Display all Android apps permissions with G Data AntiVirus Free
Apps stores have become quite popular in recent time thanks to the rise of smartphones and other mobile devices powered by Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating system. It has never been easier to install apps to a phone or tablet, and while that is a good thing for the consumer, it also gives the darker side of the Internet opportunities to exploit it.
Many apps require permissions to function properly. A map application might require location information, a web browser Internet access, and a chat application the right to make calls. It is however up to the individual user to decide whether a request for permissions is legit or out of control.
Some applications for instance are designed to create a profile of the user for marketing purposes, and that is harmless in comparison to outright malicious apps that send SMS to expensive numbers, spam contacts with messages, or install backdoors or trojans on the system.
That's why it is essential to look through the rights during an apps installation process to make sure it does not request rights that do not make sense. Why would a photo app want the right to make calls for instance?
If you have not verified app permissions in the past, you may want to try a program like G Data AntiVirus Free which, among other features, can display a list of all application permissions. An overview of the permissions are displayed on the permissions screen. Here you find the number of apps that have a specific permission. Note that this includes apps installed by the manufacturer, Google, and the phone owner.
- Calls - Applications permitted to initiate calls.
- SMS - Applications permitted to send SMS.
- Internet access - Applications permitted to access the Internet.
- Address book - Applications permitted to access the address book.
- Cell/WiFi location - Applications permitted to request the telephone's rough location.
- GPS location - Applications permitted to request the telephone's precise location.
- Log files - Applications permitted to read system log files.
A click on a permission displays a list of all applications that have that specific permission. Even better, you can uninstall apps right from the list.
G Data Antivirus Free offers more than just permissions, including antivirus protection and on-demand scans. Other features on the other hand are listed but not available in the free version.
Just uninstall the application if you only need the permissions' overview and management, or keep it running to add the antivirus protection to your Android device.
Advertisement
I am using Zoner AV free on Android which also offers the ability to locate your phone if someone takes it by sending SMS commands to get the location.
Check it out:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zoner.android.antivirus&hl=en
Will do, thanks.
I started out using Lookout, then switched to Avast, never looked back.
Avast has the best virus detection rate on Android. FYI.
And has all the other functions one might need, best of all, it’s free!
If you could trust Chinese app i would recommend LBE Security Manager.
Not only it could display used permissions, it could act as “permissions firewall” also. It would display a popup message every time some app tries to use some permission.
It needs root and MASSIVE amount of permissions itself (if not all of them). You can search XDA forums for English version (only Chinese on market).
LBE has received high praise at other sites as well. I thought I would check it out but it doesn’t work with my Nexus 7. It says it isn’t compatible with my device.
So far all I’ve found is apps that show me what permissions apps have, which is good, but only gets me part of the way there. The only choice to stop the behavior is to uninstall the app. I’m not really happy with that when the app is otherwise what I need. I would like to have an app that blocks/removes permissions per application. Is there anything out there that does this. Free is always preferred, but I’d be willing to pay if does what I’m after.
What was the URL format for Yahoo! 360 Blog posts back in the day?