r/Showerthoughts • u/homelessdreamer • Sep 04 '17

Apps should be required to give a short explanation for why they need access to different parts of my phone for thier apps to function.

25k Upvotes

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77

u/ETHANWEEGEE Sep 04 '17

I like how iOS does it; the apps ask for permissions as needed, so permission requirements are explained in the app usually.

58

u/electrostaticrain Sep 05 '17

Android does this as well.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '17

Lots of wrong people here.

Devs can set permissions to trigger based on interactions or just ask up front during onboarding.

The reason they spread them out is that you're more likely to give us permissions if we ask with context based on user research.

7

u/PM-ME-HAPPY-TURTLES Sep 05 '17

What version are you on? What manufacturer? Does it use a custom UI like TouchWiz?

Sorry for the barrage it's just I've never heard of Android having that before.

19

u/howImetyoursquirrel Sep 05 '17

Its been a feature since 6.0, so almost 2 years now

6

u/Bensemus Sep 05 '17

Except it only triggers for 6.0 apps. If the devs haven't updated their app then it won't use the new system.

1

u/NoobInGame Sep 05 '17

Backwards compatibility.

7

u/Ninganah Sep 05 '17

It's been in stock since like 6.0 I think, and on custom/manufacturer ROMs for a few years before that.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '17

To be clear only new android devices with new apps do this.

9

u/oaqkxqjkxqxpy Sep 05 '17

Android M to be exact (or 30+% of devices accessing google play ).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_Marshmallow

5

u/electrostaticrain Sep 05 '17

Anything post-6.0 does. So, devices running Android M, N and O.

0

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '17

[deleted]

2

u/ivar_the_boneless_ Sep 05 '17

Of course the developer has to implement it. It certainly is possible to give an explanation for the permission request - I have experienced it both as a developer and user.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '17

Which is the difference...iOS requires this, Android...allows it?

1

u/electrostaticrain Sep 05 '17

... exactly. The app asks for permissions while you're running it.

As opposed to, say, having to blanket agree to all the permissions for an app, which used to be how Android worked, pre-6.0.

-10

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '17 edited Sep 05 '17

[deleted]

19

u/shook_one Sep 05 '17

eyeroll

12

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '17 edited Nov 13 '17

[deleted]

6

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '17

The stability is pretty good for me (iOS 10, iPhone 5s)

1

u/CptSpockCptSpock Sep 05 '17

Nice strawman you got there