If you own an Android, like most smartphone owners, one of your highest priorities is likely keeping your personal information safe.
Most Androids and smartphones are already using carefully developed software that includes various safety features, so there’s not a ton you should have to worry about. Still, it’s also crucial to take certain precautions. You can start by taking a look at your settings and making a few adjustments to keep your personal data and information safe. Read more about one Android setting tech experts suggest you adjust for extra protection below.
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The Importance Of Android's 'Permission Manager'
These days, there are so many apps on Androids and iPhones that it can be easy for us to lose track of exactly which ones have access to valuable information on our devices. However, according to tech experts, that's also one of the easiest ways to give away your data to those you might not want it in the hands of.
There are many apps available that need to use important information from you, like your location, contacts, microphone, etc. These are often apps you need to go on about your day, like a GPS app, for instance. While that may be true, there are probably some apps out there that you don't want to have access to that kind of valuable data. That's why your Android's 'Permission Manager' setting is quite important. It's a built-in tool that lets you see which apps have access to sensitive features on your phone, and additionally, change those permissions whenever you want.
"All these permissions can be hard to keep track of," note tech experts at Surveillance Self-Defense. "For that reason, it's good to go through and double-check app permissions now and again. Doing so can ensure you are not sharing any data you don't need or intend to share."
How To Use Your Phone's Permission Manager
To go through all of the apps on your phone and see which ones have access to which information, you can access your Permission Manager by going to Settings > Security & Privacy > Privacy Controls > Permission Manager.
From there, your phone sorts the app permissions by categories like Location, Camera, Microphone, Contacts, Photos, and Videos, etc. Using those categories, you can go through your apps one by one and see which ones have access to each of those valuable aspects of your phone. As you go through, you'll want to keep your eyes peeled for any apps that do not need access to those parts of your device, but have it. This is especially important for your Location Services.
"Location services are one of the most critical permissions that many apps ask for excessively," note experts at Surveillance Self-Defense. "This permission gives apps access to your location (determined from GPS and Wi-Fi signals) so it knows where you are. Take a look through your apps listed here and ask yourself if they really need your location in order to function. If not, then it's worth disabling location access completely or limiting it to only when you have the app open."
