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Source: Jerry Hildenbrand / Android Central
Google has brought one of Android 11’s best privacy features to every Android phone the company still actively supports, and it has done so through the magic of Google Play services.
Soon, every phone running a version of Android 6 or later will be able to automatically revoke system permissions if you haven’t used the app for a while. Android 6 is the cutoff because it is also the minimum version that supports the latest adaptation of the beast that is Google Play Services. It’s also pretty old, and you’re going to find newer software on all of the best Android phones you can buy in 2021, as well as the less good ones.
This move is more important to your privacy than it seems at first glance. In an interview with Google’s privacy team, I spoke at length with product manager and privacy specialist Charmaine D’Silva about this feature when it was new. His explanation leads home Why it is important:
“There are so many times we interact with apps and use them because at that point, it really matters. As we move away from this situation, this app may not be something you use all the time, so we are using the same type of think about revoking permission. Say you are visiting a new city and need to use an app for ridesharing or visiting local attractions. When you leave people usually don’t come back and delete these apps very frequently if they have a phone with a lot of storage. This app can still have access to whatever permissions you have granted, which were very appropriate and relevant at the time. But if you don’t really use this app, it shouldn’t have access to these permissions. longer.”
Her example in our interview was a hypothesis that many of us could relate to: you’re in a new city to work and you install a local delivery app to grab a bite to eat while you spend a night being productive. You get your meal, you enjoy your meal and once you get home you never use this app again. You shouldn’t be okay with staying alive in the background, finding your location, or checking how long your screen has been on, as you no longer benefit from using the app.
An app that you don’t use shouldn’t collect your data.
Starting with Android 11, 39 days after the last use of an app, any permissions you’ve granted are automatically revoked. You receive a notification, so you can choose to prevent it, but other than that, no action on your part is required. Your data is also more secure.
It really does understand the power of Play Services and why Google has worked hard to make it what it is today. As someone who values privacy, personal responsibility, and user choice, I don’t like the idea of an extended Google Play services “platform”, but I see why it is. has evolved so much. I just wish there were other alternatives than Google’s.
A lot of us just want our phones to be safe and do cool things.
I also agree that most users prefer to know that their phone is more secure and their data is more protected from third parties by default, because Google can do that. Play services are as powerful as the level of control the company that actually made your phone has over the software. Google makes exceptions for device administration apps like the ones on a company-supplied phone, but other than that it’s all fair and Play Services has the final say.
Yet it had to be so. Google has done everything to make Android easier to update, and we’ve seen how well it can work. Some companies are more willing to invest the time and money (Samsung comes to mind), and we’ve seen swift security updates along with a level of service, support, and updating from longer platform due to changes in how Android works.
Play Services can give Google too much control, but someone has to take matters into their own hands.
But not all companies are invested in making sure you love your phone. after you buy it like Samsung. There are still plenty of companies that are doing less than the bare minimum to keep your phone secure and up-to-date. Google cannot have this because it is holding back the whole platform. So when holding hands and helping to make things easy didn’t work, a new way to alleviate issues and support more unique features had to happen. That’s what he did.
Is a closed component written in-house by Google and distributed to every Android phone with this level of control a good thing? Maybe not. I say no, but I also say that it is necessary. I know it’s good for the Android ecosystem as a whole and lets you use a device you love for longer than you could without. In the end, this is a positive point for any Android.
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