How to change app settings android update#
How to change app settings android android#
How to change app settings android windows#

How to change app settings android update#

Tap the line labeled either 'Google Play Protect' or 'App security,' then tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner and make sure the toggles there are activated.Д«ack on the main Play Protect screen, you'll see a status update showing you that the system is active and running.

How to change app settings android android#

To do so, just open up the Security section of your Android settings. Unless you (or someone else) inadvertently disabled it at some point, Play Protect should be up and running on your phone already - but it certainly can't hurt to double-check and make sure. (And yes, it does sometimes fail to detect shady players immediately - something that gets played up to a comedic degree in those misleading marketing campaigns - but even in those instances, the real-world threat to most folks is typically quite minimal.)

Speaking of apps on your phone, this is a fine time to talk about Google Play Protect - Android's native security system that, among other things, continuously scans your phone for any signs of misbehaving apps and warns you if anything suspicious emerges. If there's one section of your Android settings worth spending the time to revisit, this is without a doubt it. You can then tap on any app to adjust its level of access and bring it down a notch, when applicable, or remove its access to the permission entirely - and, if you've got Android 12 or higher, also select whether the app should get access to your precise location or only a far less specific approximate view of where you are. Tap on a specific permission, and you'll see a breakdown of exactly which apps are authorized to use it in what way. You can then pull up one app at a time there and find its permissions that way.) JR That'll show you a list of all available system permissions, including especially sensitive areas such as location, camera, and microphone - the same three areas, incidentally, that can be limited to one-time use only on any phone running at least Android 11.В (And if you don't see a 'Permission manager' option on your phone, try looking in the Apps section instead. So do this: Head into the Privacy section of your Android settings and find the 'Permission manager' line.

And it's up to you to revisit 'em and update their settings as needed. But any apps that were already on your phone by the time those upgrades arrived would've already had full, unrestricted access to those areas of your device. Specifically, you can now let apps access your location only when they're actively in use, instead of all the time ( as of Android 10) you can approve certain permissions only on a one-time, limited-use basis ( as of Android 11) and you can determine how detailed of a view any given app gets of your location when you grant it that access ( as of Android 12). That's advisable to do periodically, anyway, and particularly now - as the last few Android versions have included some important new app permission options. And while you can't undo anything that's already happened (unless you happen to own a time-traveling DeLorean - in which case, great Scott, drop me a line), you can go back and revisit all your app permissions to make sure everything's in tip-top shape for the future. So let's address the first part of that right off the bat, shall we? Despite what some sensational stories might lead you to believe, Android apps are never able to access your personal data or any part of your phone unless you explicitly give 'em the go-ahead to do so.

How to change app settings android windows#

1: App permissionsДЄ rarely spoken reality of Android security is that your own negligence - either in failing to properly secure your device in some way or in leaving open too many windows that allow third-party apps access to your info - is far more likely to be problematic than any manner of malware or scary-sounding boogeyman. Make your way through these 12 specific Android settings, then make your way over to my Android Intelligence newsletterВ to get three exclusive bonus tips on your favorite subject this second. So stop wasting your time worrying about the Android malware monster du jour and which security company is using it to scare you into an unnecessary subscription, and take a moment instead to look through these far more impactful Android settings - ranging from core system-level elements to some more advanced and easily overlooked options.

Some are activated by default and protecting you whether you realize it or not, while others are more out of the way but equally deserving of your attention. You might not know it from all the panic-inducing headlines out there, but Android is actually packed with practical and powerful security options.