Android App Permissions Guide 2026: What to Allow, Deny & Review

Android app permissions are safest when you judge them by purpose, scope and timing—not by quantity alone. A navigation app may legitimately need location, while a simple flashlight app asking for contacts or SMS deserves more scrutiny. The practical question is whether each permission is necessary for the feature you actually use, and whether Android offers a narrower option.

Android lets you review permissions app by app or by permission type. On supported versions, Privacy Dashboard also shows recent access to sensitive data. Menu names vary by Android version and manufacturer, so Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi and other devices may not use identical paths.

Where to review an app’s permissions

Google’s current Android guidance uses Settings → Apps → choose the app → Permissions. You can also open Security & privacy → Privacy → Permission manager to review apps by permission type. If your phone uses a customized Android interface, search Settings for “Permission manager” when the path differs.

Understand the access choices before you tap Allow

For location, camera and microphone, Android may offer Allow only while using the app, Ask every time or Don’t allow. Location can also offer Allow all the time when background access is supported. Google explains that “Ask every time” allows access for the current use and prompts again later, making it useful when an app only occasionally needs sensitive data.

A good default is the narrowest access level that still makes the feature work. If a permission denial only breaks one optional feature, you do not need to grant broader access just to keep using unrelated parts of the app.

Camera and microphone

Camera access is expected for camera apps, QR scanners, video calls, document scanners and some identity-verification workflows. Microphone access makes sense for calls, voice recording, voice search and audio creation. If an app has no visible camera or audio feature, check why it is asking.

Android also provides device-wide camera and microphone privacy controls on supported versions. These can temporarily block sensor access across apps. If an app suddenly reports that the camera or microphone is unavailable, check those global controls before changing the app’s permission repeatedly.

Location: precise, approximate and background access

Maps, ride-hailing, weather and location-sharing apps can have legitimate reasons to request location. The important questions are how precise the location must be and when the app needs it. Android can let you give an app approximate rather than precise location, and Google notes that this remains available even when Location Accuracy is enabled.

Use precise location only when the feature genuinely depends on it—for example turn-by-turn navigation or a nearby pickup point. Background “Allow all the time” access deserves a higher bar because the app can use location when it is not visibly in use.

On supported devices, Android can also surface information when an app states that it shares location data with third parties. Treat that disclosure as context, not as a guarantee: Google notes that developers are responsible for the accuracy of their stated data-sharing practices.

Photos and videos: selected access can be safer than the whole library

Do not assume every app that needs one photo must see your entire media library. Android 14 introduced Selected Photos Access for compatible apps, allowing users to grant access only to chosen images and videos. Android’s system Photo Picker can go further by letting an app receive the items you select without broad storage permission.

For a profile picture, attachment or occasional upload, a system picker or selected-media option is usually a better privacy fit than full-library access. Broader access can still be reasonable for gallery managers, backup tools, photo editors and other apps whose core function genuinely involves many files.

Contacts

Messaging, calling and contact-management apps may use contacts to help you find people. A game or simple utility asking for the entire address book should be reviewed carefully. Prefer a narrower system selection flow when the app only needs one person rather than continuous access to all contacts.

SMS, call logs and phone access

These are sensitive permissions. Default dialers, messaging apps and some verified account or device-management workflows may need them, but many ordinary apps do not. If an unfamiliar app asks for SMS or call-log access, verify the developer, download source and exact feature requirement before allowing it.

Nearby devices and Bluetooth

Bluetooth accessories, device-setup tools and nearby-device apps may request Nearby devices permission. This can be legitimate when the feature involves discovering or connecting to hardware. If Bluetooth pairing fails after you denied this permission, review the app’s permission before assuming the accessory itself is broken. Our Android Bluetooth pairing troubleshooting guide covers the connection side separately.

Notifications are separate from message access

Notification permission controls whether an app can send notifications on supported Android versions. It does not automatically give the app permission to read your SMS or other apps’ messages. If an app is noisy, you can disable or limit its notifications without changing unrelated camera, microphone or location permissions.

Use Privacy Dashboard to check what actually happened

A permission list tells you what an app may access. Privacy Dashboard adds evidence about recent sensitive access. Use our Android Privacy Dashboard guide to review camera, microphone and location activity and investigate access you did not expect.

Let Android remove permissions from unused apps

Android can automatically remove permissions or pause activity for apps you have not used for a while on supported devices. This reduces long-lived access for forgotten apps. If an old app stops working after months of inactivity, check its permissions before reinstalling or clearing its data.

A practical permission review checklist

• Does the permission match a feature you actually use?
• Can you use “while using the app” or “Ask every time” instead of continuous access?
• For location, would approximate access be enough?
• For photos, can you select individual items instead of granting the whole library?
• Does a simple utility ask for contacts, SMS or call logs?
• Has the app accessed camera, microphone or location when you did not expect it?
• Is the developer identity and download source trustworthy?
• Can you deny the permission while keeping the rest of the app useful?

If you are evaluating an unfamiliar app before installation, combine this review with our Android app safety checklist. If Android or Play Protect is warning about the app itself, see our Google Play Protect warning guide rather than treating a permission prompt as a malware verdict.

Official sources

• Android Help: Change app permissions
• Android Help: Manage permissions from Privacy Dashboard
• Android Help: Manage location settings
• Android Help: Location data-sharing disclosures
• Android Developers: Selected Photos Access
• Android Developers: Photo Picker

Last reviewed: September 22, 2026. Permission names and available choices vary by Android version, app target level and device manufacturer.

Featured image: Photo by ᛟᛞᚨᛚᚹ on Unsplash.