I am considering switching to Android, and would like information about Android's permission system.

[Drew Neilson]

In this discussion, I primarily want to focus on apps designed for Android 6.0 and up.
1. When users with Android 6.0 and higher install an app that was written for Android 6.0 or higher, does it ask the user to grant access to permission GROUPS, or to individual permissions?
2. When those apps are updated, and you granted previous versions of those apps access to a given permission group, and the new versions of those apps add NEW permissions from that same permission group, are users notified about the added permissions and given the opportunity to switch their approval to a denial?
I raise this as an issue because even if a user has given an app access approval to use a group of permissions, does not mean that that user should not be notified of permission changes within the SAME group when that app updates.

Oh, and I'm even more interested in Nougat than I am in Marshmallow.

 

[anon(6046917)]

In this discussion, I primarily want to focus on apps designed for Android 6.0 and up.
1. When users with Android 6.0 and higher install an app that was written for Android 6.0 or higher, does it ask the user to grant access to permission GROUPS, or to individual permissions?
2. When those apps are updated, and you granted previous versions of those apps access to a given permission group, and the new versions of those apps add NEW permissions from that same permission group, are users notified about the added permissions and given the opportunity to switch their approval to a denial?
I raise this as an issue because even if a user has given an app access approval to use a group of permissions, does not mean that that user should not be notified of permission changes within the SAME group when that app updates.

Oh, and I'm even more interested in Nougat than I am in Marshmallow.

You can view an app's detailed permission list in the app manager if it's installed.

You can also view it in the "permission details" link under its play store entry.

And if you're feeling savvy, use 7-Zip to decompile the APK and look for the manifest.xml file in its META-INF folder. You'll also see permission lines exclusive to the app that aren't in the Google manifest.

To deny a permission to an installed app, go to System Settings > app manager, click the app you want to limit, and select "Modify".

Please note some system app's won't let you adjust their permissions as doing so breaks their function.

 

[Drew Neilson]

With all due respect, you didn't answer any of my questions. You did however give me a good name--"app manager"--and I guess I can Google that to get more information. Still, I hope that someone will directly answer the questions I asked.

You can view an app's detailed permission list in the app manager if it's installed.

Are you saying that the app manager isn't installed by default? Please specify whether you are talking about Marshmallow or Nougat.