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I have a question. I use SE application on Android Nexus 5 4.4.2 and usually access SE site using it whether I can answer or not. At that time, I can see the refreshing message in Japanese once per 24 hours when I update by swiping down like attachment where the message is the middle of the screen shot. I think the application is not supported, and I usually see them in English, which is fine.

  • Do you support Japanese characters with the Android SE application?
  • Could you tell me why I get a Japanese message when I update by swiping down?
  • Could you tell me what kind of attack will be possible to produce? (Impossible to produce this by us.)

Environment

  • SE App for Android 1.0.18
  • Nexus 5 (Japanese Language setting)
  • Android 4.4.2
  • 4G network(Of course without proxy)

SE with Nexus 5 to update by swiping down

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  • What is your current app version? I tried to change the language setting to Japanese and it didn't change in-app language at all. Also, no repro on Nexus 4, 4.4.2, SE 1.0.20.
    – Meta Andrew T.
    Mar 7, 2014 at 14:14
  • No repro on my Nexus 5, 4.4.2, app 1.0.20.
    – Geobits
    Mar 7, 2014 at 14:15
  • @Andrew T, Sorry to confuse and thank you for your confirmation. I think this is only on me and irregularly happen. So, I would like to know what kind of attack will be able to produce like this. Is it replay attack?
    – user3171796
    Mar 7, 2014 at 14:25
  • @Geobits, Sorry I forgot to report about the version of App. 1.0.18. It works fine. I really think it's not bug of this version.
    – user3171796
    Mar 7, 2014 at 14:26
  • Why do you think this is an attack on your device? What does the message say?
    – Stijn
    Mar 7, 2014 at 14:53
  • @Stijin, I am facing not only this. Also my Mac is facing other symptoms using keyboard and https/http session but there is no virus, no unstable application, no high temperature and latest personal Symantec firewall. After few hours, It works fine.
    – user3171796
    Mar 7, 2014 at 15:13
  • I don't think this is the right site for this issue, then. You might want to ask at a more user/security oriented site.
    – Geobits
    Mar 7, 2014 at 15:24
  • @Geobits, Is it mean except all SE site?
    – user3171796
    Mar 7, 2014 at 15:29
  • 2
    All that says is "take your finger off the screen to refresh." Are you sure you don't have your language set to Japanese somewhere?
    – ThisSuitIsBlackNot
    Mar 7, 2014 at 20:58
  • Yes, I have Nexus 5 is google original one has configured with Japanese language setting by me. I usually use SE app to find what I can answer and do refreshing the contents sometimes. The symptom is 10 mins per day every day. But, It's not reproducible by me. I think this is replay attack or some other technology I'm facing. So, I will have to find a place to ask how to identify. Anyway, Thank you for your suggestion.
    – user3171796
    Mar 8, 2014 at 10:40

1 Answer 1

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That's because the pull-to-refresh library we're using is localized. We do try to set the language for the app to English, because for an app that is not translated (all the content, menus, etc. are in English), I find it extremely annoying if some things suddenly appear in a different language (for me, that would be German). The same thing is true for things like dates – "This question was asked vor 2 Tagen" is just horrible.

Unfortunately, Android makes it really hard to opt out of automatic localization (which seems to be a policy of Android in general; not just in apps – it's close to impossible for me to find English play store reviews, for example, or to read the app's original English description instead of the horribly unreadable German machine-translated version).

And because Android makes it so hard, there are some edge cases where a localized thing can appear. I hope we catch all of these at some point, but currently these edge cases exist, and what you're seeing is one of them.

When/if the app is ever translated to different languages, we'll obviously change these things, but right now the app is English-only, and we'd rather have it completely English instead of a weird multi-language hybrid.

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  • Thank you for your answer and sorry for the delay to respond. because I could not find Google account button unfortunately. The button usually I can see on SE site. Now I got it so. I can put a comment. I'm Japanese. But, I'm very satisfied English version. I'm investigating this in my end especially packets was manipulated or not when to communicate. I assume this is replay attack. I recorded all screen as an evidence.
    – user3171796
    Mar 10, 2014 at 2:41
  • I don't understand, what is it that makes you think this is an attack? It's absoulutely harmless.
    – balpha StaffMod
    Mar 10, 2014 at 5:58
  • Not against SE side. It's against me. It's harmless but It's not only this and it's common approach to investigate symptoms to gather. No worry about my comments.
    – user3171796
    Mar 10, 2014 at 6:03
  • I can assure you that, as I explained in my post, the release-to-refresh thing appearing once in a while is a known issue with the app. Happens to me as well (just with German instead of Japanese, because that's what my phone is set to).
    – balpha StaffMod
    Mar 10, 2014 at 6:06
  • ♦ I understand that you said. Anyway, I will analysis packets(HTTP request) because I'm having strange things not only this with internet and on my Mac now a days.
    – user3171796
    Mar 10, 2014 at 6:12

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