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← Network Survey User Manual

Build Variants

Network Survey comes in two versions with different features and privacy characteristics.

Quick Comparison

Section titled “Quick Comparison”
FeatureRegular (Play Store)CDR (F-Droid/IzzyOnDroid/GitHub)
Cellular Survey✅ Full support✅ Full support
Wi-Fi Survey✅ Full support✅ Full support
Bluetooth Survey✅ Full support✅ Full support
GNSS Survey✅ Full support✅ Full support
File Logging✅ Full support✅ Full support
MQTT/gRPC Streaming✅ Full support✅ Full support
CDR: Call Events✅ Yes✅ Yes
CDR: SMS Events❌ No✅ Yes
CDR: Phone Numbers❌ No✅ Yes
Firebase Analytics✅ Enabled❌ Disabled
Firebase Crashlytics✅ Enabled❌ Disabled
Automatic Updates✅ Via Play Store✅ Via F-Droid/IzzyOnDroid
Privacy FocusModerateHigh

Regular Version (Google Play Store)

Section titled “Regular Version (Google Play Store)”

Best for: Most users who want easy installation and updates

Features

Section titled “Features”
  • All core survey functionality
  • Call Detail Record (CDR) logging for call events and LAC/TAC changes
  • MQTT and gRPC streaming
  • File logging (GeoPackage, CSV)
  • NS Analytics integration

Limitations

Section titled “Limitations”
  • No SMS logging in CDR - Google Play policy restriction
  • No phone numbers in CDR - Google Play policy restriction
  • Includes Firebase - Crash reporting and analytics

Installation

Section titled “Installation”

CDR Version (F-Droid / IzzyOnDroid / GitHub)

Section titled “CDR Version (F-Droid / IzzyOnDroid / GitHub)”

Best for: Privacy-focused users or those needing full CDR logging

Features

Section titled “Features”
  • Full CDR logging including SMS events
  • Phone numbers logged in CDR
  • No analytics or crash reporting
  • All standard survey features

Installation Sources

Section titled “Installation Sources”

F-Droid (Recommended for privacy):

IzzyOnDroid:

GitHub Releases:

  • Download APK
  • Look for networksurvey-cdr-release.apk
  • Manual updates required

Why Two Versions?

Section titled “Why Two Versions?”

Google Play Policy Restriction:

Google Play prohibits apps from requesting SMS permissions unless they are registered SMS or dialer apps. Network Survey doesn’t make calls or send SMS—it only logs events for survey purposes.

Solution: Offer a separate CDR version outside of Google Play for users who need full CDR logging capabilities.

Which Version Should I Choose?

Section titled “Which Version Should I Choose?”

Choose Regular (Play Store) If:

Section titled “Choose Regular (Play Store) If:”
  • ✅ You want the easiest installation
  • ✅ You prefer automatic updates
  • ✅ You don’t need SMS logging in CDRs
  • ✅ You’re okay with Firebase analytics

Choose CDR Version If:

Section titled “Choose CDR Version If:”
  • ✅ You need SMS event logging
  • ✅ You want complete privacy (no Firebase)
  • ✅ You need phone numbers in CDR files
  • ✅ You prefer open-source app stores

Building Your Own

Section titled “Building Your Own”

You can build either version from source:

Regular Version:

Terminal window
./gradlew assembleRegularDebug
./gradlew installRegularDebug

CDR Version:

Terminal window
./gradlew assembleCdrDebug
./gradlew installCdrDebug

See the Installation Guide for full instructions.

Section titled “Related”