Yes! You read it right! By managing device permissions, you can decide what data your apps and devices are allowed to access and what they’re not. You must be wondering what the need is to do it. Read on to find its answer.

 Nowadays, mobile apps request access to various features on your smartphone, such as camera, contacts, location, microphone, etc. Of course, granting permissions can improve user experience and app functionality, but giving apps (devices) unnecessary or excessive access can also put your privacy at risk. When you effectively manage device permissions on your iOS and Android devices, you will have improved security and complete control over personal data.

This guide will discuss how you can manage device permissions on Android and iOS.

Let’s first start with understanding why it is important to manage device permissions.

Why is it important to manage device permissions?

Permissions help you discover what data/features/a system part an app can access on your smartphone. Generally, apps will ask for permission one by one as they need it. However, you can change these permissions at any time.

Also, you must audit regularly to ensure your apps are not overreaching. Ask yourself a few questions – Do my apps need all the permissions it asks for? In most cases, it does not require that many permissions.

Therefore, managing these permissions can improve privacy, security, optimize battery life, and reduce unnecessary data sharing with third-party companies.

How to Manage Permissions on Android

If you’re using an Android smartphone/device, you can change permissions through settings or when you get prompted by an app. Here is how you can take control of permissions on your Android device.

First, assess the permissions of already installed apps. How to do it? Follow the below steps.

Open Settings -> Apps & Notifications -> Choose the app you want to manage. After that, click on Permissions to view or manage access.

You can even manage app permissions based on category. To do so, you need to follow the steps below.

Go to Settings -> Privacy -> Permission Manager. You need to select the categories such as Location, Camera, and Microphone. After that, review which apps have access, and you can modify access as per your requirement.

Now, one question will pop into your mind: How can I modify permissions while using an app?

Whenever the app requests access, you can select one option from the three options below.

•   Ask every time
•   Allow only while using the app
•   Deny

What About the Unused Apps?

If you have apps that you’ve not used in a while, Android will give you a notification that its permission is automatically removed. Therefore, if you open that app, it will ask you to enable those permissions again. To enable this feature, open Settings & Apps -> Select the app and click permissions. Here, you’ll see the option to remove permissions if the app is not used. All you need to do is enable it. Besides, a few apps continue to access permissions even when they’re not in use. For such apps, you can restrict background activity by checking background permissions.

How to Manage Permissions on iOS

Apple prioritizes user privacy. That’s why it makes permission management relatively simple. If you want to review permission for installed apps, you need to simply open Settings -> Choose the app -> Permissions -> Click on permission categories like camera, microphone to modify access.

If you want to manage permissions by category, open Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Click on a category like Photos, Contacts, Location Services, etc. You can review and adjust permission for an individual app.

You can even manage location tracking, which is one of the most sensitive permissions.

Click on Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Location Services. Now, select the app and choose one option from the four mentioned below.

•       Never
•       Ask Next Time or When I Share
•       While Using the App
•       Always

A few apps even use the internet in the background, which can cause data collection. Therefore, it is necessary to restrict it. For that, open Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh. Now, you will see three options – Off, Wi-Fi Only, or Wi-Fi and Mobile Data.

A Few Best Practices to Follow for Managing Device Permissions

If you want to manage device permissions effectively and maintain security and privacy, follow the practices below.

•   You only need to grant the necessary permissions.
•   Regularly audit app permissions
•   Turn on the app update
•   Be aware of third-party apps
•   Enable the system security features such as Face ID, fingerprint, etc.

Epilogue

Hopefully, the above discussion help you understand how to manage device permission on Android and iOS. If you want to manage device permission, you need to maintain security and privacy. All you need to do is regularly audit permissions, limit background access, and enable security features. Therefore, your data remains intact and completely protected while enjoying the benefits of your favourite apps.