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Permissions ?
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funkylogik
share the love peeps ;)
It depends on the app tbh. Which app do you mean?
zuben el genub
Extreme Android User
Do they have a social site or forum?
Green Mtn Digital just released an update to Audubon Birds and that app now wants contacts and more. They added a birding forum available through the app.
It also would connect to report sightings of birds - but it was only data then.
You can run the app on just the phone alone, no wifi, no data, so contacts are not necessary as you said. Birders do report sightings and since the added forum would be birding only - (not more social-type) - birders might want to discuss what bird, how to photograph, etc.
The app itself is pay-for. Am not sure if included forum would use ads. If it does, then it's a rather sneaky but legitimate way of adding ads. You don't have to report sightings. The app has a check mark for not reporting. I'm assuming that the forum would also be opt-in.
Green Mtn Digital just released an update to Audubon Birds and that app now wants contacts and more. They added a birding forum available through the app.
It also would connect to report sightings of birds - but it was only data then.
You can run the app on just the phone alone, no wifi, no data, so contacts are not necessary as you said. Birders do report sightings and since the added forum would be birding only - (not more social-type) - birders might want to discuss what bird, how to photograph, etc.
The app itself is pay-for. Am not sure if included forum would use ads. If it does, then it's a rather sneaky but legitimate way of adding ads. You don't have to report sightings. The app has a check mark for not reporting. I'm assuming that the forum would also be opt-in.
valorian
Android Expert
As Funkylogik said, it all depends on the app and what it does. Read through this post. It explains some of the permissions and why they are needed.
http://androidforums.com/android-ap...explained-security-tips-avoiding-malware.html
http://androidforums.com/android-ap...explained-security-tips-avoiding-malware.html
No particular app in particular. I just can't understand why they would need to have the ability to control or access anything on your phone.
Access means loss of privacy
I hashed this out with a developer once and he could not give me an answer that made sense, he actually finally go lost for words.
SulkyAndroid17
Android Enthusiast
You're going to have to tell us which apps and permissions you mean. In your first post you mentioned contacts. How would a messaging app know your contacts? Even the stock app follows that permission.
How do you think this should work?
It also means loss of features. Let's say you install a camera app because you don't like the stock feature set. You'd expect that it would need access to the camera, but as is the norm, it would include the ability to share the image. It would also need access to internal and external storage to save the file. Now, to share it via social media, it would need access to mobile data and/or Wifi, depending on your preferred connection method, access to email or MMS and if you were geotagging, it would need to access your location. It would also need access to your contacts because you need to know who to share it with.
While this could be considered an intrusion of privacy, it would only be if the data were used in a manner not outlined in the apps, description.
Well, there are good developers and lazy ones. I've seen apps where they had access to everything because the dev couldn't figure out what needed to be turned on for the app to work, so they just turned it all on. That's not nefarious, it's sloppy.
funkylogik
share the love peeps ;)
Yup. Check out the thread Valorian linked.
I agree that a lot of apps have permissions they dont need but you'd be surprised how innocent a dodgy looking one can be
a lot of devs explain these permissions in the app description
I agree that a lot of apps have permissions they dont need but you'd be surprised how innocent a dodgy looking one can be
a lot of devs explain these permissions in the app description
Omar Days
Android Expert
If it's for a live wallpaper app, then steer clear if it wants contact info for example. I've seen people give a 1 star review of a taxi app because it wanted contacts permission. In the app itself, it wanted contact info because if you saved addresses to contacts on your phone, you could tell the taxi app to pick you from John Smith or whatever from your contacts.
A certain amount of logic needs to be applied sometimes instead of being overly paranoid about permissions. If you are, then I suggest an old dumb phone.
A certain amount of logic needs to be applied sometimes instead of being overly paranoid about permissions. If you are, then I suggest an old dumb phone.
funkylogik
share the love peeps ;)
(A dumb phone in airplane mode) 
Can be quite difficult to find a dumbphone now. They're nearly all smartphones these days, maybe smarter than some of their owners.
funkylogik
share the love peeps ;)
Definately true in my case
I think maybe I just slapped around in this thread but thats OK I get the points.
No, not at all. It's just that sometimes it gets frustrating when a few sloppy developers give Android a bad rep. and the people 'round these parts can get pretty passionate about the little green robot.
The minute it gets personal, I'll do some slapping.
Omar Days
Android Expert
I wasn't meant to come across as slapping anyone about. Sorry if it felt like that.