F-Secure Safe Android / Guardian for kids / Major Bug

Yusif

Hi, 

I was trying to contact support but chat was closed, so decided to publish it here. The same issue will be sent over tomorrow to support team directly. 

I have installed F-Secure Safe on my kid's phones ( Huawei P10 Lite and Huawei Y5 ). Everything was working in a correct manner, but suddenly I have discovered that connection to my daughter's phone was lost. Safe was disabled, and it took me a while till I found the cause. F-Secure Safe would disable itself automatically when the phone is switched to Ultra Power Saving mode. It is not activated any more after the phone comes back to normal mode. It is a major bug that ruins the whole product. It takes several weeks for anybody to realise how easy it is to overcome this protection. I would really appreciate you fixing it as soon as possible, as I will consider changing to other product. 

Thanks, 

Yusif

Ukko

Hello,

 

I'm only F-Secure user (their home solutions).

Sounds that this one Knowledgebase article (with potential workaround?! or inability to fix on F-Secure side):

• https://community.f-secure.com/t5/F-Secure-SAFE/Why-does-F-Secure-SAFE-go/ta-p/99546

is about your noted trouble.

 

Thanks!

Yusif

Hello 

 

Thanks for the link! It is exactly the issue I was referring to. All the symptoms are in there except for the cure. Ultra Power Saving mode just turns it off and it is not active any more upon switching to normal power state. Just curious whether there is a solution for that because all other benefits and features of the Safe Product do not matter if the kid ( or anybody else ) can easily switch it off. It is like having a bulletproof main door and leave the back door to the yard wide open. 

 

Cheers, 

Yusif

Ukko

Hello,

 

If potential workaround from Knowledgebase article:

-- On your Huawei device, go to Settings > Advanced Settings. 
-- Select Battery manager > Protected apps. 
-- Find F-Secure SAFE from the list and toggle the switch to the On position. 

is not useful (and F-Secure SAFE or only Parental Control is disabled anyway)... sounds that it is not a good situation. Good to receive some official words from F-Secure.

---

Just curious whether there is a solution for that because all other benefits and features of the Safe Product do not matter if the kid ( or anybody else ) can easily switch it off.

I think that not really anyone do able to do it; but only kind of 'administrator' (owner) of device.

Because it is a system(?) application or design -> likely that it is enough powerful for rule over the Security Software too (otherwise malware do able to trick such system settings too).

 

I'm not friendly with Android platform, but probably F-Secure SAFE with some tweaks for prevent actions like remove/delete/uninstall/disable F-Secure SAFE by common steps when there is 'kids profile in use'.

 

With my feelings -> if noted potential workaround is 'valid' -> I'm not sure if it is possible to prevent further access to this part of settings by F-Secure application (maybe - yes; as internal tweak); or some additional steps are required.

 

Thanks!

Jackos

This is absolutely something that must be taken care of. Kids are always running their phones out of battery and use the ultra power save mode quite much. My kid has HUAWEI Y560-L01. He has the F-Secure and all the family rules turned off quite often. Smart kids learn the inactivation pattern quite quickly.

AndyBay

My son's phone (Huawei P Smart) has this exact same issue. Parental controls turn off continuously. It is really frustrating.

I have, however, locked some apps with a PIN-code to downplay the issue. This needs to be fixed immediately.

AndyBay

Just tested this "ignore battery optimization" solution and it does nothing. If I toggle super battery saver on and off, it turns F-Secure off every time. 

 

Clearly Safe will be of no value once he figures out this workaround.

etag99

When is this getting fixed? I will not renew my subscription for useless software!

Ukko

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@etag99 wrote:

When is this getting fixed? I will not renew my subscription for useless software!

---

Hello,

 

Sorry for my reply. I am also only an F-Secure user (their home solutions).

 

Does your experience is also about statement (from one of replies) that: """""ignore battery optimization does not nothing"""""?

Or your experience is about main trouble (if so - did you try to use "ignore battery optimization"-option? Described there: https://community.f-secure.com/t5/F-Secure-SAFE/Why-does-F-Secure-SAFE-go/ta-p/99546)?

 

Thanks!

etag99

Safe is just not on after a while of use. Also there is no "battery manager > protected apps" in Honor 8 Lite menus

***

Solution

To ensure F-Secure SAFE is working as effectively as possible, add F-Secure SAFE to the Protected apps list on your Huawei Android device.

1. On your Huawei device, go to Settings > Advanced Settings.
2. Select Battery manager > Protected apps.
3. Find F-Secure SAFE from the list and toggle the switch to the On position.

Ukko

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@etag99 wrote:

Safe is just not on after a while of use. Also there is no "battery manager > protected apps" in Honor 8 Lite menus

---

Hello,

 

Maybe good to contact their (F-Secure) official Support Channels:

https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/contact-support

chat as example (when chat is available).

With two concerns:

-- Knowledgebase article is not applied to all devices / situations;

-- To receive valid workaround or confirmation about likely fixes;

 

Just as own steps: maybe possible to doublecheck if your device with equivalent of noted options (or ability to choose F-Secure SAFE as 'privileged' application against its termination).

Otherwise - good if F-Secure Team with abilities to add something (or it is provided by Android platform) against this kind of situations.

 

Thanks!

Alex777

I'm really shocked to discover that this bug is still not fixed. This thread started in May 2018 and now it's March 2019.

 

Don't developers understand that this BUG makes the app ABSOLUTELY USELESS???!!!

etag99

I have switched to IOS for my kid. Turns out that Safe for IOS is even less useful than on Android

Kvu

Now it's August 2019 and this bug can still be replicated easily...
Kid puts manually on and off the ultra power to get rid of the parental restrictions.

This really makes the software totally useless. Is f-secure actually going to do something about this?

Yusif

Hi, 

 

Nothing was done. The whole Safe is absolutely useless. I am cancelling my subscription after this year, as basically I am being charged for non-existing service. The most frustrating is to see how reluctant, unprofessional and useless F-Secure's support team is. This is just amazing!  And they do keep advertising and selling the "product" which can be deactivated by 6 y.old child. Brilliant! My respect, guys!