Every time you install an app on your iPhone, it comes with permissions attached — permissions that determine what it can and cannot do. These permissions cover some pretty basic parts of iOS, including access to the iPhone’s camera, microphone, and current location. Permissions are requested one by one as needed, so you have plenty of control over how your apps behave.
But sometimes, especially when you’re in a rush, it’s easy to accidentally give an app permission to access data it doesn’t really need. Is your note taking app working really need to see your contact list, for example?
As a result, it’s worth checking these permissions regularly just in case you previously allowed a permission that you now want to revoke, or vice versa. It’s not hard to change your settings, and it gives you an extra layer of privacy and security.
Before installing
You can check the data the app will collect before you install it — it’s on the app’s page in the App Store. Reading this list before any download or installation can give you a good idea of how much access to your iPhone and data the app wants.
On the app’s App Store page, scroll down to Application privacy and tap Look at the details for a full review. You may not see all the permissions the app will ask for here, but many of the data categories listed correspond to specific permissions on your phone — for example, your phone’s location and its contact list.
In addition to listing the types of data being collected, the list will also provide a general reason for collection. This can be, for example, improving the functionality of the application or targeting marketing messages or product personalization. If you are not satisfied with the procedures and rules of the application, leave it uninstalled.
If you install the app, you’ll see that it asks for permissions as and when it needs them. Most of these permissions should be very essential for the app to function — it’s hard to get an Uber if the app doesn’t know where you are, for example — but use your discretion with permissions that don’t seem necessary. Ideally, the app should explain why it needs each permission, though not all.
Configuring permissions
To manage permissions on your iPhone, go to Settings. If you want to see what permissions a specific app is allowed:
- Scroll down to the app you want to take a closer look at and tap its name.
- You’ll see a list of permissions that the app has and hasn’t been granted.
- Tap any permission to change its setting.
If you want to check a specific permission and see all apps that use it:
- Choose Privacy and security from settings.
- You will see a list of permissions (eg Contacts and Photos). Tap the one you’re interested in to see which apps have been granted permission and which haven’t.
It’s up to you how you access it, but you’ll find the same permission settings in both cases.
Partial permissions
Some permissions are not just turned on or off. Access to photos is a good example: apps can be given full access to your photo and video library or just selected files. This is useful if, for example, you want to upload a few pictures to Instagram, but you don’t want to give the app access to the entire gallery.
Location permission works differently than others in that it offers much more precise control.
- Touch Location services on top Privacy and security screen.
- You will see a list of applications; to the right of each will be the current status of their location permit.
- In the list of apps, you’ll notice that some have a gray or purple arrow next to them. A gray arrow means they’ve used your location in the last 24 hours, and a purple arrow means they’ve used your location recently — another way to tell if an app is overdoing the data it collects.
- Choose an app to change your iPhone’s location access.
- You will see at least three options: Never, Ask next time or when I share (so case by case), i While using the application.
- Some apps (such as weather and map apps) have Constantly option too, which means the app can also access your location while running in the background.
- The site also has Precise location toggle switch: Turn this off and the app will only be allowed to approximate where you are.
At the bottom Privacy and security screen, you will find the App Privacy Report option. Once this is turned on (it’s off by default), you can come back here to get a more detailed breakdown of how apps used the permissions you gave them.