How to manage app permissions on your Android phone or tablet

Your phone, your rules: Android gives you a pretty comprehensive set of tools when it comes to managing app permissions on your device, allowing you to control access to parts of the system like the camera, microphone, and your current location.

Apps will ask for these permissions one at a time as they need them, so you’ll typically see a bunch of requests while the app is setting up, as well as more sporadic requests later (when the app needs access to your photos and videos, for example).

You can change these permissions at any time, and it pays to conduct regular audits to make sure apps aren’t overdoing it. Do your apps really need all the permissions they ask for? In many cases probably not.

You can see what permissions the app will ask for before you install it:

• Open the application at Toy shop on your phone or tablet.
• Scroll down to Data security and tap the arrow next to it.
• Scroll down to Data collected. This lists the personal information the app collects (such as your email address), as well as the permissions it will request (such as access to your contacts).
• Tap any type of data. If he says Optional next to it, the application can work without this permission. If it doesn’t, permission is required for the app to actually work: your location in the case of a map app, for example. You should also see an explanation of why the app wants this permission.

Weighing which permissions to grant is not always easy. For example, the Uber app will ask for access to your contacts. This is not critical to the app’s core functionality, but it allows you to share fares with other people. Many apps will also ask for permission to show notifications, meaning you have to choose between even more distractions on your device and the risk of missing something important.

If you need more information about why an app needs a certain permission, you can find it on the app support website. Ideally, apps should also clearly explain why certain permissions are needed — although unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. If the app doesn’t properly explain why it needs a certain permission, that’s another reason to reject the request.

You can manage permissions for your installed apps at any time from the main Android settings screen.

• Touch applications, then select an application. (If you don’t see the full list, click See everything.)
• choose Permissions to see all the permissions the app wants. You will see separate lists of those that are currently allowed and those that are not.
• Tap a permission to enable or disable it.

The screens you see will differ depending on the permission. For notifications, for example, some apps give you more granular control, so you can allow certain types of alerts to pop up but not others.

Many permissions can be set as allowed, but only while the app is open. This prevents applications from accessing parts of the system such as the camera or microphone when they are not running. On many of these permissions you will also see Ask every time option, which means you’ll be prompted every time an app needs that permission.

A small number of permissions will be displayed Allow all the time as one of the options. Use this sparingly. Location access for Google Maps is one example, which enables a Timeline feature that shows you where you’ve been each day (even if you’ve never opened Google Maps).

You can also see the app’s permission list by selecting it Security and privacy then from settings Privacy > Permissions Manager. Here, you get a list of permissions, along with the number of apps that have that permission — which is useful if there’s a specific permission you want to keep an eye on.

• Tap permission to see which apps have and haven’t been granted access.
• Select the application to change the permission setting.
• You get exactly the same options as before, including Ask every time and Allow all the time.

Whichever method you use to obtain app permissions, you may also be shown when each app last used that permission — if so, it will be written in smaller text below the permission. This is another useful indicator when deciding which permissions to grant and which not to, as it can flag instances where permissions are being used when they aren’t needed.

If you have apps you haven’t used in a while — and who doesn’t? — Android will periodically notify you that these apps have had their permissions removed (in addition, temporary files may have been removed and notifications stopped). If you open that app, you’ll be prompted again to enable those permissions.

• When you go to Security and privacy in Settings, you may be prompted, via an additional button, to view apps for which permissions have been revoked.
• Touch Browse appsand you’ll get a list of all apps that were last opened more than six months ago.
• From here, you can easily uninstall them by tapping the trash can icon.
• You can also tap on the app itself to go to the app’s information page.