Lesson 23 of 23 · About 4 minutes
Free lesson: app permissions
Learn the concept.
A permission lets an app use information or a device feature. Before allowing it, connect the request to the job you want the app to do. More access is not automatically better.
Give each app a job-sized key.
Fictional requests. Available settings differ by device.
- Video call
Camera while using the app may fit the feature you chose.
- Flashlight
Contacts do not help light the room. Deny that request.
- Unused app
Review its access and remove it if you no longer need it.
Read the visualDoes every permission include a “while using” option?
No. Choices differ by permission and device. Use the smallest scope the available settings support for your task.
Match the request to the feature
A video-call feature needs camera or microphone access. A flashlight does not need your contact list just to light the room. An unexplained request is a reason to question or deny access; it is not, by itself, proof of malware. Your phone may already have a built-in tool for the job.
Choose a smaller scope when offered
Some permissions offer choices such as only while using the app, selected photos, or approximate location. Options differ by permission, phone, and software version. Choose the least access that supports the feature you want. You can revisit the choice if a needed feature stops working.
Review Android permissions
Open Settings, then Apps, choose the app, and look for Permissions. Allow or deny individual requests. Menus vary by device; searching Settings for “permissions” can help. Review location, contacts, camera, microphone, and photos or files according to what each app actually needs.
Review iPhone permissions
Open Settings, then Privacy & Security, and choose a data or feature category to review apps with access. You can also review an app’s settings. Limit or revoke access you no longer want. Some access controls offer narrower choices; not every category uses the same options.
Remove what you no longer need
Delete unused apps and review permissions when your needs change. Revoking permission limits future access through that permission; it does not automatically erase data already sent to a company. If you want that data deleted, review the provider’s account and privacy controls too.
Put it in context
In Day 30, Leo questions why a flashlight wants contacts. In this fictional settings screen, a video-call app has camera access while in use, a flashlight requests contacts, and an old app you no longer use has location access. Keep the access that supports your chosen feature, deny the flashlight’s contact request, and review or remove the unused app. A camera permission is not a universal requirement for every flashlight.
Make a decision.
Use what you just learned. A correct answer lets you save this lesson to your progress.
Take this with you.
Match access to the task, use narrower permissions where available, and remove apps you no longer need.
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