"Directly call phone numbers"

[ErikaAoi]

Why would a news app need "Directly call phone numbers" as a permission? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question! Just gettin' the hang of all the different permissions apps require.

Thanks!

 

[amlothi]

Some apps have "linked" phone numbers where you can press the link and it will call that number for you. That's usually what the permission is for; however, you are correct to be cautious about any permissions that seem unreasonable.

 

[ErikaAoi]

Thanks! It seems odd for this app, but they all seem to ask for permissions that aren't strictly necessary. I know a lot of them are for marketing/market research purposes, though.

 

[alostpacket]

One thing to remember, and I should add this to the guide, an app doesnt need permission to send a phone number to the dialer, just permission to make the whole call automatic.

For instance, if I had a support# in my app, you could click on it and it would bring up the phone screen with the # filled in, but you would have to hit [call] or [send] yourself.

This permission allows an app to bypass that last step.

So, long story short: a news app should not ever need that permission.

More info in my guide here:
http://androidforums.com/android-ap...ps-avoid-viruses-guide-those-new-android.html


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