Are you looking for a step-by-step guide on how to change app permissions on Android? Is privacy something that’s important to you, and do you want to make sure apps are only using the data they absolutely need?
After reading this article, you will have all the information needed to prevent apps from accessing features or data which aren’t necessary.
How To Change App Permissions on Android
You can manage app permissions on Android by going into your device settings, and then into apps.
You’ll need to find the individual app you want to modify permissions for – when you do, you can open permission manager to change access to your files.
There is no need to be worried if an app is listening to your calls, or collecting your private contacts, or showing companies your location.
Your device will tell you exactly which apps are doing what, and you have the power to change those permissions. You can modify app permissions on Android phones pretty easily.
And whatever Android device you have, changing your app permissions is the same process and simple to do.
Following the below steps will show you precisely how to dig into your device and change your permissions as you please.
1. Go to device settings
Your setting can be most easily found by dragging your finger down from the top of your screen to pull open your quick-access menu.
At the top right, you will see a cog wheel. This is your settings menu. Tapping on it will open the menu and allow you to scroll through your device’s directory of options.
When you’ve done this, there will be a list of different options – you’ll need to scroll down to your apps settings.
2. Go to apps list
If you scroll down the list, near the bottom you will find the apps tab.
You will notice that in the subtitle it says “permission manager,” this is a nifty little tool which we will explain a but more in depth later, but for now, just tap apps and you’ll open the tab.
Here, you can find a whole lot out about your device, like how much time you spend on your apps. However, for now we’re just going to check out how you can remove android app permissions.
3. Find your app
Once you’ve opened your apps menu, you will see an A-Z list of all the apps on your android device.
You can either scroll down to find the app you are looking for or tap the magnifying glass icon at the top and you can type in the name of your app to be directly taken to it.
Tapping the three dots next to the search icon will bring up an additional menu where you can sort by name, size, last used and last updated to find relevant apps you are looking for.
You can also reset all app preferences to default from this menu if you feel as though you’ve made a mistake, or something has gone wrong.
4. Go to your permissions
Once you find the app you are looking for and tap it, the app ino menu will pop up.There are a bunch of options but the one you are looking for is near the bottom under “app settings” and is called Permissions.
Tapping on Permissions will open your App Permissions menu listing different features of the apps that are allowed or denied.
Allowed
This section currently has enabled permissions in the app, and whatever you find here will be enabled to send data.
Denied
This section currently has disabled permissions in the app. These features will be inaccessible for their data.
5. Change permissions
By tapping on a displayed option in either the allowed or denied sections will bring up the “allow” or “deny” selection box. Tap either of these to change the permission for the app for that specific feature.
6. Permission manager
Your permission manager can be used to check if any apps have a specific permission on your device.
It’s a quick and easy way to see a summary without having to open each app one by one and check its permissions.
If you don’t want any app to give location data for example, you can check it here and disable all, or enable all if you choose.
These menus also show whether an app is using either the always allowed or allowed only while in use settings, which can be very helpful when deciding how you want your apps to operate
Conclusion
It’s very easy on Android to change your app permissions and manage them to your heart’s content.
In the modern age where data is not only an incredibly important asset, but also highly valued by companies and their apps, you need to know how to limit access to the apps that collect it.
While some people think this is a very complicated or technical process, it’s actually much easier than you may think on Android, and you can gain full control of your data and app permissions in under a minute.
You shouldn’t have to worry what data companies are accessing on your device when you understand how to enable or disable what access their apps have.
You can also consider using an APK or app hider if you want to download a new home screen for your device.
With this in mind, you should be reassured that your data and permissions are yours to decide who is allowed or denied access.
