The most critical part of Android that mostly users overlooked is app permissions. Any application or game that you download and install on your android device needs to request to have access to the most sensitive areas of your device, but they actually don’t ask for those permissions honorably. Nowadays, thanks to Android Permissions, which makes your sensitive data secured. Google has introduced a new service in 2015, titled Android Permissions found in Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above versions. It’s essential to know how Android Permission worked in the past and how they’ll have seemed in the future.
We’ve compiled an article for you to take a complete look at Android Permissions under both systems, such as:
- What they mean for you, and why you should care?
- How did they look like in applications?
In this article, you will learn a lot, so without wasting a single minute, let’s get started.
Over the years, App Permissions have become one of the best powerful privacy tools, permitting you to decide which data an application or video game can or can’t access on your device. However, according to a study of the International Computer Science Institute, there are thousands of apps floating across Google Play Store that can access restricted data even you deny them permission. The study reveals that the restricted app can access your data by communicating other apps that have been granted permission to access the same data. For this purpose, the application makes use of common SDK libraries.
what happens android apps bypass permissions to access your data?
The Android System permissions are split into two groups, such as:
- Normal
- Dangerous
The app permission system allows the normal group by default because they aren’t riskier to your privacy. However, dangerous permission group can access several thinks like your contacts, calling history, private messages, camera, and location. Therefore, Android will always ask you to approve the permission to grant access to an app.
Why should you be careful?
Body Sensor App
While granting access, you need to be careful, because a malicious app can spy on your health by monitoring your routines, meeting times, etc. – or even delete them from your calendar.
Camera
One of the most prominent features – camera which can be used to record what’s going on around you secretly without your permission to share your data.
Contacts
Mistakenly, if you install a malicious app, then lots of chances are available that it can steal your contacts and address book to target your buddies and family members with spam, phishing scams, and more.
Location
Using the malicious app, someone can secretly track your exact location to create a fake profile following your daily habits or even let robbers know when you aren’t at home.
Microphone
Calling apps can ask you to approve their request for accessing the receiver, and they are valid on their point. But if some applications like Calendar, Weather, etc. requesting to have access to your microphone, it becomes suspicious. Similarly, a malicious app can secretly record your conversation with someone else and the scene happening around you, including talks with family, confidential business meetings, etc.
Your messages can be read by a malicious app and it can make any change by deleting or editing message.
What are Android Permissions?
In Android devices, permission is privileged that applications need to ask if they want to access your sensitive media. Android devices contain so much personal information, including contact numbers, emails, exact location, own images, and cameras that can be used to record anytime. Before the introduction of permissions, any application can easily use them without asking, but after the update, no app can use these unless you allow them.
How to Check App Permissions
To check the permissions you granted to the app, simply go to settings, tap the application, and find the targeted app you would like to examine. After tapping on the specific app, hit your finger on its info screen, and click the permissions section or scroll down to find the list. Is there any way to check the permissions of any app before installing it on your device?
How to Check Permissions before Installing?
Of course, you can check by merely visiting the Google Play Store and clicking Permission Details to explore. All permissions are categorized. Checking app permission earlier is much than complaining about a hacking attempt after installing the app. Following the mentioned method, you check which app is using what kind of services.
Why this matter?
Don’t consider that App permissions are bad, because they aren’t. Advanced devices have too many features, which means they are more harmful than a primary device. Therefore, permits help you keep your device fully secured from shady apps. Let’s try to understand with an example; for instance, Google Maps would be enough useless if it couldn’t requesting to access your location, but when a Memo Task application request to access your contacts, then there should be risen concern. You need to be a bit smart while granting the permissions to the specific app. In advanced system, you will be asked to grant permissions to a particular application after installing it by only accepting or denying. If you install an application, Google will let you know that the app is requesting to use your contacts, camera, microphone, and others. You have full control over your protection and can reject or accept the permission to go further.
Common Permissions
Lots of app permissions are self-explanatory, and you come across a similar set in several applications; therefore, they shouldn’t take too much time to get down. Here are a few common ones and what they mean
Camera – Multimedia applications will request to access your camera, and such kind of app has only permission, which means it’s all or nothing. After accepting their request, the application becomes able to use the device’s camera.
In-app Permission – It lets you make different purchases inside the app or video games. Approximately, every game and applications contain in-game purchases, or support micro-transactions. However, most of them are freemium mobile games that pretend to be free but make you addict and require money for additional content or grant you access to real content. Such kind of application or games can be expansive, so you should need to keep your device against in-game or in-app purchases to keep kids from purchasing items.
Note – Asking bucks for additional items isn’t always bad. There is a variety of games that use in-app purchases honorably, and non-game applications use them, so they provide you with their premium services by switching you to pro version.
Microphone – It is the second category asking for only one permission; allowing this permission means you grant the app full access to your microphone to record audio.
Storage – Application with storage permission will get access to your files, save files, or both. However, a common reason for accessing the storage means to pick a file to share with buddies, while an application might require to write to storage for saving or editing your image.
Location – GPS-based apps will request to detect your exact location by gathering information from Wi-Fi Networks around you or using the GPS of the device.
Identity – This permission is used when the app application request to find what other accounts you signed in on your devices, such as an application enabling you to sign in using the Google or your Facebook account.
Device ID – It allows the application to know when you’re in a call, so it can avoid disturbing you during the call. The phone number allows the app to make a call without redirecting you to the dialer app.
App & Device History – It will allow the targeted apps to know what other applications are installed on your device. However, it could be abused but is used by task killers or battery optimizer apps.
All the above mentioned are common permissions, but there are many other permissions too in different categories, including:
- Download Files without Notification
- Run at Startup
- Change Network
- Modification in Audio Settings
- Consume More Battery for Better Performance
- Run in background
The best example to define all these permissions is Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, etc. which asks for all these mentioned permissions and more for better performance. If you’re using an old android system, then you’re helpless because it hasn’t so many features like advanced system. But, if you are using advanced android system, Marshmallow, then you need to be careful while granting access to the applications to sensitive data.
