{"id":26049,"date":"2020-08-04T18:36:03","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T13:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/?p=26049"},"modified":"2020-08-04T18:36:03","modified_gmt":"2020-08-04T13:06:03","slug":"five-permissions-android-games-do-not-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/five-permissions-android-games-do-not-need\/","title":{"rendered":"Five permissions Android games do not need"},"content":{"rendered":"

You can refuse some permissions to greedy games, and they most definitely do not need these five.<\/span><\/p>\n

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By default, apps on your phone have very limited permissions. To gain access to most of your data \u2014 and potentially dangerous Android features \u2014 they need your\u00a0explicit consent<\/a>. Android does that for security reasons; if permissions have the potential for abuse, it\u2019s better if an app doesn\u2019t have them by default.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apps actually need some permission to do their jobs. For example, AR games really do require access to the camera. But even legitimate apps often want more than they really need. Here are five permissions that bona fide games definitely don\u2019t need, and of course malware masquerading as a game<\/a>\u00a0would love to have.<\/span><\/p>\n

For this post, we\u2019re using the names of permissions and their paths in the \u201cclean\u201d Android 10. In other versions and on devices from some vendors, they may differ slightly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accessibility<\/span><\/p>\n

What it is.<\/strong>\u00a0Accessibility comprises a set of Android features that can help enable people, in particular people with disabilities, to use the device. Apps with Accessibility rights can see everything that happens on the screen, and control everything as if they were the user: change settings, perform actions in other apps, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

One example of an app that needs Accessibility permissions is a voice assistant, which uses them to execute voice commands and to read information from the phone out loud. Games do not need this feature set.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the danger?<\/strong>\u00a0An app with Accessibility access can do almost anything on the device. For example, it can perform online banking transactions, write and read e-mails and other messages, change screen settings, and more. Generally, despite the innocuous-sounding name, this is a\u00a0very\u00a0dangerous permission.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where to check.<\/strong>\u00a0Settings \u2192 Accessibility<\/span><\/p>\n

Device admin apps<\/span><\/p>\n

What it is.<\/strong>\u00a0Device admin apps involve remote control of the device. The permission might be needed if the phone is used for work, for example, and the company\u2019s system administrators require access to it. Generally apps do not need this permission \u2014 and you certainly should not grant it to games.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the danger?<\/strong>\u00a0Armed with admin rights, apps can change the device\u2019s password, lock the screen, delete files, and so on. What\u2019s more, getting rid of a \u201cgame\u201d with admin rights won\u2019t be easy; the permission is intended for corporate admin tools that employees should not remove from the phone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where to check.<\/strong>\u00a0Settings \u2192 Apps and notifications \u2192 Advanced \u2192 Special app access \u2192 Device admin apps<\/span><\/p>\n

Install unknown apps<\/span><\/p>\n

What it is.<\/strong>\u00a0Permission to install unknown apps means having the ability to download other apps from anywhere, not only from Google Play. Games simply do not need that ability.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the danger?<\/strong>\u00a0Even if a game isn\u2019t malicious, this permission lets it download \u201cpartner apps\u201d to your smartphone or tablet, and those can be very difficult to get rid of later. Moreover, some partner apps might slip you some genuine malware. Don\u2019t give this permission to anything, and download apps only from official sources.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where to check.<\/strong>\u00a0Settings \u2192 Apps and notifications \u2192 Advanced \u2192 Special app access \u2192 Install unknown apps<\/span><\/p>\n

Display over other apps<\/span><\/p>\n

What it is.<\/strong>\u00a0Permission to display app windows on top of any running apps. Facebook Messenger uses this feature to show the chat icon even when you\u2019re using another program, for example.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the danger?<\/strong>\u00a0This permission offers minimal benefit to the user, but it can cause significant harm. An unscrupulous game might use it to display banner ads on top of other apps. And if it turns out to be malware in disguise, it can lock the screen and demand ransom, or sneak in a fake form for entering bank card details. Or overlay a fake virtual keyboard atop the real one to read everything you type.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a clever overlay obscuring the app you think you\u2019re using, criminals can also get your consent to just about anything. In one scenario, an app requests access to, say, Accessibility permissions, and displays a window over it with an innocent message \u2014 say, that the content is temporarily inaccessible. This window covers everything except the real OK button in the request. The unsuspecting user taps it, and boom, cybercriminals have Accessibility in the bag.<\/span><\/p>\n