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Proper use cases for Android UserManager.isUserAGoat()?

I was looking at the new APIs introduced in Android 4.2. While looking at the UserManager class I came across the following method:

public boolean isUserAGoat()
Used to determine whether the user making this call is subject to teleportations.

Returns whether the user making this call is a goat.

How and when should this be used?

Answer*

### Android R Update:

From Android R, this method always returns false. Google says that this is done "to protect goat privacy":

 /**
 * Used to determine whether the user making this call is subject to
 * teleportations.
 *
 * As of {@link android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES#LOLLIPOP}, this method can
 * now automatically identify goats using advanced goat recognition technology.
 *
 * As of {@link android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES#R}, this method always returns
 * {@code false} in order to protect goat privacy.
 *
 * @return Returns whether the user making this call is a goat.
 */
 public boolean isUserAGoat() {
 if (mContext.getApplicationInfo().targetSdkVersion >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {
 return false;
 }
 return mContext.getPackageManager()
 .isPackageAvailable("com.coffeestainstudios.goatsimulator");
 }
------
### Previous answer:

From their **[source][1]**, the method used to return `false` until it was changed in API 21.

 /**
 * Used to determine whether the user making this call is subject to
 * teleportations.
 * @return whether the user making this call is a goat 
 */
 public boolean isUserAGoat() {
 return false;
 }

It looks like the method has no real use for us as developers. Someone has previously stated that it might be an **[Easter egg][2]**.


In API 21, the implementation was changed to check if the game [Goat Simulator](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coffeestainstudios.goatsimulator) (`com.coffeestainstudios.goatsimulator`) was installed.

 /**
 * Used to determine whether the user making this call is subject to
 * teleportations.
 *
 * As of {@link android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES#LOLLIPOP}, this method can
 * now automatically identify goats using advanced goat recognition technology.
 *
 * @return Returns true if the user making this call is a goat.
 */
 public boolean isUserAGoat() {
 return mContext.getPackageManager()
 .isPackageAvailable("com.coffeestainstudios.goatsimulator");
 }

Here is the [source][3] and the [change][4].


 [1]: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/android-5.0.0_r6/core/java/android/os/UserManager.java#433
 [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg_(media)
 [3]: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/android-5.0.0_r6/core/java/android/os/UserManager.java#442
 [4]: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/e4ab16ad98b183afbf7a21ad7314372de41a8b57%5E%21/#F1

Edit Summary*

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120

Theory: Goats are found in all kinds of precarious places, like sheer cliffs, possibly bucking location trends they get from regular non-goat users. Might explain "teleportations", which could be goats appearing to wildly relocate as the software tries to determine their location with algos designed for non-goats.

tedders
– tedders

2012-11-14 12:58:36 +00:00
Commented Nov 14, 2012 at 12:58
14

@LarsH - the source for one.

djechlin
– djechlin

2012-11-14 20:07:01 +00:00
Commented Nov 14, 2012 at 20:07
65

This is a history lesson, not an answer. Even if it is an Easter egg, is there a valid use case for it? Being an Easter egg doesn't preclude it from being useful, and you've not shown whether it is or is not useful.

casperOne
– casperOne

2012-11-14 20:26:37 +00:00
Commented Nov 14, 2012 at 20:26
53

That's a real app.

Kevin Krumwiede
– Kevin Krumwiede

2015-02-21 08:07:45 +00:00
Commented Feb 21, 2015 at 8:07
242

I feel bad for anyone who cheekily used this function, expecting it to return false forever.

Martin Konecny
– Martin Konecny

2015-04-27 05:11:45 +00:00
Commented Apr 27, 2015 at 5:11

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Proper use cases for Android UserManager.isUserAGoat()?

Answer*