Permission is such a big deal on Android. While Google is adding lots of privacy and security features to Android, they are not enough to protect your privacy. Google, being an ad company, does not block any trackers or restrict background data transmission between apps and web servers.
However, there are some apps that help you manage permissions, although the best method is still using the settings menu on your Android phone.
1 – Bouncer
Bouncer is probably your best bet when it comes to permission manager apps. It’s simple to use, effective, and it does things that stock Android still can’t do yet. Bouncer lets you give an app permission and then revokes that permission once you are done using the app. For example, you can enable location on Facebook, and then Bouncer will remove that permission for you later. It works without root, doesn’t interfere with how Android handles permissions natively, and it’s just a good, simple app in this space.
2 – GlassWire
GlassWire doesn’t handle permissions as Bouncer does. This one shows you which apps use your data at what times. It helps you identify bad actors that are sending out data all the time and tanking your battery life. Of course, apps sending out or receiving data can be a breach of privacy as well depending on the app. GlassWire can show you a history of connections as well, so you can see a lot more information. It can interfere with some VPNs, but otherwise, it works well for its intended purpose, especially since apps don’t have to ask for Internet permissions.
3 – Shizuku
hizuku is an interesting power-user app. It lets you send ADB commands to your phone directly from your phone using wireless ADB. You can check, give, and revoke permissions via ADB if you so choose and it’s a good way to do it if you go through the process of learning all the commands for it. Plus, it can help you uninstall or revoke permissions for apps that may otherwise cause problems doing the normal way. This is not one we’d recommend to just anybody, but it’s a good final option if nothing else is working.
4 – Privacy Dashboard
hizuku is an interesting power-user app. It lets you send ADB commands to your phone directly from your phone using wireless ADB. You can check, give, and revoke permissions via ADB if you so choose and it’s a good way to do it if you go through the process of learning all the commands for it. Plus, it can help you uninstall or revoke permissions for apps that may otherwise cause problems doing the normal way. This is not one we’d recommend to just anybody, but it’s a good final option if nothing else is working.
5 – Anti-virus apps
Antivirus apps aren’t really all that good because Android doesn’t have a ton of malware problems. However, antivirus apps have a secondary use that works well for this kind of thing. Most of them can see which apps have what permissions and will alert you if apps have too many permissions or could be a threat to your privacy. Now, to be fair, a lot of them will send false positives because the algorithms are a little bit sensitive. However, it’s still a good way to see all of your apps and their permissions on a single screen. The only downside is that antivirus apps usually have subscriptions and they are usually pretty expensive.
