Camera, microphone, location, photos, and contacts are all data that apps can gain access to, and the user often grants these permissions when installing the app and then forgets about them.

But reviewing permissions from time to time can help reduce the amount of data that applications have access to.

Google explains that an Android user can determine the level of applications’ access to a wide range of data and features, including location, camera, microphone, contacts, files, photos, videos, call history, and physical activity.


For some sensitive permissions such as camera, microphone, and location, the user can allow the application access only while it is in use, require it to request permission every time, or block access completely.

Also, you can access the “Permissions Manager” to see all the applications that have a specific permission, instead of reviewing each application individually. Android also provides the ability to stop the activity of unused applications and remove some of their permissions automatically.

Therefore, it may be useful to periodically review old apps, especially those that are no longer used but are still installed on the phone.