Android automatically revokes the rights to the app – even on old smartphones

We know this: downloading some pointless photo apps, allowing access to the camera—and at some point you simply forgot about it. Since version 11, Google’s Android smartphone operating system has automatically pulled these “forgotten” apps and no longer uses apps from sensitive rights such as accessing device memory or camera. The function is officially called “automatic reset permission”.

everyone Now he wants to activate Google for older operating systems, as of Android 6.0 (API level 23), the functionality will be available automatically from December 2021 via Google Play Services It is played without user interaction. For some time now, Google has been using system and background service updates via Play Services more, for example to fill in vulnerabilities on devices that no longer have system updates by the manufacturer.

All hardware must be available by April 2022

According to Google, all devices were supposed to receive the update in the first quarter of 2022. Android 6 was released in October 2015 – so most smartphones still in use today should take advantage of this functionality.

Everything works safely with applications developed for Android 11 (API level 30), with older applications, the function must be activated manually in the settings. When the application is considered “unused for a long time”, the . file Android documentation does not stand out, we are only talking about “a few months”.

App developers have the option to ask users for an exemption to prevent rights from being reset automatically – this makes sense, for example, for apps that run primarily in the background and aren’t regularly launched manually. There are also exceptions for Android smartphones operated by companies.

(jkj)