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I just bought an Osmo Mobile (a gimbal for smartphones). It uses an app called DJI GO to communicate with the phone via bluetooth. The problem is, the permission list the app requests before installing is extensive. In addition to the expected permissions like camera and microphone, it wants:

Device & app history

Location

Phone

Wi-Fi connection information

Device ID & call information

I'd be happy to completely avoid the DJI GO app but the gimbal won't work until it's activated by the app. So I'm wondering if there's a way to both accept to allow installation to proceed and preemptively block it's access to the above list of permissions?

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This is how I eventually got around it. Put phone into airplane mode, side load the apk for DJI Go. Go to Settings -> Apps and select DJI Go. Select Permissions. Disable any permissions you find onerous. I did this and the app didn't crash and I was able to activate and use the gimbal.

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  • Not an option unless you are running android 6+. For my tablent/phone on Android 5, editing app permissions isn't possible in the way you describe. I think there are apps which can get around it with limited success. But stock out of the box, no, not for <6.
    – Wolfie
    May 30, 2017 at 14:33
  • @Wolfie fair enough. I'm on a Pixel with 7.1.2. Wasn't aware of the version limitation.
    – Legion
    May 30, 2017 at 21:50
  • @wolfie OctOS L (Anroid 5.1) has the privacy guard in it, so it might just be your ROM that's missing it. I don't think stock ROMS had that functionality at all.
    – YetAnotherRandomUser
    Oct 2, 2018 at 19:43
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I can't answer the OP question and I know this is an older thread but I see similar questions pop up quite a lot, however I can explain a few things.

First, the GO app is not specifically for your Osmo. I too have the Osmo Mobile but I also have 2 DJI drones (P3A and P3P). The same GO app is used with the drones and that is why it requests those permissions.

GO needs WiFi to potentially communicate with the Phantom 3 Standard drone. The P3 Advance and pro communicate via Lightbridge. WiFi is also used for the Osmo as well as Bluetooth.

When operating the drones it needs to know where it is to identify the location of the RC for return to home operations and relative position from the pilot. It also needs it for access to the maps feature.

I can't really explain the phone or call info.

Device ID makes sense to distinguish it from any others flying the same model drone in the area.

While the vast majority of that is not used with your(my) osmo, the same app requires it should you be flying a drone with it. I don't think android has any sort of dynamic permissions that can be set. So for DJI to have a unified app that you only need one app for all their products, it needs those permissions to install. Even though it may well not use most of them with your Osmo.

That said, I am not defending the GO app. I dislike it and its got a lot of internet connectivity thats possibly (probably) questionable. I suggest, if you have a firewall, use it on the GO app. Just saying.

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  • I forgot about this. Guess I should answer it since I figured it out.
    – Legion
    May 26, 2017 at 20:13

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