Guide for Hide My Applist

Original Source:
https://github.com/Dr-TSNG/Hide-My-Applist
https://t.me/s/HideMyApplist
https://github.com/mModule/guide_hma/blob/master/Install-HMA.md

Table of Content

• Description
• Install
• Setup
• Basic Knowledge
• Test with Detector
• Additional Features
• Troubleshoot

Description

What is Hide My Applist (HMA)?

Hide My Applist is an Xposed Module. Technically, this module helps us to filter the query result of a list of installed application package names.

Let me simplify...

This module helps to hide some or all lists of installed apps and even reject app list requests.

Why?

Some apps use lists of installed apps to check whether the device is rooted.

When?

When do you need to use this application? Well. You can recognize this. First, you try to open the app. Generally, you can open the app. After 1 to 5 secs (times may vary), if you got pop-up about root detected, probably it's an applist detection. Because application need time to take the applist result. Sometimes, this is not an applist detection, but you can try to apply hide mechanism with Hide My Applist.

How?

Let's say there is an application called ABC and here's my list of installed apps:

• com.android.vending
• com.topjohwu.magisk
• id.bmri.livin
• org.telegram.messenger

See list number 2? Yes, that's the Magisk package name. When I open the ABC app, it's open for a while. Then, I got pop up "This app cannot be opened for a rooted device" and the app stopped working.

When I install Hide My Applist, activate and configure the ABC app, here's my list of installed apps now:

• com.android.vending
• id.bmri.livin
• org.telegram.messenger

Notice the difference? Yes, there's no Magisk package name, even though I don't uninstall or disable the Magisk app. Then, I try to open the ABC app. The pop-up goes away and never pops up again.

Install

How to install Hide My Applist? Simple. You need only LSPosed installed. However, there's more than one version of LSPosed, including the original and the fork. Which one is recommended? Depends. I provide a list of LSPosed versions. If doesn't work, change to another version.

• LSPosed fork by Irena
• LSPosed fork by npm
• LSPosed fork by JingMatrix (Action) or (Release)

Note: use nightly.link to download from GitHub Action

Next, you need to install Hide My Applist. You can get it from GitHub or the Telegram channel.

After the app is installed, you need to activate the module from the LSPosed manager. Open the manager, and tap the module menu (with the puzzle icon). Search for Hide My Applist and tap it. You will see a button to enable the module and recommended tag. You have to switch the button to ON and tick only System Framework. If you tick other apps, it will trigger the detection. Last, you need to reboot the system. Check below if you don't know which one to enable.

Setup

This clearly explains how to configure your Hide My Applist. Simple, the steps are:

1. Open the Hide My Applist application.
2. Tap "App manage".
3. Select apps you want to configure (for example, I need to hide some installed apps from the ABC app).
4. Tick "Enable Hide"
5. Select work mode. Switch OFF for Blacklist mode and switch ON for Whitelist mode.
6. Turn on "Exclude system apps" (only for Whitelist mode).
7. Select the template you want to use or configure manually by tapping "XX additional apps invisible/visible" (XX refers to a positive number).

Need more explanation? See the below section.

Basic Knowledge

If you feel don't know how to use this application, you need this basic knowledge:

• Blacklist work mode
• Whitelist work mode
• Difference?
• Exclude system apps (only for Whitelist work mode)
• Template

Blacklist work mode

What is blacklist mode? It's a work mode that lets you select which app to hide from the installed app list. This is useful when you have to hide a small amount of apps, for about 1 to 10. To hide, you can use templates or configure manually on "XX additional apps invisible" (see below). Tick every app you want to hide.

Whitelist work mode

What is whitelist mode? It's a work mode that lets you select which app to show in the installed app list. This is useful when you have to hide very many installed apps or you want to show only system apps appear, while the user apps keep hidden. You can use templates or manually configure "XX additional apps visible" (see below). Tick every app you want to show.

Difference?

Both are different but can show the same result. Which one is recommended? I recommend you use Whitelist mode first, with "Exclude System Apps" turned ON. Why? Because it is just 2-3 clicks, and most apps work with this work mode. Use blacklist mode if whitelist mode doesn't work.

Exclude system apps (only for Whitelist work mode)

What is this? This is one of the options available for the Whitelist work mode. This option lets you quickly show installed system apps, so you don't need to select system apps to show when configuring them.

Template

What is a template? You already know that in general; it's a blueprint. You can manage templates on the home screen of Hide My Applist. There are available for Blacklist and Whitelist. I usually create it for Blacklist mode, to make it easy. Here's my category template for Blacklist mode:

• Root Apps (Magisk/KernelSU/APatch, MT Manager, AppManager, etc.)
• Xposed Apps (Hide My Applist, Pixelify GPhotos, MiCTS, etc.)
• Detector Apps (Momo, Hunter, Holmes, Native Test, Native Detector, etc.)

Test with Detector

You can do a simple practice on how to use Hide My Applist. First, install ApplistDetector by Dr-TSNG (Nullptr) or Ruru by byxiaorun. After you install it, try to hide it with Hide My Applist. I tried with Ruru, and here's the result if you successfully hide.

And here's the result if you still failed to hide. Check the "Xposed Modules".

Additional Features

Yes, additional features. Hide My Applist is not only for hiding some or all lists of installed apps. You can access this through app settings. Here are the additional features that Hide My Applist provides:

• App data isolation
• Vold app data isolation
• Enforce data isolation for all apps

App data isolation

What is this? App data isolation is a technique to prevent other apps access the other private app data inside /data/data. If this option is disabled, apps can check other app data with this format: /data/data/<package_name>. This option is enabled by default for Android 11 and above. It's recommended to enable this option because normally an app only accesses their private app data and Google Play service private app data (/data/data/com.google.android.gms). This option is available for Android 11 and above and requires root to enable. If you have Android 10 or below, use the AppDataIsolation Legacy Support module by HuskyDG (required to install Magisk Process Monitor tool v1.1+)

Vold app data isolation

What is this? Vold app data isolation is a technique to prevent other apps access the other external app data inside /sdcard/Android/data. If this option is disabled, apps can check other external app data with this format: /sdcard/Android/data/data/<package_name>. This option is disabled by default, because it may cause serious issues such as app freezing and not opening for most apps or even all installed apps including system apps. If you activate it and face this issue, go to this section to fix it. This option is available for Android 11 and above and requires root to enable. There's no reason to activate this feature unless some app detects this way.

Enforce data isolation for all apps

What is this? This is an option to force all apps to use data isolation, which was developed for targetting API 29 (targetSdk=29) or lower (check AndroidManifest.xml to see or use 3rd party tool such as AppManager). This option is enabled by default for Android 11 and above and synced with "App data isolation" option (if app data isolation is turned ON, it'll be turned ON for this option).

Troubleshoot

Q1: "After the Hide My Applist is installed and activated, Hide My Applist still says system service fails to start"

A: To fix this, you can run "Force clean runtime environment (root)" through Hide My Applist settings. The option is under "Service". Grant the root permission and follow the instructions. If it persists, that's more likely your LSPosed problem. You need to change to another LSPosed version. Check this section to download.

Q2: "After enabling Vold app data isolation and reboot, I can't open most apps"

A: To fix this, you need to disable those options with the rooted terminal. Type: su -c resetprop -p -d persist.sys.vold_app_data_isolation_enabled and reboot. If you can't open any rooted terminal, open file manager and edit file /data/property/persistent_properties, look for value persist.sys.vold_app_data_isolation_enabled. Set it from 1 to 0, so it should be like this: persist.sys.vold_app_data_isolation_enabled0

Q3: "Even using Hide My Applist, ABC app still doesn't want to open and detect root"

A: More likely it's more than applist detection. For example, CIMB OCTO MY. Even if you use Hide My Applist to hide, it still shows the device rooted. At this time, you need to hide roots more strongly.