Before Google started to take app permissions seriously, Android apps were notorious for requesting intrusive permissions even if the app doesn’t necessarily need them to function. With Android 11, Google introduced a new approach that automatically revokes unused permissions in a few months. The company is now bringing this useful feature to older Android phones.
In a new post on the Android Developers blog, Google announced its plans to bring permission auto-reset feature to Android devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow (API level 23) and newer. It will start rolling out through a Google Play Services update starting this December. Google says the feature will reach all supported devices in the first quarter of 2022.
Developers can request the user to disable auto-reset if the app requires it. Google recommends requesting users to disable auto-reset if the app is meant for running in the background. Some use-cases include apps that provide family safety, sync data, communicate with smart devices, or pair to companion devices. Notable exceptions to auto-reset permissions include active Device Administrator apps of enterprises and permissions fixed by enterprise policy.
