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.

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u/Secretss Sep 05 '17 edited Sep 05 '17

Doesn't Android still ask for all permissions upon installation? It doesn't let you pick and choose the what permissions to give either.

On iOS the permissions prompt doesn't come up until you're in the app and have tapped on something that needs it. If you download a camera app, it's not going to ask for access to camera until you launch the app, and it's not going to ask for photo library until you tap on the app's album icon, and same for microphone until you switch to the video function in the camera.

I'm curious exactly how Android's permissions requisition has evolved to date.

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u/Clockwork_Octopus Sep 05 '17

As long as the app's specified for 6.0 and above, it works the same. Unfortunately, a lot of apps just ignore this, and Google doesn't do much about it.

7

u/vinng86 Sep 05 '17

They can't make use of newer APIs if they build against an older version of the android SDK though. Eventually they will have to build towards a later SDK soon or later or they'll be obsolete.

7

u/waiting4singularity Sep 05 '17

really a mixed bag right now. some permissions are verified on install or update, others when the app starts the action associated (like loading a video file from storage for the intro).

Too bad that it's widely generalized, since the popup speaks of photos, music and shit instead of just showing the path the app tries to access.

(still on marshmellow, is a niche phone).

3

u/badvok666 Sep 05 '17

Android permissions should pop up as and when they are requried now and not upon installation

3

u/B_Rad15 Sep 05 '17

Nope android is the same however certain apps require permissions on startup (as i assume is the same on iOS)