Secur-tainment

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 wh