Google To Remove Unapproved Apps That Use Call Log/SMS Permissions

Sometimes when Android apps ask for permission, it can be a little scary and daunting if you’re not familiar with why they are asking for it. For example if a calculator app you downloaded asked for permissions to access your messages and photos, it doesn’t make sense and sounds downright suspicious, doesn’t it?

To make the lives of Android users easier, Google has announced that starting next week, they will start removing unapproved apps that request for call logs or SMS permissions. Now this isn’t to say that Google will ban all apps that require these permissions, but rather apps that do need access to your call logs and SMS need to be approved by Google first.

Presumably the idea is that Google wants to make sure that whoever is asking for permissions to these features are using it for proper reasons, not to spy on you, steal your information, or sell it for marketing purposes. The good news is that it looks like some apps have managed to get an appeal on this, such as Tasker.

Google will be giving developers 90 days to update their apps to comply with this new policy otherwise they risk being removed from the Play Store. While this could end up breaking some existing apps that you are using, so you might want to start paying attention and look for alternatives in the meantime.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Android, Apps, Google, Privacy, Security