Every time you install an app on your iPhone, it comes with permissions attached \u2014 permissions that determine what it can and can\u2019t do. These permissions cover some pretty fundamental parts of iOS, including access to the iPhone camera, microphone, and current location.\u00a0The permissions get asked for one by one as they\u2019re needed, so you\u2019ve got plenty of control over how your apps are behaving.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
But sometimes, especially when you\u2019re\u00a0in a hurry, it\u2019s easy to accidentally\u00a0give permission for an app to access data it doesn\u2019t really require. Does your note-taking app really<\/em> need to see your contact list, for example?\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As a result, it\u2019s well worth your while to do a regular audit of these permissions just in case you\u2019ve previously allowed a permission you now want to revoke or vice versa. It\u2019s not difficult to change your settings, and it gives you an extra layer of privacy and security.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You can check out the data an app is going to collect before you install it \u2014 it\u2019s right on the app\u2019s page in the App Store. Reading through this list before you do any downloading or installing can give you a good idea of how much access to your iPhone and data an app wants.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On the app\u2019s App Store page, scroll down to App Privacy<\/strong> and tap See Details<\/strong> for a full rundown. You may not see every permission that the app is going to ask for here, but a lot of the data categories that are listed correspond to certain permissions on your phone \u2014 your phone\u2019s location and its contact list, for example.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As well as listing the types of data that get collected, the list will also offer a general reason for the collection. It might be to improve app functionality, for example, or to target marketing messages or personalize the product. If you\u2019re not happy with the app\u2019s practices and policies, leave it uninstalled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you do install an app, you\u2019ll find it requesting permissions as and when it needs them. Most of these permissions should be pretty essential to the function of the app \u2014 it\u2019s hard to get an Uber if the app doesn\u2019t know where you are, for example \u2014 but use your discretion with permissions that don\u2019t seem necessary. Ideally, an app should explain why it needs each permission, though not all of them will.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n To manage the permissions on your iPhone, head to Settings. If you want to see which permissions a specific app has been permitted:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you want to check out a specific permission and see all of the apps that are using it:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s up to you which way you approach it, but you\u2019ll find the same permission settings in either case.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Some permissions aren\u2019t just on or off. Photo access is a good example: apps can be given full access to your photo and video library or just to selected files. This is useful if, for example, you want to upload a few pictures to Instagram but don\u2019t want to give the app access to your whole gallery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The location permission works differently from the others in that it offers much more granular control.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At the bottom of the Privacy & Security<\/strong> screen, you\u2019ll find the App Privacy Report<\/a> option. Once this is turned on (it\u2019s off by default), you can come back here to get a more detailed breakdown of how apps have been using the permissions you\u2019ve given them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBefore installing<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Configuring permissions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Partial permissions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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