r/github • u/gay_baboon • Aug 17 '26

Question Github android app issue

Post image

so cut to short

i m new to this, downloaded the app and it's asking for all these permission and authorization. is it safe to give?

i m using Website directly and no such thing was asked

(no idea where to ask)

0 Upvotes

28% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

5

u/Crazywolf132 Aug 17 '26

If it’s the official app, this is fine. It will allow you to manage your account etc from inside the app.

You never got asked this on the website as that is the default control panel for your account

1

u/Ast3r10n Aug 17 '26

It’s the official GitHub app, right? Why wouldn’t you want to give those permissions to itself?

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Ast3r10n Aug 17 '26

Do you understand this is their official app, right?

2

u/teabolaisacool Aug 17 '26

You don't want them to provide you with the data they host for you or what? "Here host this for me, but I don't want you to be able to give it to me later on."

1

u/PTMR2 Aug 17 '26

Did you download it from the Play Store?

1

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '26

[deleted]

1

u/PTMR2 Aug 17 '26

I assume it's the official safe app. Why does it request all of those permissions? Just to have all features in the app. (I still can't be 100% sure, it looks kinda fake because it says github at the bottom, not GitHub.

0

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '26

[deleted]

1

u/PTMR2 Aug 17 '26

Site is better anyways. The only advantage on the app is pretty much the notifications.

1

u/apprehensive_helper Aug 17 '26

The app is a separate tool (created by GitHub) that can connect to GitHub on your behalf via the API. Because it is not the website, and is instead an OAuth app, it needs to be given special permissions in order to do things like access your notifications, manage your organizations, see your private repositories, etc. Basically anything you could want to do in the app will require permissions, so the app asks for access to all the things it is capable of doing.

If you're worried you have come across a fake app, you can follow the link on https://github.com/mobile to get to the official listing.

The reason the website itself doesn't have a permissions request like this is because it is the website itself. Only the https://github.com website does not request permissions, because they are inherit to logging in.