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New details about Android Q’s privacy and permission settings have emerged out, as XDA Developers dug deep into the early AOSP build of Google’s upcoming operating system. The privacy and permission settings of the new version have been improved to give users a clear look at– which app is using what.
When an app (that also runs in the background) asks for permission in Android Q, a user will have four options to choose from– Allow all the time, Allow only while the app is in use, Deny, and Deny & don’t ask again. In the current version of Android (that is Android 9 Pie), a user is presented with options like “Allow” and “Deny” along with a check-box that says “Don’t ask again”.
This would be closer to how iOS handles privacy settings for apps, where it restricts access to some services like location access to only when the app is in use, rather than giving accessing all the time.
A user will also have the option to visit the app in Settings and disable specific permission very much like Android 9 Pie. However, Android Q will allow users to real-time monitor permission. It means users will be notified in the status bar when an app is using sensitive permissions like camera, microphone and location.
For example, if your web browser uses your location or microphone, you will be notified about it in the status bar.
Android Q will also have detailed permission usage charts like we have for internet access. Users will not only be able to track which permission is being used by how many apps, but also the number of times a specific permission has been used.
XDA Developers also revealed that there is a “Sensors Off” quick setting in the OS. It not only enables the Airplane mode on the device but also disables all sensor readings on the phone.
Android Q also restricts apps running in the background to access the system clipboard. XDA Developers tested some clipboard managers apps which were unable to access the text copied to the clipboard.
The new operating system breaks down the media permission so that an app can read or write a specific type of media to the external storage. So users will be seeing app permission like “read or write music filed”, “read or write video files”, etc.
Google has also added the option for users to allow select, which apps running in the background can access location.