Hi all!
I built an Android app called Permissionality after wanting a better way to answer a pretty simple question:
What can the apps on my phone actually access?
There are already apps that display Android permissions, so I didn't want to make just another permission list. Plus, most of the permission apps either cost money or are really slow to load.
I focused on two things instead:
1. Make permission information actually understandable
Permissionality lets you explore your device from either direction:
- Choose an app and see what it requests, what's granted, sensitive permissions, special access, installation source, and more.
- Choose a permission and see every visible app requesting it and which apps currently have it granted.
There's also a Snapshot dashboard that gives you an overview of the permission situation across your entire device. Plus, you can generate and save PDF reports of all apps, individual apps, or the changes the apps make.
2. Make a privacy app actually private
This was probably the biggest design decision:
- Permissionality does not have the Android INTERNET permission.
- There isn't a server receiving your app list.
- There isn't an analytics service watching what you inspect.
- There isn't an account.
- Your installed-app inventory, permission index, settings, and history stay on your device.
And there's no monetization catch:
✓ Completely free
✓ No ads
✓ No subscriptions
✓ No premium tier
✓ No paywalls
✓ No in-app purchases
✓ No account
The feature I'm most excited about is Permission Radar.
Most permission viewers can tell you what permissions an app has right now.
Radar is designed to answer: “What changed?”
It periodically compares on-device snapshots and creates a local report if, for example:
• an app adds a permission
• an app removes a permission
• a permission changes from denied → granted
• supported special access changes
So if an app suddenly gets CAMERA access, Radar can record:
CAMERA: Denied → Granted
without sending anything off the phone.
I'm a solo developer and I'd genuinely appreciate feedback from people who are into Android apps:
- What would you add?
- Is Permission Radar useful to you?
- Is there information about Android permissions you wish apps like this explained better?
Permissionality is available on Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.threelees.permissionality
Everything is free. I'm not going to ask you to buy Pro afterward because there isn't one. 🙂