Newsletter
Yesterday we got to know a lot more about the latest update of the Android operating system. We finally got to know that the M stands for Marshmallow and as we got a new developer preview, we could see more aspects of the new version including the new wallpapers and the new boot animation. As this new preview is closer to the final release, there are some of the new features included in it. One of the most relevant features during the announcement was the new app permission system that will let users have more control over how the installed apps use the resources on the device.
In Android 6.0, the apps will request permission to use certain aspects before they need it, instead of having to grant those permissions before the app is installed. The new API 23 has fingerprint support and is required for the new granular permissions. Google is encouraging developers to update their apps, test them with the new API library and upload them to the Google Play Store in order to have them working when the new version of the OS finally arrives in the fall.
To view the permissions granted or manage them for each app, users should go to the Apps section of the Settings menu, tap on the gear icon on the top to find an App Permissions section. In there, users will find a list of some aspects of the phone including body sensors, calendar, camera, contacts, location, microphone, phone, SMS and storage, each showing how many apps have permission to use it. There are Additional Permissions in the new preview, including car information, read instant messages and write instant messages. If you tap on any of these aspects, you can then see all the apps that will potentially use that given aspect and select which ones will actually use it with individual toggles. With this new system, users could get all this information and they can revoke permissions after the apps are installed. This is important as there are some apps that require a bunch of permissions that doesn’t necessarily relate to their functionality.
