Review app permissions by connecting each type of access to a feature you use. Change one setting at a time, then check the feature’s behaviour. A focused review is easier to interpret than switching off every permission at once.
Google’s Android guidance describes reviewing permissions by app or permission type and notes that steps depend on the device and Android version. Use the instructions matching the phone and Android version being reviewed.
Connect a permission with the feature it supports and how you use that feature. The app’s description and the device’s current guidance can help answer that question. Starting with one app keeps the review manageable and gives each setting a practical context.
Begin with one app
Open its permission information and list the access it has. The app’s feature description can help explain the requested access and its relevance to the way you use the app.
Keep a small audit
| Permission or feature | Review question |
|---|---|
| Camera | Which action in the app uses it? |
| Microphone | Do you use the relevant recording or calling feature? |
| Location | What level and timing of access does the documented feature require? |
| Contacts | What feature depends on this access? |
| Other permissions | What does the operating system’s description say? |
These are questions, not a recommendation to grant or deny every listed permission. The appropriate choice depends on the actual feature and your intended use.
Change, test and record
After changing a permission, try the relevant feature and note what happened. If you restore access, record why. Keep background and foreground options distinct where the operating system offers them.
Revoking a device permission is not a statement that previously collected information has been deleted or that all other data collection has stopped. Read the app’s account and data controls for those separate questions. Repeat the review when your use or the application’s features change materially.
Make a feature-by-feature review
Choose an app and write down the features you use. Match each relevant permission to the app’s description and the device’s current guidance. For a fictional photo app, the review might distinguish taking a new picture from selecting an existing one; the supported access options depend on the app and Android version.
| Working field | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Feature | Attach an existing picture |
| Access question | Which permission or picker does this version use? |
| Decision | Check documented options |
| Result | Record the feature’s behaviour after a change |
Keep the entry focused on the feature, with any unresolved question clearly identified.
Review the result and wider settings separately
After a supported change, try the relevant feature and record what happened. If another feature is affected, add that observation before making a further adjustment. Device and app guidance can then be consulted using a specific description of the behaviour.
Permissions are one part of the review. Account settings, previously supplied information and the app’s data-handling arrangements have their own controls and documentation. Put those questions in a separate list so an on-device setting change can be understood in its proper scope. A later review can begin with the features and decisions already recorded rather than repeating the entire exercise.
A before-and-after note can record the setting changed, feature checked and result observed. If the feature behaves differently, those details provide a starting point for consulting the guidance. Keep any further adjustments separate so their effects remain easy to follow.
Sources consulted
- Change app permissions on your Android phone — Google; consulted 3 November 2026.