Skip to main content

Upcoming Android feature may let you deny apps access to personal information

Likely as the result of the well-deserved flack it’s caught over poor app security, Google’s made significant strides towards cutting down on the number of unscrupulous apps inhabiting the Play Store. And perhaps in recognition of the fact that no centralized system is perfect, the company’s planning to put part of curation in the hands of users. According to Bloomberg, a future update — presumably Android M — will give “more detailed choices over what apps can access.”

For the uninitiated, Android uses a permissions-based system to disclose what hardware and software apps are capable of leveraging. Details on the new system are scarce, but it’ll reportedly let users enable and disable access to resources like contacts, location, and sensor readings individually — you’ll be able to let Facebook use your location but not your contacts, for example.

Recommended Videos

The tool may look a bit familiar when it’s formally revealed. An experimental permissions manager, “Android Ops,” made a brief appearance in Android 4.3 before promptly being withdrawn — Google claimed it was “experimental” and that its inclusion was “a mistake.” Some were skeptical of that explanation at the time, but it’s now looking increasingly plausible.

Beyond more granular controls, Google’s made a number of behind-the-scene improvements to combat malware, adware, and other such nuisances. In 2012, Google acquired malicious software scanner VirusTotal and introduced an app verification feature in Android 4.2. And in March, it improved the Play Store submission process, pairing a human review team with automated programs that scan for malicious code and content violations.

That still hasn’t been enough to stem the tide of nasty adware like Durak, which managed to rack up thousands of downloads before it was removed by Google. Far more destructive apps have emerged in recent months, too. NotCompatible turns devices into hacker-controlled proxies for any number of nefarious purposes. PowerOffHijack is scarier — it can surreptitiously access your phone’s messaging, phone, and camera features even when it appears to be switched off.

Granted, stock Android has a number of built-in protections only circumvented through root, and many of the most destructive programs live within apps distributed outside of the Play Store. But that doesn’t make the rumored permissions manager any less welcome — every additional line of defense, after all, decreases the chances of serious infection.

Google’s set to unveil the new feature at its I/O developer conference on May 28, Bloomberg reports.

Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
The 1Password Android app just got a huge upgrade
The 1Password Android app, side-by-side, showing the light and dark mode.

The 1Password password manager app for Android has just gotten a huge new update, which unlocks the use of passkeys through its app. Held by many as the future of secure authentication, passkeys are the next evolution of the password, and from today, you'll be able to use 1Password to create, manage, and unlock your accounts that use passkey authentication.

1Password is one of the world's most popular password managers, with over 700,000 passwords saved. But it clearly sees that the future is elsewhere, as it has been leading the charge on taking passkeys into the mainstream.

Read more
If you have one of these apps on your Android phone, delete it immediately
The app drawer on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

The NSO Group raised security alarms this week, and once again, it’s the devastatingly powerful Pegasus malware that was deployed in Jordan to spy on journalists and activists. While that’s a high-profile case that entailed Apple filing a lawsuit against NSO Group, there’s a whole world of seemingly innocuous Android apps that are harvesting sensitive data from an average person’s phone.
The security experts at ESET have spotted at least 12 Android apps, most of which are disguised as chat apps, that actually plant a Trojan on the phone and then steal details such as call logs and messages, remotely gain control of the camera, and even extract chat details from end-to-end encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp.
The apps in question are YohooTalk, TikTalk, Privee Talk, MeetMe, Nidus, GlowChat, Let’s Chat, Quick Chat, Rafaqat, Chit Chat, Hello Chat, and Wave Chat. Needless to say, if you have any of these apps installed on your devices, delete them immediately.
Notably, six of these apps were available on the Google Play Store, raising the risk stakes as users flock here, putting their faith in the security protocols put in place by Google. A remote access trojan (RAT) named Vajra Spy is at the center of these app's espionage activities.

A chat app doing serious damage

Read more
Google wants you to know Android apps aren’t just for phones anymore
Person holding Samsung Galaxy smartphone showing Google Play Store.

When most people think of the Google Play Store, the first thing that comes to mind is smartphones. However, the spread of the Android ecosystem is far broader than that, and Google is taking steps to increase awareness of this and make it easier for folks to find apps on the Play Store for their smart TVs, watches, and even cars.

In a blog post today, the Google Play team announced three significant changes that should make it easier for Android fans to discover apps for all their devices, right from their phone. This includes recommendations of apps for non-phone devices, a search filter to focus on only games optimized for non-phone devices, and even a remote install feature that will let you deliver those apps to your Android TV, Wear OS watch, or Android Automotive-equipped car.

Read more