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9

Occasionally I want to install an application which requires certain permissions that I feel it really shouldn't need. Can I install the app without giving it these permissions? For example, GPS location, phone state, internet connection, etc.

Is it possible to change the permissions of an application once it is installed?

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Here's a related question worth keeping an eye on: android.stackexchange.com/questions/3294 – Matt Dec 2 '10 at 1:53
another related question stackoverflow.com/questions/1836155/… – ccpizza Jan 6 at 1:12
Related: Revoke App Permissions Without Root? – GAThrawn Apr 16 at 12:17

6 Answers

up vote 15 down vote

No. Without a custom ROM it's an all-or-nothing affair. Which is part of the reason Google encourages developers to ensure that they're asking for the absolute minimum permissions required for the app to work.

Short of getting the app code and modifying it, you either need to accept the access request or not use the app.

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3  
If you root, you can exclude network access with DroidWall, but that's a specific exception. – TREE Nov 24 '10 at 16:11
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Unfortunately, Google decided to group things which a lot of entertainment applications need such as determining if there's call active, under the same permission as things which very few non-phone-functionality applications need, such as determining the phone number. – Chris Stratton May 14 '11 at 6:23
up vote 11 down vote

CyanogenMod 7 supports this. It activated by going to Settings->CyanogenMod Settings->Applications and checking "Permission management" as of the most recent build. You can then allow and disallow permissions by choosing an app from the app management list (Settings->Applications->Manage applications). There is an article on endgaget with a Youtube demonstration.

Disclaimer: This may be obvious to some, but denying permissions to an app could have fairly crash-tastic consequences. Nonetheless, if you have a device that is supported by CM and you are willing to root and install it, you can enjoy permission-by-permission control (and any hazards that come with it).

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Sadly, faking data is not considered for integration into CyanogenMod. – Denis Nikolaenko Jul 28 '11 at 19:53
up vote 6 down vote

There is an App Shield application. It essentially repackages .apk with permissions removed from manifest. Brilliant idea for stock, non rooted phones. Subject to crashes (force closes), though, as with current CyanogenMod approach.

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up vote 6 down vote

There is a Privacy Blocker (paid) and Privacy Inspector (free) applications. Privacy Blocker does a static analysis of applications for sensitive API calls and rewrites these calls into stub ones which return fake data. As a result a new .apk with rewritten application is generated and installed. Privacy Inspector is an app which only reports the use of sensitive API calls.

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up vote 4 down vote

Since permissions are assumed to be given when the app is installed, manipulating the permissions afterwards might cause it to crash when trying to access something because it assumes it has permission.

So, I don't think it's possible (or with a complicated mock-up of the resources, maybe...).

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Ummm...what? Can you please clarify your answer? – Al Everett Nov 24 '10 at 14:14
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My "English words but not English"-to-English translation: Since permissions are assumed to be given when the app is installed, manipulating the permissions afterwards might cause it to crash when trying to access something because it assumes it has permission. – DarthNoodles Nov 24 '10 at 16:08
@DarthNoodles: Thank you for your help, it's exactly that ^^. Sorry for the difficulties I can have with English :-( – Pascal Qyy Nov 24 '10 at 18:27
hey, you (or a mod) can edit the post to improve the wording. – Louis Rhys Nov 25 '10 at 3:56
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Recent versions of cyanogen do exactly just that - revoke permissions. As a result, applications just crash. – Denis Nikolaenko Jul 5 '11 at 13:03
up vote 4 down vote

Warning: if you are on Jelly Bean (Android 4.1+), be sure to check whether LBE has been updated for Jelley Bean yet. At the moment (July 27 2012) it is still incompatible, and it will cause your device to boot loop on Jelly Bean.

LBE Privacy Guard can block specific permissions per application, both during installation and afterwards. This is the English version of an apparently Chinese application that has existed for a while (I am not in any way affiliated to them); it already has over 100,000 downloads. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to do so tomorrow.

You can also set it to, say, have Facebook display a prompt (yes/no) when it wants to access your location, etc. A screenshot from the Play Store:

enter image description here

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This is the best permissions management app in my opinion - I've been using it for a while and it is excellent. – Logos Jul 14 '12 at 14:31
@Logos: I have been using it for a few hours, and I agree! – Cerberus Jul 15 '12 at 2:35

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