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there are mob monitoring apps like http://pumpic.com/ that monitor GPS location of the target phone on iOS and Android, is there a way I can make this app invisible to the user?

Daisy Finn
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  • user can find which processes/apps are running... so I´d say NO WAY in android without touching the system – eduyayo May 13 '15 at 08:53

3 Answers3

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At the iOS there is no way to make app invisible

Prior iOS 8 there was an ability to hide app icon, but the SBAppTags key that was used in app-info.plist for that is obsolete since iOS 8. And also this is undocumented feature and app with that key will not pass review at AppStore

Moreover, App Store Review Guidelines says that

2.4 Apps that include undocumented or hidden features inconsistent with the description of the App will be rejected

Your app also conflicts with that statement because it will hide from user its features.

And lastly, implicitly from iOS Human Interface Guidelines:

Every app needs a beautiful, memorable app icon that attracts people in the App Store and stands out on their Home screen

That means that app should be available at the Home screen and should have its own icon. Your requirement for hidden app also could not be satisfied

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Azat
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  • This could have been a comment! – Skynet May 13 '15 at 09:01
  • @Skynet why? This is an answer. Or maybe you know some technique to hide an app from the user? – Azat May 13 '15 at 09:02
  • @Skynet seems like this is your down vote, could you explain please why you think that this answer isn't useful? – Azat May 13 '15 at 09:28
  • One line answers are better off as comments. [More on this](http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/7656/how-do-i-write-a-good-answer-to-a-question) You can improve your answer by adding more information and material. – Skynet May 13 '15 at 09:57
  • @Skynet thank your for the response. Also, look at [help center](http://stackoverflow.com/help/privileges/comment): When shouldn't I comment? Comments are not recommended for any of the following: Answering a question or providing an alternate solution to an existing answer; instead, post an actual answer (or edit to expand an existing one); This is an answer, even it is short and it should not be a comment – Azat May 13 '15 at 10:10
  • Please add reference to your answer, add more details to make it useful to people who come here later and benefit from your answer and also upvote it. As in iOS the app can be made invisible over a jalibroken device. I will only be able to remove the down vote once you edit the answer. – Skynet May 13 '15 at 10:38
  • @Skynet ok, I have enriched my answer with details. Please check if it looks acceptable for you – Azat May 13 '15 at 11:03
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I think you need to change the way of asking your question,

You can make the application to monitor mobile as a background task.

For that, you need to create a background service and write your mobile tracking code inside the service,

so the service will run in the background(invisible).

Refer this links:

https://github.com/yyl/android-location-tracking

Efficient Background service for tracking user location

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Rubanraj Ravichandran
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In Android

Hide application using the following code

PackageManager p = getPackageManager();
ComponentName componentName = new ComponentName(this, com.apps.MainActivity.class); // activity which is first time open in manifiest file which is declare as <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
p.setComponentEnabledSetting(componentName,PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);

Unhide application using the following code

PackageManager p = getPackageManager();
ComponentName componentName = new ComponentName(this, com.apps.MainActivity.class);
p.setComponentEnabledSetting(componentName, PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);
Amsheer
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