Sometimes the autosubstitution feature when I text a message
is helpful, but often it is very annoying, when it
repeatedly wants to substitute something I don't want to
write.
How do I turn it off?
--
Dieter Britz

db <dieterhansbritz@gmail.com> wrote:

> Sometimes the autosubstitution feature when I text a message
> is helpful, but often it is very annoying, when it
> repeatedly wants to substitute something I don't want to
> write.
> How do I turn it off?

Depends on brand of phone, and perhaps model, and which keyboard you
selected. Searching on "android undo auto correct" finds lots of online
articles to help you, like:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=android+undo+auto+correct

One match, but may not be the nav path on your particular phone, was:

https://www.mail.com/blog/posts/turn-off-autocorrect/113/

Another match was:

https://www.twintel.net/how-to/how-can-you-improve-your-android-devices-autocorrect/

Auto-correct rarely gets in my way, so I still leave it on. I think
hitting backspace (the back arrow nav button in the virtual keyboard)
undoes the auto-correct. Auto-correct just lists suggestions. If I
continue to type to the end of a word, what I typed in gets accepted,
so, for me, it's more of auto-suggest than auto-correct. However, I'm
using the included keyboard that came with my phone (LG) instead of
Google's keyboard (Gboard). From what I can from my settings, looks
like the Gboard is only used when speaking (speech to text) into a
voice-capable input. Possibly Gboard is more aggressive than LG.

db <dieterhansbritz@gmail.com> wrote:
> Sometimes the autosubstitution feature when I text a message
> is helpful, but often it is very annoying, when it
> repeatedly wants to substitute something I don't want to
> write.
> How do I turn it off?

As VanguardLH indicates, it's a *keyboard* setting, not something in
the app in question (in this case the Messages app).

On my (Samsung) phone, the keyboard settings are under Settings ->
General management (Language and keyboard * Date and time) -> <type of
keyboard> Keyboard settings -> Predictive text -> On/Off switch. (Note
that your phone might have several different software keyboards, with
one of them the currently selected/enabled one.)

Note that VanguardLH searched on 'auto-correct', but that on my phone
it's called 'Predictive text' (because it's more than just auto-correct).

If and when you respond, please mention the brand, model and Android
version of your phone.

Phone settings are nearly always brand dependent and often also model
or/and Android version dependent, so when asking questions which
probably involve phone settings (instead of settings of *add-on* (i.e.
not pre-installed) apps), alway mention brand, model and Android
version.

On 2024-01-20 10:13, db wrote:
> Sometimes the autosubstitution feature when I text a message
> is helpful, but often it is very annoying, when it
> repeatedly wants to substitute something I don't want to
> write.
> How do I turn it off?

Repeatedly?

If I delete and retype what it corrected, it holds. In theory, your type
should be one of the options in the dictionary offerings, unless you
type fast and away.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

On Sat, 20 Jan 2024 08:24:03 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

> From what I can from my settings, looks
> like the Gboard is only used when speaking (speech to text) into a
> voice-capable input. Possibly Gboard is more aggressive than LG.

Good news.
You do NOT need Gboard to get speech to text microphone on the keyboard.

You can use Openboard instead. That's what I use for privacy reasons.
Plus I'm told it handles typographic misspellings in many languages.

Checking the URL for you, it used to be here but no longer is there.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dslul.openboard.inputmethod.latin

Luckily when I checked the box for other sources, the search found this.
https://github.com/openboard-team/openboard

I'm not sure what the difference is between "Openboard" & "Openboard
Valencia" (if someone cares more they can let everyone else know) but I
think they may be the same because that site showed both.
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.dslul.openboard.inputmethod.latin/

Since Google hates any app competing with it, that might be why it has been
removed from the Google Play store (usually that means it's too good).

On 20.01.2024 16.25, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> On 2024-01-20 10:13, db wrote:
>> Sometimes the autosubstitution feature when I text a message
>> is helpful, but often it is very annoying, when it
>> repeatedly wants to substitute something I don't want to
>> write.
>> How do I turn it off?
>
> Repeatedly?
>
> If I delete and retype what it corrected, it holds. In theory, your type
> should be one of the options in the dictionary offerings, unless you
> type fast and away.
>
That's how it has been on my Moto 100, but the other day I had to
repeat a word three times before I got my wish, and it sometimes
substitutes nonsense. Lately, it adds "ng" as a new word.

I will try to follow the advice given by the other respondents,
thanks.
--
Dieter Britz

db <dieterhansbritz@gmail.com> wrote:

> That's how it has been on my Moto 100, but the other day I had to
> repeat a word three times before I got my wish, and it sometimes
> substitutes nonsense. Lately, it adds "ng" as a new word.

You might try resetting the learned/history predictions to start afresh.

https://www.google.com/search?q=android+reset+prediction+keyboard+moto+100

On 2024-01-21 17:41, VanguardLH wrote:
> db <dieterhansbritz@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> That's how it has been on my Moto 100, but the other day I had to
>> repeat a word three times before I got my wish, and it sometimes
>> substitutes nonsense. Lately, it adds "ng" as a new word.
>
> You might try resetting the learned/history predictions to start afresh.
>
> https://www.google.com/search?q=android+reset+prediction+keyboard+moto+100

And remove words. Probably a long press on the offending word when it
appears.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

On 1/20/24 6:24 AM, VanguardLH wrote:
> db <dieterhansbritz@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Sometimes the autosubstitution feature when I text a message
>> is helpful, but often it is very annoying, when it
>> repeatedly wants to substitute something I don't want to
>> write.
>> How do I turn it off?
>
> Depends on brand of phone, and perhaps model, and which keyboard you
> selected. Searching on "android undo auto correct" finds lots of online
> articles to help you, like:
>
> https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=android+undo+auto+correct
>
> One match, but may not be the nav path on your particular phone, was:
>
> https://www.mail.com/blog/posts/turn-off-autocorrect/113/
>
> Another match was:
>
> https://www.twintel.net/how-to/how-can-you-improve-your-android-devices-autocorrect/
>
> Auto-correct rarely gets in my way, so I still leave it on. I think
> hitting backspace (the back arrow nav button in the virtual keyboard)
> undoes the auto-correct. Auto-correct just lists suggestions. If I
> continue to type to the end of a word, what I typed in gets accepted,
> so, for me, it's more of auto-suggest than auto-correct. However, I'm
> using the included keyboard that came with my phone (LG) instead of
> Google's keyboard (Gboard). From what I can from my settings, looks
> like the Gboard is only used when speaking (speech to text) into a
> voice-capable input. Possibly Gboard is more aggressive than LG.

ai.type is free, offers vast amounts of personalization, and -- at least
the way mine is -- throws up three options for unknown words, the center
one underlined, which is its best guess. you just tap on that and
continue. It puts a space at the end of the word so you don't have to.
It also responds to voice, but maybe they all do.

--
Cheers, Bev
"Mr Panetta also revealed that the US Navy Seals made the final
decision to kill bin Laden rather than the president."
--S. Swinford, The Telegraph
[Aside from that minor error, those Seals did a fantastic job!] --Bev

On 1/21/2024 1:33 PM, The Real Bev wrote:

> ai.type is free

Has ads though.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android.f

How bad are the ads?

And where do its ads show up when the app is a keyboard which underlies
almost everything you type on the phone, including your email and messages?

On 1/21/24 3:14 PM, Larry Wolff wrote:
> On 1/21/2024 1:33 PM, The Real Bev wrote:
>
>> ai.type is free
>
> Has ads though.
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android.f
>
> How bad are the ads?
>
> And where do its ads show up when the app is a keyboard which underlies
> almost everything you type on the phone, including your email and messages?

Not a clue. Every once in a while an ad will show up caused by
SOMETHING, but I have no idea which app is responsible. They're ALL
objectionable, I don't distinguish. I don't use the phone enough to
make a judgment.

It occupies as much of the screen as you want. I want it big enough so
I don't make more than a tolerable number of fat-finger mistakes, which
means it occupies a little less than half of the 6" (portrait) screen.
It covers the entire screen in landscape mode.

I chose the EZ... keyboard, which seemed to offer the greatest
separation between keys, but I'm probably wrong.

--
Cheers, Bev
"I don't mind you peeing in the shower as long as you're actually
taking a shower." -- Marge Simpson

Larry Wolff <larrywolff@larrywolff.net> wrote:

> The Real Bev wrote:
>
>> ai.type is free
>
> Has ads though.
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android.f
>
> How bad are the ads?
>
> And where do its ads show up when the app is a keyboard which
> underlies almost everything you type on the phone, including your
> email and messages?

The first and second screenshots look like fullscreen ads which means
they interfere with the use of both the app and your phone. Apps that
shove fullscreen ads onto the phone screen are malware. Seems its big
"feature" is the support of emojis which appears to the kiddies;
however, it also says "To get the new emojis, You must download latest
"ai.type Emoji Keyboard plugin". The app's title is "ai.type Keyboard &
Emoji 2022". Geez, what a bunch of childish shit.

The plus version costs $3, but is older (May 2020) than the non-paid
version (Sep 2023). No info on how the plus version is more than the
non-paid version, like if ads are removed in the paid version. The
download links at their web site (http://aitype.com/) point to 2018
web.archive.org copies of the iOS and Android pages.

On 1/21/24 4:49 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
> Larry Wolff <larrywolff@larrywolff.net> wrote:
>
>> The Real Bev wrote:
>>
>>> ai.type is free
>>
>> Has ads though.
>> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android.f
>>
>> How bad are the ads?
>>
>> And where do its ads show up when the app is a keyboard which
>> underlies almost everything you type on the phone, including your
>> email and messages?
>
> The first and second screenshots look like fullscreen ads which means
> they interfere with the use of both the app and your phone. Apps that
> shove fullscreen ads onto the phone screen are malware. Seems its big
> "feature" is the support of emojis which appears to the kiddies;
> however, it also says "To get the new emojis, You must download latest
> "ai.type Emoji Keyboard plugin". The app's title is "ai.type Keyboard &
> Emoji 2022". Geez, what a bunch of childish shit.
>
> The plus version costs $3, but is older (May 2020) than the non-paid
> version (Sep 2023). No info on how the plus version is more than the
> non-paid version, like if ads are removed in the paid version. The
> download links at their web site (http://aitype.com/) point to 2018
> web.archive.org copies of the iOS and Android pages.

The free version offers more options than I want to even think about.
You can add rows of special keys and/or make the rows offer different
sets of characters. You can add keys. I especially like the
unobtrusive spellcheck function.

I'd never identified ai. as the source of the occasional ads == which
seem to be for some game. Hunt for the x, make it go away, get on with
life.

Emojis are a sign of the collapse of civilization. Exception for these,
called SMILEYs, of course: :-( and :-)

--
Cheers, Bev
"Why does everybody always forget the eigthth dwarf? Just because
poor old Lumpy died of cancer doesn't mean he should be written
out of history." -- RMassey

On Sun, 21 Jan 2024 19:48:39 -0800, The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com>
wrote

> I'd never identified ai. as the source of the occasional ads == which
> seem to be for some game. Hunt for the x, make it go away, get on with
> life.

I can't imagine what an app does that would make me want to see full-screen
ads, as the only ads I'll tolerate are those at the bottom of an app while
in use but no others.

For a keyboard, I can't think of ads being worth it given how many good
free keyboards are already available out there that do not have any ads.

The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:

> VanguardLH wrote:
>
>> Larry Wolff <larrywolff@larrywolff.net> wrote:
>>
>>> The Real Bev wrote:
>>>
>>>> ai.type is free
>>>
>>> Has ads though.
>>> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android.f
>>>
>>> How bad are the ads?
>>>
>>> And where do its ads show up when the app is a keyboard which
>>> underlies almost everything you type on the phone, including your
>>> email and messages?
>>
>> The first and second screenshots look like fullscreen ads which means
>> they interfere with the use of both the app and your phone. Apps that
>> shove fullscreen ads onto the phone screen are malware. Seems its big
>> "feature" is the support of emojis which appears to the kiddies;
appeals ___/
>> however, it also says "To get the new emojis, You must download latest
>> "ai.type Emoji Keyboard plugin". The app's title is "ai.type Keyboard &
>> Emoji 2022". Geez, what a bunch of childish shit.
>>
>> The plus version costs $3, but is older (May 2020) than the non-paid
>> version (Sep 2023). No info on how the plus version is more than the
>> non-paid version, like if ads are removed in the paid version. The
>> download links at their web site (http://aitype.com/) point to 2018
>> web.archive.org copies of the iOS and Android pages.
>
> The free version offers more options than I want to even think about.
> You can add rows of special keys and/or make the rows offer different
> sets of characters. You can add keys. I especially like the
> unobtrusive spellcheck function.

The highly stressed emoji feature is inane. I use my phone, not play
with it, but a lot of folks apparently have lots of free time to waste
playing on their phones. Once all the emoji features are discarded,
there isn't much about this keyboard app that other trimmed versions
provide. However, the customizable key rows sound nice, but not really
essential.

> I'd never identified ai. as the source of the occasional ads == which
> seem to be for some game. Hunt for the x, make it go away, get on with
> life.

http://aitype.com/

The GDPR fucked up domain regisrations. They are so redacted that
domain registrars might as well eliminate providing any info about them.
However, in this case, aitype.com is paying extra to hide behind a
privatized domain registration: domainsbyproxy.com operated by GoDaddy
for domain registration, Wildwestdomains (secureserver.net) for site
content, and leech from web.archive.org also for content. Their last
renewal was for only a year. One of their contact links points to
Google+ which died in 2019, so using their link drops you at a
web.archive.org page (which they cannot forge by pretending it's their
content).

Looks like all of their content is at web.archive.org. Click on the
About Us, Support, or other links, and wait for the content from from
web.archive.org while pretending it came from aitype.com. Seems an
inappropriate use of the web archive site to offload your content. Go
to their Support page (well, web.archive.org's web page presented as
their own), and clicking on anything there gets a "page not found". The
site was first registered in 2009, and they have not fleshed out their
web site.

"ai.type’s cloud based engine is a unique approach that enables the
market most accurate next word prediction and auto-correction
experience." So, what happens when you can't reach a cell tower, and
there is no nearby open wifi hotspot? Everything you type goes to them.

Data of 31 million users of iPhone add-on keyboard ai.type potentially
leaks (c.2017)
https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/203091/data-of-31-million-users-of-iphone-add-on-keyboard-ai-type-potentially-leaks

Android users beware: This keyboard app may help scammers steal money,
delete it now (c.2019)
https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/android-users-beware-this-keyboard-app-may-help-scammers-steal-money-delete-it-now-1616232-2019-11-06

How can they leak user data if they didn't have it? Because they do
have it. You're using a keyboard app that spies on what you enter.

It is abandonware. It is spyware. It is crapware. It appeals to the
inane. I wouldn't trust them with a vial of my piss.

> Emojis are a sign of the collapse of civilization. Exception for
> these, called SMILEYs, of course: :-( and :-)

We've spent 3000 years moving from hieroglyphics to having far more
sophisticated languages. With smartphones, we're back to hieroglypics.

VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
> It is abandonware. It is spyware. It is crapware. It appeals to the
> inane. I wouldn't trust them with a vial of my piss.

There are far better & privacy aware keyboards out there that are free and
don't have ads, and most are open source so the code can be looked at.

VanguardLH wrote on Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:19:42 -0600 :
> https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/203091/data-of-31-million-users-of-iphone-add-on-keyboard-ai-type-potentially-leaks

You did a good job showing WHY you do not want to have your contacts
exposed because apps that don't even need them are storing them on the net.

https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/203091/data-of-31-million-users-of-iphone-add-on-keyboard-ai-type-potentially-leaks
"Conflicting accounts have emerged about a security breach involving the
ai.type add-on keyboard for iOS and Android, with researchers claiming that
31 million people's data has been compromised -- with a user's contacts
also potentially included in the leak."

That is why you should keep your default Android contacts completely empty.
Each app you use should be chosen to maintain its own private contacts db.

On 2024-01-24 00:39, Andrew wrote:
> VanguardLH wrote on Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:19:42 -0600 :
>> https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/203091/data-of-31-million-users-of-iphone-add-on-keyboard-ai-type-potentially-leaks
>
> You did a good job showing WHY you do not want to have your contacts
> exposed because apps that don't even need them are storing them on the net.
>
> https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/203091/data-of-31-million-users-of-iphone-add-on-keyboard-ai-type-potentially-leaks
> "Conflicting accounts have emerged about a security breach involving the
> ai.type add-on keyboard for iOS and Android, with researchers claiming that
> 31 million people's data has been compromised -- with a user's contacts
> also potentially included in the leak."
>
> That is why you should keep your default Android contacts completely empty.
> Each app you use should be chosen to maintain its own private contacts db.

Bollocks.

That's nuts.

Very inconvenient and cumbersome.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

Carlos E. R. wrote on Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:31:13 +0100 :

>> That is why you should keep your default Android contacts completely empty.
>> Each app you use should be chosen to maintain its own private contacts db.
>
> Bollocks.
>
> That's nuts.
>
> Very inconvenient and cumbersome.

Nobody ever said staying private wasn't "very inconvenient & cumbersome".
So your feeling it's too hard for you to remain private is likely correct.

The people who take your contacts make it very convenient to upload them.
Did you ever stop to wonder why they make it so easy to get your contacts?

Andrew <andrew@spam.net> wrote:

> Carlos E. R. wrote on Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:31:13 +0100 :
>
>> Andrew:
>>
>>> That is why you should keep your default Android contacts completely
>>> empty. Each app you use should be chosen to maintain its own
>>> private contacts db.
>>
>> Bollocks. That's nuts. Very inconvenient and cumbersome.
>
> Nobody ever said staying private wasn't "very inconvenient &
> cumbersome". So your feeling it's too hard for you to remain private
> is likely correct.
>
> The people who take your contacts make it very convenient to upload
> them. Did you ever stop to wonder why they make it so easy to get
> your contacts?

To satisfy both viewpoints, make damn sure you use a STRONG password on
your online account. And don't reuse passwords. Every domain gets its
own unique password. That resists frontend hacking. Backend hacking
(finding vulnerabilities in the service, employee theft) is another
matter, like data breaches you hear of. That's where in-transit and
in-situ encryption are important, so not even the provider or a hacker
thereinto can see your data.

Although Gmail has come out with end-to-end (in-situ) and in-transit
encryption (for Workspace accounts), that still doesn't protect your
data from breaches. Frontend protection depends on how well you defined
the password for access, and it being unique at EVERY domain (i.e., do
not reuse any passwords). Just remember that data breaches are not only
up on servers. They include whatever local storage you are using to
store your contacts. Breaches can be online or local.

No e-mail provider needs to bother culling email addresses from your
contact records stored on their service. Besides, not everyone to whom
you send an e-mail is in your contact records. They already have your
e-mails, so they can cull from there everyone to whom you send e-mail.
You can go to whatever extreme you want to protect your contact records,
but how are you going to bar an e-mail provider from looking at the To
and CC headers in your outgoing e-mails, and the From and Sender headers
in incoming e-mails? You do all that paranoid protection of your
contacts, but leave wide open the interrogation of your e-mails. You
use their service to send e-mails. They have your e-mails. That means
they can, if they so choose, cull all addresses from your e-mails
(incoming and outgoing). Like putting a dozen deadbolts on your house
door, but you leave open the windows.

Andrew, what is YOUR method of toting contact records between hosts? Or
are you a hermit that has only 1 computer at home, so that is the only
place where you ever need contact records? If you're toting around a
USB drive with contact records, how do you protect that data the moment
you happen to plug the USB drive into a possible infected host that
would immediately read and store the data on the USB drive?

On 2024-01-24 09:23, Andrew wrote:
> Carlos E. R. wrote on Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:31:13 +0100 :
>
>>> That is why you should keep your default Android contacts completely empty.
>>> Each app you use should be chosen to maintain its own private contacts db.
>>
>> Bollocks.
>>
>> That's nuts.
>>
>> Very inconvenient and cumbersome.
>
> Nobody ever said staying private wasn't "very inconvenient & cumbersome".
> So your feeling it's too hard for you to remain private is likely correct.
>
> The people who take your contacts make it very convenient to upload them.
> Did you ever stop to wonder why they make it so easy to get your contacts?

Apple let's you upload your contacts...

....but they're encrypted:

'End-to-end encrypted data can be decrypted only on your trusted devices
where you’re signed in with your Apple ID. No one else can access your
end-to-end encrypted data — not even Apple'

<https://support.apple.com/en-us/102651>

VanguardLH wrote on Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:13:47 -0600 :

> Andrew, what is YOUR method of toting contact records between hosts?

It's so simple that it's obvious. Elegant. Efficient. Private. Secure.

My master contacts database file has over three hundred entrees.
Yet Windows 10 Thunderbird handles it (import/export).
And Android handles it (import/export).
Microsoft Office handles it too (Excel merges fields & removes duplicates).

I keep one master contacts database, which all the other applications use.
Oddly enough, it's called contacts.vcs <https://fileinfo.com/extension/vcf>

On 2024-01-24 14:45, Andrew wrote:
> VanguardLH wrote on Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:13:47 -0600 :
>
>> Andrew, what is YOUR method of toting contact records between hosts?
>
> It's so simple that it's obvious. Elegant. Efficient. Private. Secure.
>
> My master contacts database file has over three hundred entrees.
> Yet Windows 10 Thunderbird handles it (import/export).
> And Android handles it (import/export).
> Microsoft Office handles it too (Excel merges fields & removes duplicates).
>
> I keep one master contacts database, which all the other applications use.
> Oddly enough, it's called contacts.vcs <https://fileinfo.com/extension/vcf>

You have a computer...

....and you manually import/export contacts between different applications?

LOL!

Andrew <andrew@spam.net> wrote:

> VanguardLH wrote on Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:13:47 -0600 :
>
>> Andrew, what is YOUR method of toting contact records between hosts?
>
> It's so simple that it's obvious. Elegant. Efficient. Private. Secure.
>
> My master contacts database file has over three hundred entrees.
> Yet Windows 10 Thunderbird handles it (import/export).
> And Android handles it (import/export).
> Microsoft Office handles it too (Excel merges fields & removes duplicates).
>
> I keep one master contacts database, which all the other applications use.
> Oddly enough, it's called contacts.vcs <https://fileinfo.com/extension/vcf>

When you import the .vcs file to get all your contact records into your
e-mail client, doesn't that mean those contacts are then synchronized to
your online account? Maybe not with Thunderbird since I don't think it
synchronizes anywhere, even if you have a Mozilla account to use when
synchronizing config data in Firefox across multiple instances of
Firefox. However, which Android contacts apps are you using that don't
use an online account? If they are just VCS viewers, how does seeing a
contact let you use it to initiate, say, writing an e-mail?

Which Android e-mail apps [that you use] have no sync function to an
online account? Or, which Android contacts apps [that you use] have to
option to sync to an online account?

Sounds like you employ sneakernet: toting around a USB drive from
computer to computer expecting each computer to have USB ports (and they
are enabled in BIOS rather than locked out, like at schools, libraries,
cafes, etc) where you can then import a .vsc file into some non-web
centric contacts app.

Why do you even need to import anywhere? The .vcs file is a text file.
You could open it with a text editor, copy an e-mail address for a
contact, and then paste in a new compose window when sending e-mail.

However, as noted, that doesn't prevent data breaches or hacking to get
at your sent e-mails, or those you received, to harvest e-mail address
from those sources. Instead of a list of contacts, you still have a
list of messages with all those e-mail addresses.

VanguardLH wrote on Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:58:40 -0600 :

>> I keep one master contacts database, which all the other applications use.
>> Oddly enough, it's called contacts.vcs <https://fileinfo.com/extension/vcf>
>
> When you import the .vcs file

I made a typo by typing "vcs". It's "vcf". VCARD file. My bad.

Keep in mind that my main premise wasn't to explain how I manage contacts.
It was just to let people know they should choose good privacy-aware apps.

Any app that uploads your contacts is, by definition, NOT privacy aware.

To the person who said it was too hard for him to NOT upload his contacts,
sure, it's EASY to upload your contact to every app that asks for them,
even if they have no need for them (even Google Maps asks for them!).

I ask those people who allow that to simply ask themselves this question.
Why do you think they make it so easy for you to upload contacts to them?

> to get all your contact records into your
> e-mail client, doesn't that mean those contacts are then synchronized to
> your online account? Maybe not with Thunderbird since I don't think it
> synchronizes anywhere, even if you have a Mozilla account to use when
> synchronizing config data in Firefox across multiple instances of
> Firefox.

Thunderbird doesn't have a problem with keeping it on my local machine.
The master is in Excel though.

> However, which Android contacts apps are you using that don't
> use an online account?

I use the last known good version of the Simple Mobile Tools contacts.
https://simplemobiletools.com/

But there are plenty of private contacts apps that don't upload them.

> If they are just VCS viewers, how does seeing a
> contact let you use it to initiate, say, writing an e-mail?

The answer is going to be the same for every question that you will ask.
You choose a privacy-aware mail user agent that doesn't upload contacts.

They import & export contacts into a private database instead.
All the good apps will do that. All the bad apps won't do that.

It's really that simple, so it was odd that a person said it was too hard
for him because all he needed to do was use good apps instead of bad ones.

> Which Android e-mail apps [that you use] have no sync function to an
> online account?

FairEmail, privacy aware email
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.faircode.email

> Or, which Android contacts apps [that you use] have to
> option to sync to an online account?

This has been discussed on this newsgroup like a thousand times.
There are plenty of private contacts apps that don't upload them.

Most of them are named "Private Contacts" which gives you a cluebyfour.

Here are just some of them already discussed on this newsgroup in the past.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.abwesend.privatecontacts
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ml.bluelinestudio.privatecontact
https://apkpure.com/private-contacts-private-call-sms/hazar.studio.privatecontacts
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.abwesend.privatecontacts

> Sounds like you employ sneakernet: toting around a USB drive from
> computer to computer expecting each computer to have USB ports (and they
> are enabled in BIOS rather than locked out, like at schools, libraries,
> cafes, etc) where you can then import a .vsc file into some non-web
> centric contacts app.

Are you crazy?

What do you think a LAN does?
Have you never heard of Wi-Fi? Routers? APs? NAS?
What century are you living in anyway when you speak of sneakernet?

Your questions have a negative tone much like that other guy who said his
brain hurt him because it was too hard for him to think about his contacts.

I'm not forcing you to set up your Android phone using only good apps.
If you want to use lousy apps that steal all your privacy, have fun at it.

Just remember everyone in your contacts list also loses their privacy.

> Why do you even need to import anywhere? The .vcs file is a text file.
> You could open it with a text editor, copy an e-mail address for a
> contact, and then paste in a new compose window when sending e-mail.

The guy who said his brain hurt, I think, complained that some apps require
you to manually enter the contacts, one by one, which is a valid concern.

So don't use those apps. Use the ones that import & export VCARD files.
> However, as noted, that doesn't prevent data breaches or hacking to get
> at your sent e-mails, or those you received, to harvest e-mail address
> from those sources. Instead of a list of contacts, you still have a
> list of messages with all those e-mail addresses.

Based on your questions, the amount that you do not know about this topic
is so huge that there's no way I'm going to teach you what you can't learn.

You can either accept the point that the safest way to keep your contacts
out of the hands of the harvesters is to not store them in the default db.

Or you can reject that premise.

If you're the type of person like that other guy who said his brain hurt
when he had to think, then you're going to reject privacy every time.

Why do you think all the default Google apps don't respect your privacy?
Why do you think the good apps respect you privacy and the bad apps don't?

The way to keep your contacts out of their hands is two simple steps.
The first step is not to put anything in there that you care about.
The second step is to use privacy aware contacts & dialers & the like.

If that concept is too difficult for you, then I can't fix that problem.