App Permissions and Privacy Guide

By the Setlifestyle editorial team · Last updated 3 November 2026

Every time you install a game or app, you make a small decision about privacy. The app may ask to use your camera, your location, your contacts or your notifications, and many people tap Allow without reading. That is understandable, because the prompts appear at inconvenient moments. But a few minutes of attention can prevent unwanted tracking and reduce the damage if an app is ever compromised. This guide explains permissions in plain language and shows how to check them on a typical Android phone. Menu names differ between brands, so use your settings search if something looks different.

What a permission actually is

A permission is a rule that lets an app use a feature or a piece of information on your phone. Android groups the sensitive ones, such as location, camera, microphone, contacts, photos and phone calls, and asks you before the app can use them. Less sensitive permissions, such as internet access, are granted automatically at install. That is why an offline puzzle game can still contact the internet to show advertising unless the developer designs it otherwise.

Modern versions of Android let you choose how long to allow access. For location, microphone and camera, you can often pick only while using the app, ask every time or do not allow. In most cases, only while using the app is the safest choice that still lets the app work.

Ask whether the permission fits the job

The simplest test is common sense. A messaging app such as WhatsApp needs contacts to find people you know and the microphone and camera for calls and voice notes. A music app such as Spotify has little reason to ask for your contacts. A photo-sharing app such as Instagram needs the camera and your photos to let you post, but you can choose which photos it sees on newer versions of Android. A location-based game such as Pokémon GO is built around your position, so location is part of the game, whereas a simple card game asking for location deserves suspicion.

When a request does not match what the app does, deny it and see whether the app still works. Well-designed apps keep working, and the few that refuse to run without an unrelated permission are telling you something about the developer.

Read the data safety section on Google Play

Every listing on Google Play includes a data safety section. Developers use it to declare what information the app collects, whether any of it is shared with other companies and whether it is encrypted in transit. It also says whether you can request deletion of your data. Treat it as a starting point rather than a guarantee, because the information comes from the developer and may not always be complete. Still, it is more useful than the star rating when you want to compare apps.

Things to look for:

• Data shared with third parties. This often includes advertising and analytics partners, which is common in free games.
• Location and contacts. Check whether the app collects precise location or contact lists, and whether that matches its purpose.
• Deletion options. A clear way to request deletion is a good sign.
• Privacy policy link. A real policy explains how long data is kept and who to contact.

Check what you have already allowed

1. Open Settings and find the privacy or permission manager. Some phones place it under Security or Apps.
2. Pick a permission, such as location or microphone, and look at which apps can use it.
3. Change anything unnecessary to Ask every time or Deny.
4. Review the apps you have not opened in months. Android can automatically remove permissions from unused apps, and you can also uninstall them.
5. Check special access, such as the ability to draw over other apps or read notifications, because these are powerful and rarely needed by games.

Advertising and tracking settings

Most free apps, including games on this site, show advertising, and ads are usually personalised by an advertising ID tied to your phone. In your Google settings you can find the option to delete your advertising ID or to turn off ad personalisation. Doing this does not remove ads, but it reduces how much they follow your interests across apps. It is also sensible to review which accounts are signed in, because logging into a game with a social account may share some profile information with the developer.

Habits that protect you

• Install only from Google Play and keep Play Protect switched on.
• Update apps, because updates often fix security problems.
• Use a different password for each important account and add two-step verification.
• Be careful on public Wi-Fi when logging in to accounts or making purchases.
• Remove apps you no longer use rather than leaving them on your phone.

When to uninstall

Consider removing an app when it asks for permissions that do not match its function, hides how it uses data, floods you with notifications or behaves differently after an update. You can always reinstall later if you change your mind. Privacy is not about avoiding every app, but about knowing what you are agreeing to. A few moments of attention at install time and a short review every few months are enough for most people.