Android Apps and Permissions

[jeremycrowhurst]

Is there a way to 'customize' the permissions that an app can use when installing or using said app? I would like to be able to say that this app can use GPS but not have access to my Contacts, or allow it to use the network but not access my SD card.

I know that this would likely disable different parts of the app but I am okay with that. I would like to be able to control which functions I give it permission to to use without only having the option to choose to install it or not based solely on what the developer set up.

 

[bigguy_132]

No this is not possible. The access part is coded into the program all that info is doing is showing you what it possibly could access. There is no way to select what permissions it can have and cannot have.

 

[jeremycrowhurst]

Understandable. Does anyone know of a document or website that defines each of these permissions in plain English? Something that I can use to show someone the extent of what each of these permissions does?

 

[kenyee]

The names are meant to be pretty self-explanatory.
Generally, if the app has a decent number of good reviews, it's trustable...or email the developer and ask what something is for (some guy left my app a negative review w/o asking why I needed gps location so I had to comment on that review to clarify when an email would have been enough)-:

 

[bjordan]

Check out aSpotCat:

aSpotCat (app by permission) - Android app on AppBrain

It won't let you block certain permissions. However it does give you an easy way to look at what apps have access to what permission, and helps explain what those permissions are for, etc.

It's a small free tool and one I always keep on my phone.