The Secret World of Android SafetyNet

On this week's episode, we get caught up in the whirlwind of one of the many such cat-and-mouse games in Android development between power users and app developers which involves root access, trusted environments, security checks, and Google. What's happened and what's up next in this seemingly never-ending treadmill and what good is there for it to exist? You'd be surprised.

We're joined by Danny Lin, an independent Android developer, and Sergio Castell, a mobile security analyst and longtime modder best known as linuxct.

• 02:09 - What is SafetyNet and what does it do?
• 06:41 - How do modders get around SafetyNet?
• 11:22 - What advantages does each side of this battle have?
• 15:33 - What is hardware attestation? What makes it hard to break? Can it be bypassed?
• 24:50 - What options do developers have in ensuring their apps are operating in safe envrionments?
• 32:26 - What's the overall outlook as Google begins to replace SafetyNet with its new Play Integrity API?

About the Podcast

Android Bytes (powered by Esper)

A weekly show that dives deep into the Android OS

Android Bytes (powered by Esper) is the podcast that dives deep into the engineering and business decisions behind the world’s most popular OS. 

Android powers over 3 billion devices worldwide and is the platform of choice for over a thousand companies. You’ll find Android on smartphones, tablets, watches, TV, cars, kiosks, and so much more. How does Google architect Android to run on so many form factors, and how do companies fork AOSP to make it run on even more devices? These are the kinds of questions the Android Bytes podcast considers each week.

Join cohosts Mishaal Rahman and David Ruddock, two journalists with extensive knowledge covering the Android OS platform and ecosystem, as they speak to system architects, kernel engineers, app developers, and other distinguished experts in the Android space.

Get in touch with us at Esper if you’re looking to use Android device management for GMS or non-GMS devices — we have the experience you need.

Our music is “19” by HOME and is licensed under CC BY 3.0.