App permisions ?

[ecfritts]

As a fairly new Android user I have a few questions dealing with app permissions. I was going to download Zooper Widget Pro last night, then saw the list of permissions & things it wanted access to on my device. I decided against it. So, my first question is why does it need access to so many things? I get certain things but access to my contacts, wifi information, device call info...just seems a bit much. I don't remember apps being so intrusive on iOS. Please correct me if I'm wrong (there is a good chance I am). Maybe they just don't list the permissions or I just don't remember seeing them. That is my second question, are apps more intrusive, in general, on Android vs iOS? I'm not a fanboy of either and have enjoyed both, I'm just not super comfortable giving some app free reign to my device.
Any responses are appreciated.

 

[Jims S5]

I'm with you. Was thinking of a game and saw the app permissions. Access to my sd card, ability to add or delete from card etc....you kidding me!

 

[ecfritts]

I'm with you. Was thinking of a game and saw the app permissions. Access to my sd card, ability to add or delete from card etc....you kidding me!

Yeah, I'm not really comfortable with that.

 

[pjwk81]

They always did. You just know about it now because of Marshmallow and improvements in Google Play.

 

[chanchan05]

Because it's Zooper Widget. It's one of those apps that can create toggles (hence the wifi permission etc), can put shortcuts to contacts (hence the contact permission etc), basically it can create a widget to display or access almost any content on your phone through personalized self created widgets, hence the permissions. Each of those permissions on Zooper are well justified.

And no, apps aren't more intrusive on Android. Apple just doesn't let you know. You just assume that Apple checked it for you and deemed it safe. Take Facebook for instance. Look at it's massively intrusive list of permissions that it needs to have all its features on Android. Then remember that almost, if not all, of them are also featured on the iPhone.

 

[ecfritts]

That makes sense...I assumed there was a valid reason for all the permissions. Thanks for the explanation.