Allowing apps to have full control of your device

waterman10

I've downloaded a couple of apps on my pixel - a password manager app and a blue light filter app.  They only work if you "allow the app to have full control over your device".  This means "it can read all content on the screen and display content over other apps"  and "it can track your interactions with an app or a hardware snesor and interact with apps on your behalf"

I'm a bit concerned about this but if i don't grant these permissions, these apps don't work. I'm not sure what to do.  Can anyone help?

JJ_Egan

Pointless and excessive permission on some apps .
What can you do  , one check the app actually wants full control not all do .Then you have to decide on a per app basis yes or no .

Personally i don't use apps that want full control for no reason .

Neil_Jones

This is more about how permissions are assigned/categorised in Android than anything else.  As a general rule if the app wants "full control" that's usually not what it wants, it actually wants something in that category of permissions.  Even if only one line is needed in that category, the app has to ask for permission for the lot.

https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/permissions/overview has more details on how this works.  In an ideal world programmers would explain why they want it.  Most don't.

waterman10

Do ios apps ask for the same kinds of permissions?  I've only ever had android devices.

Neil_Jones

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-control-ios-app-permissions/ should answer your question.

The world of apps is based on these permissions.  Deny them, they can't run.  But you need to do your homework as to why the app wants certain permissions.  Sometimes its obvious - if you download a  file management app for example and then wonder why it wants permission to access your files, that should go without saying. 

A common example is an app that wants to "make and receive phone calls" .  Contrary to what this implies, that permission usually allows Android to pop up a small box at the top of the screen when you receive an incoming call while in that app, otherwise it would just take over the whole screen as it does when idle. 

Sandtree

waterman10 said:

Do ios apps ask for the same kinds of permissions?  I've only ever had android devices.

Apps have to ask for permissions in iOS, though never seen one that asks for "full control"... it will normally be to access location, camera, mic, photos, files, network devices etc. 

Not sure what password tool you are using but 1Password (as a common one) asks for permission to use biometric log in, access network devices and requires you to go into the phones settings and change AutoFill Passwords from iCloud to 1Password.

Never seen a blue light filter app in iOS... the os does a little more out the box than Android and there are some things apps cannot do. So iOS has Apple Wallet and no third party wallet app can be installed for contactless payments for example whereas the test android device I have came with no wallet app installed and there were a range of them on offer.

For MacOS apps there are ones that ask for screen recording and remote control such as Teams and Zoom so you can "share screen" and so others can "take control" but their iOS equiv apps dont have that functionality yet. 

wongataa

Are you sure that your phone doesn't have the equivalent of a blue light filter in the settings?

RumRat

Sandtree said:

waterman10 said:

Do ios apps ask for the same kinds of permissions?  I've only ever had android devices.

Apps have to ask for permissions in iOS, though never seen one that asks for "full control"... it will normally be to access location, camera, mic, photos, files, network devices etc. 

Not sure what password tool you are using but 1Password (as a common one) asks for permission to use biometric log in, access network devices and requires you to go into the phones settings and change AutoFill Passwords from iCloud to 1Password.

Never seen a blue light filter app in iOS... the os does a little more out the box than Android and there are some things apps cannot do. So iOS has Apple Wallet and no third party wallet app can be installed for contactless payments for example whereas the test android device I have came with no wallet app installed and there were a range of them on offer.

For MacOS apps there are ones that ask for screen recording and remote control such as Teams and Zoom so you can "share screen" and so others can "take control" but their iOS equiv apps dont have that functionality yet. 

Your Android device came without 'Google Pay'? 

Sandtree

RumRat said:

Sandtree said:

waterman10 said:

Do ios apps ask for the same kinds of permissions?  I've only ever had android devices.

Apps have to ask for permissions in iOS, though never seen one that asks for "full control"... it will normally be to access location, camera, mic, photos, files, network devices etc. 

Not sure what password tool you are using but 1Password (as a common one) asks for permission to use biometric log in, access network devices and requires you to go into the phones settings and change AutoFill Passwords from iCloud to 1Password.

Never seen a blue light filter app in iOS... the os does a little more out the box than Android and there are some things apps cannot do. So iOS has Apple Wallet and no third party wallet app can be installed for contactless payments for example whereas the test android device I have came with no wallet app installed and there were a range of them on offer.

For MacOS apps there are ones that ask for screen recording and remote control such as Teams and Zoom so you can "share screen" and so others can "take control" but their iOS equiv apps dont have that functionality yet. 

Your Android device came without 'Google Pay'? 

Yes, I had to install it... its a very cheap/basic device and has some light version of Android (cannot remember its exact name - Android Go maybe?). 

Googles own article Google Pay may be preinstalled on your phone - Android - Google Pay Help says it "may be" preinstalled 

RumRat

Didn't disbelieve you, just found it strange, never seen an android without it..

forgotmyname

Sometimes contacting the developer will answer your questions.  As Neil mentioned some permissions seem like they just
want access to your data.  Sometimes that maybe true but sometimes the developer has no option if he wants the app
to do everything he wanted it to.  Sometimes you can find an app that does not need as many permissions. 

Not convinced of the blue light filters I tried Flux?   I think it was Flux many years ago and it made no difference for me.
One of those things where some may see a huge huge difference and others see none.