The security of your personal data is something every smartphone user should be aware of in this day and age.
Most people I talk to have no idea the amount of information that their phones hold about them. Or more importantly what the apps on their phone have access too. Most people I talk to do not even look at the permissions listing when installing any new app.
Recently an Android and iOS app for Path was discovered to be uploading the address books of its users to its servers. And in the case of iOS users doing so without their permission. Us as Android users gave permission to Path do that when we clicked ‘Accept’ during the install. The fallout from this is now most regular users are, at least to some degree, understanding that apps can do all kinds of things to our phones because the user has not paid enough attention.
Let me ask you a question.
How many times have you gone to install an app, looked at the permissions it has asked for and decided not to install the app?
For me it has been quite a few times. So many I can no longer count. Let’s take the Facebook app. I am not a Facebook user. I do have a profile, for various personal reasons, however I do not have the Facebook app installed on my phone. Most of my friends are surprised by this and then I explain to them why. I go to install it on my phone and show them the permission listings and point out 2 of them
Your messages
Edit SMS or MMS, read or SMS or MMS, Receive SMS
Services that cost you money
Send SMS message
I then explain that I do not believe that they need to be able to access that part of your phone. Some laugh and call me crazy but the Twitter or Google+ apps do not ask for that kind of access to your phone. So why does Facebook? But will all that out of the way you can say I take the security of my devices seriously.
And that brings us to the app I want to talk to you about aSpotCat by Sam Lu (yes the very same Sam Lu that has brought you 1 Tap Cleaner and App 2 SD, 2 of my personal must have apps on all my devices).
When you first run the app you are given 3 main options “List apps by permission. List apps by bookmarks. List apps. ” It is really simple and easy to use. By default system apps are excluded from the list, hitting menu allows you to go into the settings and adding them into the list along side every other app.
It may surprise you to learn what apps are asking for what permissions. And if it makes you think twice about downloading an app in the future then I feel it will only help you in the long run. This is a great little app and one that everyone should download.
Hit the market link to download
I’m Robert Best, founder of this little site that you are looking at. And I hail from Lisburn. That is in Norn Iron, or Northern Ireland as everyone else calls us. Now on my 9th Android phone I am always looking for interesting and new things to do with Android. When I am not thinking about Android or anything Android related I can be found making music for either for my solo project or for one or two of the bands I am currently playing with. And there generally is not a moment of the day that goes by without you being able to see me with a cup of black tea.
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[...] comforting to know that I can see if I am comfortable having them on my phone. For more info check here and [...]
[...] month I wrote a little piece on aSpotCat by Sam Lu. A great wee app that give you details of every permission that every app on your phone is [...]