Are the Picture to PDF conversion apps safe?

[OldCoalMiner]

I see several of these applications, they can convert a camera picture into a PDF file. I'm looking for one for receipts for travel expenses.

All of the apps in the Google Play store seem like they are written by people from eastern Europe, and all the free apps seem to have network access. Two big red flags.

Why does a picture to pdf app need network access? And how does one know the app is not sending the PDFs or photos to some server in Russia or Eastern Europe?

 

[electricpete]

Why needs access? Could be ads. Could be something else.

You could install a firewall and block the app from accessing the internet.

 

[Hadron]

I just copy the jpgs to a computer and print or convert them there.

But most free apps of any sort have network access because they are ad supported. So a free app with network access doesn't imply anything bad, nor guarantee innocence.

 

[OldCoalMiner]

Never thought of the need to pull in ads, interesting.

It might explain why the one paid app I saw, $1.99, has no notwork access, no suspect permissions.