven't seen 
the Discover nag screen again, and previously it was several times a 
day.

> Alas, the normal contacts at the bank and library are ignorants. 

Yes, I've observed that when attempting to report a programming 
problem. The most recent was that bill pay refuses to schedule an ACH  
payment for a future date if your available balance now is less than 
the payment amount. The reply had the gall to call that misfeature an 
"enhancement".

-- 
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

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#147385

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> Because you took the trouble to post and attempt to help, I'm 
> following up. But I think this subthread is probably obsolete, for 
> reasons given in my article dated "Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:20:45 -0700" 
> in this thread.

I wasn't to spend time trying to unbias the timestamps you mention to
align with UTC, and unbias my timezone, and check which areas don't use
Daylight Saving Time, to figure out which articles to which you refer.
What you see for timestamps will be biased by your client to show your
local time.  

Giving the MID (Message-ID) value points to the exact article instead of
having to guess.  Users only have to do a find on the MID to find the
precise article.  Presumably you refer to where you replied to yourself
in this same discussion at:

Message-ID: <MPG.42474dd3b3b3b66d9903c6@news.individual.net>

> https://brownmath.com/screenshot.jpg
> 
> I was already logged in; I had a "sign out" option when I first 
> clicked the S-in-a circle at upper right, but no login prompt. I then 
> clicked "More settings" followed by "Other settings", and the above 
> image was the result.

No idea why you don't see the "Show Discover on home page" option in
your online Google account settings.  You didn't mention which web
browser you used on your Android phone to visit google.com.  Chrome is
designed to automatically log into Google sites using the Google account
already defined on your phone under Accounts.  If you used the Google
app or Chrome to visit google.com, auto-login explains why you didn't
have to login.  

Not sure why the Discover option would be missing from your Google
account unless Google decided visitors using Chrome don't need that
option, like maybe it's buried in Chrome's own settings.  I don't use
Chrome despite it is bundled in Android.  I use Firefox, and have it
configured to purge all its locally cached data on its exist, like
cookies, DOM Storage, history, etc.  Every visit to a web site will be
like a new visit.  No tracking.

> But all of this is probably beside the point; please see my other 
> response to you yesterday in  this thread, datelined "Fri, 21 Mar 
> 2025 11:20:45 -0700".

If the above MID is the article to which you refer, you responded to
yourself, not to me, but I guess that's the one you mention now.

> Since making the changes described in that article, I haven't seen 
> the Discover nag screen again, and previously it was several times a 
> day.

From that other article:

The "Slide to access Google app", that must be an option in a later
version of Android than mine (8.0.0).

I mentioned disabling the Google app in my 2nd reply to you, but that
was 5 hours after you posted your reply to yourself.  I didn't bother
watching the Youtube video.  However, it wasn't clear that you actually
disabled the Google app, only that it was suggested.

Hopefully you no longer get nuisanced with Google's handholding to lure
you to their "interesting" articles.  That feature is for folks that
have nothing to do but to get led around by someone else, or have news
feeds shoved at them to keep them busy.

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#147386

On 3/23/25 5:08 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
>Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
>> Because you took the trouble to post and attempt to help, I'm 
>> following up. But I think this subthread is probably obsolete, for 
>> reasons given in my article dated "Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:20:45 -0700" 
>> in this thread.
>
>I wasn't to spend time trying to unbias the timestamps you mention to
>align with UTC, and unbias my timezone, and check which areas don't use
>Daylight Saving Time, to figure out which articles to which you refer.
>What you see for timestamps will be biased by your client to show your
>local time.  
>
>Giving the MID (Message-ID) value points to the exact article instead of
>having to guess.  Users only have to do a find on the MID to find the
>precise article.  Presumably you refer to where you replied to yourself
>in this same discussion at:
>
>Message-ID: <MPG.42474dd3b3b3b66d9903c6@news.individual.net>
>
>> https://brownmath.com/screenshot.jpg
>> 
>> I was already logged in; I had a "sign out" option when I first 
>> clicked the S-in-a circle at upper right, but no login prompt. I then 
>> clicked "More settings" followed by "Other settings", and the above 
>> image was the result.
>
>No idea why you don't see the "Show Discover on home page" option in
>your online Google account settings.  You didn't mention which web
>browser you used on your Android phone to visit google.com.  Chrome is
>designed to automatically log into Google sites using the Google account
>already defined on your phone under Accounts.  If you used the Google
>app or Chrome to visit google.com, auto-login explains why you didn't
>have to login.  
>
>Not sure why the Discover option would be missing from your Google
>account unless Google decided visitors using Chrome don't need that
>option, like maybe it's buried in Chrome's own settings.  I don't use
>Chrome despite it is bundled in Android.  I use Firefox, and have it
>configured to purge all its locally cached data on its exist, like
>cookies, DOM Storage, history, etc.  Every visit to a web site will be
>like a new visit.  No tracking.
>
>> But all of this is probably beside the point; please see my other 
>> response to you yesterday in  this thread, datelined "Fri, 21 Mar 
>> 2025 11:20:45 -0700".
>
>If the above MID is the article to which you refer, you responded to
>yourself, not to me, but I guess that's the one you mention now.
>
>> Since making the changes described in that article, I haven't seen 
>> the Discover nag screen again, and previously it was several times a 
>> day.
>
>From that other article:
>
>The "Slide to access Google app", that must be an option in a later
>version of Android than mine (8.0.0).
>
>I mentioned disabling the Google app in my 2nd reply to you, but that
>was 5 hours after you posted your reply to yourself.  I didn't bother
>watching the Youtube video.  However, it wasn't clear that you actually
>disabled the Google app, only that it was suggested.



>Hopefully you no longer get nuisanced with Google's handholding to lure
>you to their "interesting" articles.

I actually find many of those Google articles interesting as I do with other
 news sites/apps like Smartnews and Flipboard. I have this Chrome Tablet I'm
 posting with set up to avoid most of the ads using a reading mode,
 JavaScript on/off, cookie manipulators, etc. 

>That feature is for folks that
>have nothing to do but to get led around by someone else, or have news
>feeds shoved at them to keep them busy.

You mean like a real newspaper does? They pay people to lead their
 subscribers around. I actually still read my local online newspaper with a
 (gasp) paid subscription. It's the same newspaper I delivered door to door
 when I was a kid. And in your words they are still to this day leading
 folks around to have news shoved at them to keep them busy. IMO the more
 news sources the better. YMMV and unfortunately you seem to like to put
 down others who might disagree...

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#147401

On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 19:08:38 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
> I wasn't to spend time trying to unbias the timestamps you mention to
> align with UTC, and unbias my timezone, and check which areas don't use
> Daylight Saving Time, to figure out which articles to which you refer.
> What you see for timestamps will be biased by your client to show your
> local time.  
> 
> Giving the MID (Message-ID) value points to the exact article instead of
> having to guess. 

That's a good point, Vanguard. If a similar occasion arises in 
future, I'll try to remember to give a Message-ID instead. 

An additional benefit is that http://al.howardknight.net/ provides 
direct lookup by Message-ID.

-- 
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

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#147406

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 19:08:38 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
>> I wasn't to spend time trying to unbias the timestamps you mention to
>> align with UTC, and unbias my timezone, and check which areas don't use
>> Daylight Saving Time, to figure out which articles to which you refer.
>> What you see for timestamps will be biased by your client to show your
>> local time.  
>> 
>> Giving the MID (Message-ID) value points to the exact article instead of
>> having to guess. 
> 
> That's a good point, Vanguard. If a similar occasion arises in 
> future, I'll try to remember to give a Message-ID instead. 
> 
> An additional benefit is that http://al.howardknight.net/ provides 
> direct lookup by Message-ID.

Alas, HK doesn't show threading (based on the References headers), just
the article you specify by its MID value.  Using HK, you have to look at
the References headers to walk backward in a [sub]thread.

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#147407

On Tue, 25 Mar 2025 19:49:09 -0500, VanguardLH wrote :


>> An additional benefit is that http://al.howardknight.net/ provides 
>> direct lookup by Message-ID.
> 
> Alas, HK doesn't show threading (based on the References headers), just
> the article you specify by its MID value.  Using HK, you have to look at
> the References headers to walk backward in a [sub]thread.

It's been covered a thousand times on this ng... so I'll be brief.

Web-searchable no-account-necessary full-threaded links are here...
 <https://comp.mobile.android.narkive.com>
 <https://www.novabbs.com/computers/thread.php?group=comp.mobile.android>
 <https://newsgrouper.org/comp.mobile.android>

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#147402 — Re: Google nag to turn Discover on (solution: Disable the Google app)

On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 19:08:38 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
> I mentioned disabling the Google app in my 2nd reply to you, but that
> was 5 hours after you posted your reply to yourself.  I didn't bother
> watching the Youtube video.  However, it wasn't clear that you actually
> disabled the Google app, only that it was suggested.

I did disable the Google app, and I'm pretty sure I haven't received 
a nag to turn on Discover since then. (By "pretty sure" I mean that I 
can't recall any instance of it popping up. But it's really hard to 
be certain of _not_ seeing something that I'm not actively looking 
for.)

Interestingly, when I opened Chrome, which is my only browser on my 
Android phone, the lower half of the screen was the beginning of a 
Discover feed! However, at the upper right of that feed was the 
three-dot menu icon, and when I tapped it one of the options was 
"Turn off", which of course I selected. Out of curiosity, I closed 
the Chrome app and restarted my phone, then started Chrome again. 
Discover remains off, for now at least.

Since Discover is in the settings of the Google app, not the Chrome 
app, maybe disabling the Google app meant that Chrome no longer had 
to that setting? In any case, Chrome seems to be remembering that I 
turned off Discover in Chrome. At least for now, it's not nagging me 
to turn it back on.

-- 
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

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#147405 — Re: Google nag to turn Discover on (solution: Disable the Google app)

On 3/25/25 10:39 AM, Stan Brown wrote:
>On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 19:08:38 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
>> I mentioned disabling the Google app in my 2nd reply to you, but that
>> was 5 hours after you posted your reply to yourself.  I didn't bother
>> watching the Youtube video.  However, it wasn't clear that you actually
>> disabled the Google app, only that it was suggested.
>
>I did disable the Google app, and I'm pretty sure I haven't received 
>a nag to turn on Discover since then. (By "pretty sure" I mean that I 
>can't recall any instance of it popping up. But it's really hard to 
>be certain of _not_ seeing something that I'm not actively looking 
>for.)
>
>Interestingly, when I opened Chrome, which is my only browser on my 
>Android phone, the lower half of the screen was the beginning of a 
>Discover feed! However, at the upper right of that feed was the 
>three-dot menu icon, and when I tapped it one of the options was 
>"Turn off", which of course I selected. Out of curiosity, I closed 
>the Chrome app and restarted my phone, then started Chrome again. 
>Discover remains off, for now at least.


>Since Discover is in the settings of the Google app, not the Chrome 
>app, maybe disabling the Google app meant that Chrome no longer had 
>to that setting?

When I put the Google ecosystem onto this Amazon Fire OS HD10 tablet awhile
 back, Discover was on both the Chrome browser and the Google app. I later
 removed the Google app and Discover still remained on the Chrome browser so
 at least on this setup there appears to be no connection as to Discover
 control.


>In any case, Chrome seems to be remembering that I 
>turned off Discover in Chrome. At least for now, it's not nagging me 
>to turn it back on.

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#147419 — Re: Google nag to turn Discover on (solution: Disable the Google app)

On Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:00:21 -0000 (UTC), AJL wrote:
> 
> On 3/25/25 10:39 AM, Stan Brown wrote:
> >I did disable the Google app, and I'm pretty sure I haven't received 
> >a nag to turn on Discover since then. ...

I've been paying attention since posting the above, and I didn't see 
that full-screen nag to turn on Discover, so I think it's safe to say 
that disabling the app called Google made it go away.

> >Interestingly, when I opened Chrome, which is my only browser on my 
> >Android phone, the lower half of the screen was the beginning of a 
> >Discover feed! However, at the upper right of that feed was the 
> >three-dot menu icon, and when I tapped it one of the options was 
> >"Turn off", which of course I selected. ...
> 
> >Since Discover is in the settings of the Google app, not the Chrome 
> >app, maybe disabling the Google app meant that Chrome no longer had 
> >to that setting?
> 
> When I put the Google ecosystem onto this Amazon Fire OS HD10 tablet awhile
>  back, Discover was on both the Chrome browser and the Google app. I later
>  removed the Google app and Discover still remained on the Chrome browser so
>  at least on this setup there appears to be no connection as to Discover
>  control.

Thanks, AJL. That explanation fits the facts I've observed. (Discover 
was easier to turn off in Chrome than in the app called Google, 
because there was no need to navigate through Chrome settings.)

-- 
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

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#147357

On Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:19:16 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:
> 
> Google Pixel 8a phone, Android 15
> 
> 
> I've had this phone since the first week of December, and one of the 
> first things I did was to turn off Discover. I can live quite well 
> without being served up clickbait in "my" feed, which was created by 
> Google not me.
> 
> Google's retaliation: About one time in three when I tap any icon to 
> open an app, instead of getting whatever I tapped for, I get a panel 
> brusquely telling me to turn Discover back on. I swipe right and 
> retap the icon I wanted.
> 
> This is annoying. Is there a way to turn off not only Discover but 
> the nags to turn it on? I couldn't find anything in settings for the 
> phone or for the Google app.

I googled when I first noticed this problem a few weeks ago, but came 
up empty. I tried again, after posting my followup to Vanguard's 
article, and this time I got some ideas from this video:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ubt2sFO1A

1. Long-press on the home screen -- not Google's home screen, the 
phone's home screen. Tap "Home settings".

2. Disable "Swipe to access Google app". (I tend to slide a little 
bit when tapping on my phone screen, so maybe I'd been unknowingly 
swiping enough to open the Google app a third of the time.)

At the end of the video, it suggested getting rid of the "Turn on 
Discover" screen, which is what I want to do, by turning off 
(disabling) the Google app. This page
> https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/197532/what-happens-if-i-disable-google-app
answers the question "does anything else stop working if I disable 
the Google app? (Spoiler alert: nothing I care about losing.)

To disable any app, including the Google app, long-press its icon and 
select "App info" then Disable. (I also tapped "Force stop", because 
why not?)

-- 
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

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#147360

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
> On Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:19:16 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:
> > 
> > Google Pixel 8a phone, Android 15
[...]
> I googled when I first noticed this problem a few weeks ago, but came 
> up empty. I tried again, after posting my followup to Vanguard's 
> article, and this time I got some ideas from this video:
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ubt2sFO1A
> 
> 1. Long-press on the home screen -- not Google's home screen, the 
> phone's home screen. Tap "Home settings".
> 
> 2. Disable "Swipe to access Google app". (I tend to slide a little 
> bit when tapping on my phone screen, so maybe I'd been unknowingly 
> swiping enough to open the Google app a third of the time.)

  Well, if you still had your/a Samsung phone, you wouldn't have had
this problem! :-) (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

  To be [f|F]rank, a Samsung phone has a similar, equally annoying
(default) setting: Accidental right swipe opens 'Samsung Free').

  As we say in our country, you get bitten, either by the dog or the
cat.

[...]

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#147361

On 21 Mar 2025 19:09:17 GMT, Frank Slootweg wrote :


>   To be [f|F]rank, a Samsung phone has a similar, equally annoying
> (default) setting: Accidental right swipe opens 'Samsung Free').

I swipe right (or left) and the only thing that happens on my Android 13
Galaxy A32-5G is I swipe to another homescreen page (if it exists).

The action may be a function of the launcher (mine is the last known good
version of the Nova free launcher) or of existing Samsung packages.

I thank Frank for bringing it to the fore as I had never heard of Samsung
Free but apparently it's a content aggregator service since Android 11
formerly known as Samsung Daily, which itself had replaced Bixby Home. 
 <https://www.howtogeek.com/737979/what-is-samsung-free-and-how-do-i-turn-it-off/>

>   As we say in our country, you get bitten, either by the dog or the
> cat.

I've long ago removed every vestige of Samsung dogs & cats though.
 C:\> adb shell pm list packages --user 0 com.samsung.android.app.spage

But, it can be shot just like that biting dog or scratching cat can be.
 C:\> adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.samsung.android.app.spage

As we say in our country, when there's a will, there's a way. :)

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#147404

On 2025-03-21 19:20, Stan Brown wrote:
> On Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:19:16 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:

> Google Pixel 8a phone, Android 15

Motorola g52, Android 13.

...

>> This is annoying. Is there a way to turn off not only Discover but
>> the nags to turn it on? I couldn't find anything in settings for the
>> phone or for the Google app.
> 
> I googled when I first noticed this problem a few weeks ago, but came
> up empty. I tried again, after posting my followup to Vanguard's
> article, and this time I got some ideas from this video:
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ubt2sFO1A
> 
> 1. Long-press on the home screen -- not Google's home screen, the
> phone's home screen. Tap "Home settings".

I had to view the video to verify (0:31). I do not get that home screen 
when long tapping the main display on an empty space. I get a small pop 
up that says (translated from Spanish):

  personalize
  wallpapers
  widgets
  configure display

But "configure display" does take me to that "home settings". Once 
there, I do not have "add media page to home screen" button. I only have 
two buttons, not four.

That said, I do not want to disable the thing because I like to waste my 
time there.


-- 
Cheers, Carlos.

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