Android · Apps
Review which apps can access camera, location, and more
Permission Manager organizes app permissions by category, such as Camera, Location, Microphone, and Contacts, so you can see and revoke access across all apps at once instead of checking each app individually.
How to open Permission Manager
- Open Settings
- Tap Privacy, then Permission manager
- Select a permission category, such as Location
- Tap an app to change its access level
What you should know
- Groups permissions by type rather than by app for faster auditing
- Shows how many apps currently have each sensitive permission
- Supports one-time, while-in-use, and always-allow location access levels
- Flags apps that haven't been used recently but still hold sensitive permissions
Why it matters
Apps accumulate permissions over time, often more than they currently need, and reviewing them app-by-app is tedious enough that most people never do it. Organizing by permission type instead lets you answer a focused question like 'which apps can see my location right now' in seconds, making it realistic to actually audit and tighten privacy settings on a regular basis rather than only during initial app setup.
Best practices
- Review the Location and Microphone categories first, since these are the most sensitive and commonly over-granted
- Choose 'While using the app' over 'Always allow' for location unless background tracking is genuinely required
- Use one-time permissions for apps you use infrequently
- Revoke permissions for apps flagged as unused rather than leaving them dormant with access intact
Common problems and fixes
- An app stops working after a permission is revoked
- Re-grant the permission if the app genuinely requires it for its core function, or check for an in-app alternative
- Location permission keeps resetting to Always Allow
- Check for a device policy or the app requesting permission again through its own onboarding flow
- Too many apps have microphone access
- Revoke access from apps that don't need voice input as a core feature, then re-grant only if a specific feature breaks
Tips and tricks
- Check the Privacy dashboard alongside Permission Manager to see exactly when an app used a sensitive permission
- Set camera and microphone toggles off system-wide when not needed, which overrides all app-level permissions temporarily
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 'While using the app' and 'Always'?
'While using the app' only grants access when the app is open and visible, while 'Always' permits background access even when closed.
Does revoking a permission delete data the app already collected?
No, it only prevents future access; previously collected data remains with the app or its servers.
Can I see when an app last used a permission?
Yes, the Privacy dashboard shows a timeline of recent permission usage alongside the Permission Manager.
Related settings
- App InfoApp info is the dedicated settings page for a single installed app, showing its permissions, storage and cache usage, notification controls, battery behavior, and options to force stop, uninstall, or disable it.
- Special App AccessSpecial app access holds a set of sensitive, less-common permissions — like displaying over other apps, device admin access, or usage access — that aren't part of the normal runtime permission prompts.
- Unused AppsAndroid automatically detects apps you haven't opened in months and can revoke their runtime permissions or archive them — removing most of the app's files while keeping its icon and data so it can be quickly restored.
More Apps guides for Android
- Apps & Default AppsThe Apps settings page lists every installed app along with its permissions, storage use, and battery impact, and lets you set which app opens automatically for tasks like browsing, messaging, or phone calls when more than one option is installed. This is also where you uninstall, disable, or force-stop an app directly.
- Dual AppsDual apps (branded Dual Messenger on Samsung, App Cloner or Parallel Space on others) creates a second, independent instance of a supported app so you can stay signed into two accounts — like two WhatsApp numbers — on one phone at once.
- Notifications Per AppThis app-level screen lets you fine-tune notifications for one specific app, toggling individual notification channels such as promotions, messages, or reminders, and setting importance levels without affecting notifications from any other app.
- Adaptive Battery / App Battery UsageAdaptive Battery uses on-device machine learning to predict which apps you'll use next and restricts battery and background activity for apps you rarely open, while App Battery Usage shows a breakdown of exactly which apps are consuming the most power.
- Screen PinningScreen Pinning locks the device to a single app's view, preventing access to the home screen, other apps, or notifications until the pin is manually released, useful for handing a phone to someone else or running a kiosk-style demo.
- App TimersApp Timers let you set a daily time budget for a specific app; once the limit is reached the app's icon grays out and it can't be reopened until the timer resets at midnight or is manually paused for the day.