Google will push updates to 1 billion Android 6.0+ devices to reset app permissions settings

Google has added an automatic permission reset function in Android 11. This function is designed to reset sensitive permissions of infrequently used applications to protect user privacy.

For example, when a user downloads an application, this app needs to call the address book, text messages, call history, location, and other permissions, and the user has already granted such sensitive permissions when using it for the first time.

The automatic permission reset function will delete such sensitive permissions after the user does not use these apps for a long time. If the app needs to access these permissions, it needs to get the user’s consent again.

This can ensure that infrequently used applications cannot call sensitive permissions for a long time to obtain private data, thereby better helping Android users to protect their privacy.

Google has decided to backport the automatic permission reset function to be compatible with the old version of the Android system, that is, Android 6.0-Android 12 can get this function.

Among them, the Android 11/12 version will enable this feature by default, and Android 6.0-Android 10 users can manually enable this feature after getting the push.

At present, Google has begun to push the automatic reset function of permissions to users, and it is expected that by December 31, 2021, 1 billion Android devices worldwide will be automatically reset.

It is worth noting that some apps run in the background for a long time and do not need to run in the background. In this case, they may also be mistakenly killed by the automatic reset of permissions.

For this reason, Google has provided developers with a method to request automatic resetting of permissions. The request will be sent to the user for confirmation, and the confirmation will be completed.

This feature update does not require the help of Android OEM manufacturers, Google will directly provide users with the permission reset function through Google Play Service.

As long as the system version is Android 6.0 and later, install Google Play and Google Play Services and enable automatic updates.

After receiving the feature push, Android 6.0-Android 10 users need to manually enable the automatic reset of permissions, and Android 11/12 does not require additional operations.

Via: arstechnica