Take control of Android app permissions

Find out how to selectively allow or deny Android app permissions requests, in this in-depth tutorial.

 

App permissions are one of the most controversial and confusing parts of the Android app world.

 

For security reasons many functions and data within Android are restricted, and inaccessible to apps. If an app requires access to one of these functions – such as the ability to access the internet over a 3G connection, or use the GPS hardware – it needs to explicitly request permission.

 

When you download an app you’re presented with a list of all the permissions the app is requesting so you know exactly what you’re getting.

 

It’s a simple idea, but in practice doesn’t quite work. In many instances the permissions requested are quite straightforward – a satnav needs to be able to use GPS, for example – but often they’re not, such as when a game asks for permission to access your contacts app.

 

Permissions can also be quite obscure, it’s not always clear what all of them actually do, and to compound the problem further you get no control over them. You cannot download an app without accepting its permission requests.

 

But if you’ve got a rooted phone you can wrestle back some control over what your apps get up to. With the free LBE Privacy Guard app you can allow or deny specific permissions on a case by case basis, preventing apps from snooping around your data or tracking your location without your knowledge.

 

Note that you can stop an app from working if you deny the wrong permission, so tread lightly with your changes, although they can all be undone easily enough.

 

1.Choose the Permission Manager

 

Download and launch LBE Privacy Guard. You’ll see that the app also includes a Firewall feature that enables you to control which apps are accessing the internet. For the purposes of this tutorial, though, we’ll be using the Permission Manager screen, so select that.

 

2.Privacy and money

 

The main Permission screen focusses on the key permissions surrounding the privacy of your data (such as those that can read your text messages or track your position), and the ones that can cost your money (such as those that can make calls).

 

3.Which apps?

 

Tap on one of the permissions to see which of your apps are requesting it. By default the apps you’ve installed have an ‘i’ icon next to them, meaning you will be prompted each time the app uses the permission. System apps are listed as Trusted apps, and it’s a good idea to leave these as they are.

 

4. Granting and revoking permission

 

Pick an app from the list and a new menu will appear with the options Allow, Prompt and Deny. For something like a Weather app, which needs to know you location, you can choose Allow; for the others you should leave them on Prompt for the time being.

 

5. Viewing all your apps

 

Hit the Back button and then select the Apps tab. You’ll now see a list of all the apps on your phone and the permissions they ask for. Tap on an app to see those permissions. If you trust the app you can tick the trust box and it will no longer be monitored by LBE Privacy Guard.

 

6. Block internet access

 

If you’ve got an app you don’t want to go online, or one which uses a lot of data that you only want to use on a Wi-Fi network, untick either the Mobile Network option or both to restrict the app’s online capabilities.

 

Source: http://www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk/tutorials/take-control-of-android-app-permissions/