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Some launcher apps uses android.permission.ACCESS_WEATHERCLOCK_PROVIDER permission.

What is this permission for?

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  • Though the name suggests an Android core permission, no details on this can be found in official places (e.g. Android Developers or the code at Github). Still, tons of apps use this permission. I always wonder how devs find out they might need it – guess they're the only ones able to answer your question.
    – Izzy
    Commented Dec 20, 2015 at 14:01
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    Seems only specific to Huawei devices
    – Andrew T. ♦
    Commented Dec 20, 2015 at 14:19
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    @AndrewT. saw that one, yes. But it mostly says census detected it there (strong indicator, though). Doesn't Huawei have its own namespace for perms, like others (Samsung e.g. uses com.sec.android.* – so I thought Huawei-specifics are covered by com.huawei.android, as that census list suggests as well)?
    – Izzy
    Commented Dec 20, 2015 at 14:23
  • @AndrewT. Good guess, though: Digging a bit deeper at Census, I've figured what provides this permission. See my answer below for details.
    – Izzy
    Commented Dec 20, 2015 at 14:37
  • this permission is used in microsoft arrow launcher and the weather is displaying in my lenovo device.
    – dev_ry
    Commented Aug 31, 2017 at 10:45

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Andrew's guess was correct: According to Android Census, this permission is declared by Huawei's own weather app (or rather the data provider behind it). The site further shows it has been found on Huawei devices only (at least by them), covered by different protection levels (ranging from "normal" to "signature|system"), thus it cannot be even clearly said whether its declaration by some user app would have any effect at all.

For clarification: com.huawei.android.weather is a Content Provider, protecting access to its data via the android.permission.ACCESS_WEATHERCLOCK_PROVIDER. If an app requests that permission, it must be granted to it on install – which is done based on at least two conditions to be met: 1) Android knows of that permission (i.e. the app providing it is already installed), and 2) the protection level permits it. For "user-installed apps" that limits it to "normal" and "dangerous" protection levels. Now note the second census link: for some devices, this permission uses level "normal" (so it's available to user-apps), while on others it is "system|signature" (and thus not available to user-apps).

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