App loading - are permissions to everything on your phone always required?

[whodathunkit]

I am an avid BB lover but and use my BB a lot more than my S6.

One thing I HATE about my S6 and the droid platform is if I download an app, permission to basically everything on my phone is required to download. Unlike the BB platform that gives you the ability to deny certain permissions when downloading an app, no such screen or feature is available that I am aware of. Am I missing something or is permission to everything required to download most droid apps? If that is the case - I ask, WHY? Why should I give permission for anyone, much less some app entity I don't know, to look at photos of my kids or my personal contacts. Doesn't anyone worry access to that information could be used for unlawful purposes or use that the phone owner would never agree to?

 

[libra89]

If your S6 has Marshmallow, you can accept all for the download and then edit those permissions in app settings. It's no longer all or none.

 

[DenverRalphy]

In my experience, there are very few (if any) apps that ask for everything. There are a few that do ask for a lot of permissions, but they are typically apps that do a LOT and have features that justify those permissions.

If you can find an example of an app that you think asks for more permissions than it needs, I'll bet dollars to donuts that there's probably a valid reason for a permission you just haven't thought of. In fact, apps submitted to the Play Store that have excessive or unused permissions are typically flagged/turned-down upon submission, as that's one of the checks the Play Store makes when developers submit their apps.

 

[whodathunkit]

Thank you libra89 - I am able to turn off some access points in app settings on my S6.

Does anyone know why they all want access to "storage" and what that means?

 

[whodathunkit]

In my experience, there are very few (if any) apps that ask for everything. There are a few that do ask for a lot of permissions, but they are typically apps that do a LOT and have features that justify those permissions.

If you can find an example of an app that you think asks for more permissions than it needs, I'll bet dollars to donuts that there's probably a valid reason for a permission you just haven't thought of. In fact, apps submitted to the Play Store that have excessive or unused permissions are typically flagged/turned-down upon submission, as that's one of the checks the Play Store makes when developers submit their apps.

You are probably right but how about this - I picked the game Solitaire - asks for access to "photos/media files" and "Device ID and call information" - to play the game Solitaire - why do they need access to those areas of my phone?

 

[ManiacJoe]

You are probably right but how about this - I picked the game Solitaire - asks for access to "photos/media files" and "Device ID and call information" - to play the game Solitaire - why do they need access to those areas of my phone?

They do not need those things. Sounds like they are doing something shady in the background while you are playing the game.
Unless they have a feature like using your photos as the back of the playing cards.

 

[whodathunkit]

They do not need those things. Sounds like they are doing something shady in the background while you are playing the game.
Unless they have a feature like using your photos as the back of the playing cards.

That's what I thought but DenerRalphy thinks not. BTW - the Solitaire game I reference shows 100Million downloads, rated 4.4 and in GooglePlay Store. Again, as ManiacJoe and I ask - why do they need those permissions for a simple game of solitaire?

 

[DenverRalphy]

That's what I thought but DenerRalphy thinks not. BTW - the Solitaire game I reference shows 100Million downloads, rated 4.4 and in GooglePlay Store. Again, as ManiacJoe and I ask - why do they need those permissions for a simple game of solitaire?

Device ID and Call Information is typically used in apps that need to detect when a call is coming in. The app most likely has a Timed game mode, where the app needs to know if a call is coming in so that it can appropriately stop/pause any timers when that happens, then restart when the call ends or the user brings the app back to the forefront.

The permissions for pics/media probably accommodates theme options.