Today I read glowing reviews of several popular apps hosted on Google Play including such titles as AirDroid & Settings Extended. I was about to install each of them until I read the outrageous list of permissions the developers required. OMG!!! You gotta check them out! I can't even imagine a legitimate use for many of them. These apps are dangerous! And yet no one commented about them on any of the recent reviews I perused. So I decided I would write a few more-or-less anonymous reviews warning of the potentially nefarious permissions, clicked on the review link, and was duly informed that all reviews of Google Play apps are now linked to the reviewer's Google+ public identity. Good grief! I'm concerned about the motives of these app developers & I'm sure they know a great deal about malicious hacking so I absolutely don't want to be on their enemy's list & reveal my public identity! Then I tried to contact Google to express my concerns. I saw no obvious way to do it on the Google portal, though I now do see a few methods, ironically by googling "contact Google". For the time being I've decided not to do anything publicly ... except for initiating this thread ... which may be picked up eventually by the Google search engine. Does anyone know of a safe & easy way to warn the unsuspecting sheeple who might actually think twice before installing these potentially malicious apps if properly warned?
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Dangerous Permissions on Some Google Play Apps
- Thread starter phanmisha
- Start date
breadnatty08
pain rustique
Welcome to the forums, phanmisha!
I understand your concern, but well established developers are generally not out there to be malicious. For some good reading, check this out:
http://androidforums.com/android-ap...explained-security-tips-avoiding-malware.html
I understand your concern, but well established developers are generally not out there to be malicious. For some good reading, check this out:
http://androidforums.com/android-ap...explained-security-tips-avoiding-malware.html
I don't like the G+ thing, but Google's publicly stated reason for that was in part to discourage malicious fake reviews. I say publicly stated because G+'s raison d'etre is about connecting your online activities so they can target ads better, so I interpret anything that pushes you to sign up/in to it in that light.
Anyway, can you tell us which permissions concern you? Android permissions are often too broadly defined for my tastes, but since Airdroid lets you control many of your phone's functions over wifi it's going to need all of the corresponding permissions, eg sending SMS requires access to messages, contacts and services which can cost you money, and of course network permissions to control this remotely, just for that one function. I don't know Settings Extended, so can't comment on that.
Often if you have a concern about a permission an easy thing is to ask the developer. I don't think you actually need to worry about them coming after you!
As a final thought: other mobile app ecosystems have their equivalent of Android's permissions, but they don't even tell you what permissions an app has.
Not saying that you shouldn't be cautious and think carefully about the permissions an app has - quite the opposite! But I'd also beware of overreacting without checking first.
Anyway, can you tell us which permissions concern you? Android permissions are often too broadly defined for my tastes, but since Airdroid lets you control many of your phone's functions over wifi it's going to need all of the corresponding permissions, eg sending SMS requires access to messages, contacts and services which can cost you money, and of course network permissions to control this remotely, just for that one function. I don't know Settings Extended, so can't comment on that.
Often if you have a concern about a permission an easy thing is to ask the developer. I don't think you actually need to worry about them coming after you!
As a final thought: other mobile app ecosystems have their equivalent of Android's permissions, but they don't even tell you what permissions an app has.
Not saying that you shouldn't be cautious and think carefully about the permissions an app has - quite the opposite! But I'd also beware of overreacting without checking first.
breadnatty08
pain rustique
Good point, Hadron! I don't think iOS tells you anything about an app's permissions.
SiempreTuna
Android Expert
I would agree that the overwhelming majority of developers aren't out to do anything malicious with permissions, but I have to say that you should ALWAYS check permissions before installing an app OR an update.
Just in case.
Just in case.
welcome to AF... and I suspect you are also new to android..
because when I was like you when I first got my android phone.. and stared to install apps. the permissions scared me too. but after I read more and understood why.
I only install apps that have high ratings
because when I was like you when I first got my android phone.. and stared to install apps. the permissions scared me too. but after I read more and understood why.
I only install apps that have high ratings
I'm still new to Android and I do find the permissions an odd one. I believe we should be alerted to what permissions an app requires but also feel there is something wrong with the system. I don't know how to put it right but do tend towards the belief expressed by a poster above that the permissions are perhaps too broad.
As a general rule, I tend to use a combination of ratings and asking myself what I think I would need to do if I was to attempt to write the app.
As a general rule, I tend to use a combination of ratings and asking myself what I think I would need to do if I was to attempt to write the app.
Bob Maxey
Android Expert
First, I trust that most developers are not trying to cause us harm. Not sure why, however. I do not know them, so my trust is a big deal.
Odd thing about permissions. We are asked to do things we have been told for years never to do. Android permissions change what we were taught and now it is OK to "blindly" give the application a long list of permissions.
I guess the best thing to do is some research.
Things like directly calling a phone and sending SMS; modify/delete USB storage (I can see why, but still . . .); read and change contacts, read log data, etc.
Some apps need access and some I wonder about.
I do wonder if a program for your Windows PC were to require the same permissions, what would we be saying about the application. Chances are, we would be told to avoid it at all costs, but with android, it is somehow OK?
Just be careful and monitor your phone is all I can offer. If an app requires a permission that seems rather odd, perhaps avoid the application and seek advice from other users. Comments can help, but you do not know who is making those favorable comments.
Odd thing about permissions. We are asked to do things we have been told for years never to do. Android permissions change what we were taught and now it is OK to "blindly" give the application a long list of permissions.
I guess the best thing to do is some research.
Things like directly calling a phone and sending SMS; modify/delete USB storage (I can see why, but still . . .); read and change contacts, read log data, etc.
Some apps need access and some I wonder about.
I do wonder if a program for your Windows PC were to require the same permissions, what would we be saying about the application. Chances are, we would be told to avoid it at all costs, but with android, it is somehow OK?
Just be careful and monitor your phone is all I can offer. If an app requires a permission that seems rather odd, perhaps avoid the application and seek advice from other users. Comments can help, but you do not know who is making those favorable comments.