What do app permissions mean

Other times, an app may refuse to function properly unless you grant that permission. It might rely on it to work, or maybe the developer didn't account for people denying the permission. This is also the case if you change your mind and decide to deny a permission that you had approved earlier. The app will hopefully detect that you denied the permission and ask you to allow it again when needed, but that's up to the developer.

Should you find that some feature in an app doesn't work, it's a good idea to review the permissions list. And if an app keeps asking for a permission that you don't want to provide, after you tap Deny once, you'll see a Don't ask again option.

On Android 5 Lollipop and earlier, the classic system of Android permissions applies. Since only a small percentage of devices still run these versions, we'll briefly touch on how it worked. Prior to Android 6 Marshmallow, you had to accept all requested permissions when you installed an app, which was an all-or-nothing system. Thus, if you didn't like one permission that an app asked for, your only options were to live with it or not download the app.

And if an app added new categories of permissions later, you had to also accept those to update the app to the latest version. Obviously, this setup has a lot of problems. Unless you rooted your phone to use a permission manager app, you were at the mercy of whatever permissions an app added.

It didn't give the user enough control, which is why Google changed it. Unless you have an old Android phone, you don't have to worry about this system. However, there is one quirk that carries over from older permissions.

If a developer hasn't updated their app to target Android 6 or newer, you'll see a prompt to accept all permissions when installing an app, instead of approving them individually. You can still use the permission manager to revoke permissions as described above, but since the apps aren't built with this functionality in mind, doing so may break them. There's no blanket answer to which permissions you should grant to specific apps.

It's up to you to decide whether you trust an app to access the sensitive information on your device. However, using a bit of common sense will help. For example, Google Maps obviously won't do much if you deny it access to your location.

Similarly, a messenger app might need access to your camera if it has its own camera shortcut option. However, a free sudoku game has no good reason to request access to your calendar or microphone, so you shouldn't grant those. Keep in mind that once an app has permission to use something, it can do so whenever it wants. While an app might have a legitimate reason for accessing your location, it could also check your location in the background every so often and send that data to advertisers.

This is why some permissions are more dangerous than others. It's difficult to vet how apps actually use the permissions you grant them, so there's a level of trust you have to apply. Granting permission allows the app to use the feature. Denying access prevents it from doing so. Simple enough. Apps cannot automatically grant themselves permissions, these have to be confirmed by the user via an on-screen prompt.

This will also reoccur on startup if you deny permissions or if an app is updated to require new permissions. See also: The best security apps for Android. Well-maintained modern apps will continue to function even if you deny them some or even all permissions. There are often no problems with denying app permissions you feel uncomfortable with, they can always be changed at a later date.

There are two convenient ways to view permissions, either by sorting apps by permissions or by viewing each app individually. The first place to start for either method is to head into the Android Settings menu. You can adjust these permissions by clicking on them. If you prefer an overview of all the apps granted a specific permission, such as those that can record from your microphone for example, then you can sort apps by this criteria too.

Head back into Settings and find the Privacy tab. From here, you can browse through all of the available permissions on your phone, as well as a quick overview of how many apps have been granted each permission. Clicking on any of the permissions will display just the apps that have requested this particular feature.

You can make changes here too, by clicking on the app then picking allow or deny access for individual apps see the gallery above. Denying permissions is one of the best ways to keep your phone and data safe from malicious applications. No doubt many of these apps were requesting access for data collection purposes and perhaps worse.

You might not want to use certain features tied to data extraction, either for diagnostic or advertising purposes. Messaging apps will certainly need your contacts, SMS, and probably camera and microphone too for video calls. Now you can see all the permissions that the app requires and can toggle what it can have access to. Keep in mind that some apps will not allow access without certain permissions enabled, but that is why you need to assess if it is necessary or not.

Sometimes you may get the same permission twice when installing as one may be from the app itself and the other from Android, so be sure to read each one carefully. However, if you need to check your app permissions on iOS devices here is how:. Managing your apps is a pivotal part of being safe online. Take the time to review your apps, delete apps you do not need anymore, and watch what you share online.

You can visit our homepage , see more about The War on CyberSecurity , or give us a call at , and we can manage your technology so you can manage your business. Back to Base. What do app permissions mean? What kind of permissions are required? These are the permission types to pay attention to when downloading a new app: Body Sensors.

This allows an app to access your health information such as your heart rate or step counts. These are normally required for fitness trackers such as a Fitbit wristband or Smartwatch to function.

The app will have access to your calendar events, with the ability to read and edit your existing appointments. Social networking apps typically need calendar access, but not too many other apps should. We normally recommend using the default calendar app that comes with your phone or Google Calendar for better safety rather than a third-party calendar app. The app can access your camera to take pictures and record videos.

This one is crucial because if the app does not have a camera function in it, it should not require access to your camera. Through an app that maliciously requires your camera, a hacker could take control and record video without you even knowing it.