Google to Roll Out Feature to Auto-Reset Permissions on Unused Apps

Google has announced a new android feature that will auto-reset permissions granted to unused apps on smartphones. The tech giant says that the feature will work on devices running on Android version 6 and above.

The feature will go live later this year on Android phones with Google Play services running Android 6.0 (API level 23) or higher. According to Google, this translates to billions of devices.

Android released the feature partially with Android 11 last year. Google introduced a permission auto-reset option for sensitive features such as storage or camera if an app is not used in months.

Read: Android Users Cross Three Billion Mark Worldwide- Google

“Some apps and permissions are automatically exempted from revocation, like active Device Administrator apps used by enterprises, and permissions fixed by enterprise policy,” Google noted.

The feature will help protect user privacy, something that tech companies have been increasingly taxed with in the last few years. Google this year announced that it would follow Apple’s example, by labelling apps and offering users transparency on what data is collected and how it is used.

The rollout is expected to be complete by Q1 of 2022.

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