How to Use an App Permission Manager on Android

Android has a built-in permission manager that shows which apps can use your camera, microphone, location, photos and other sensitive features. You can review that access and change it at any time. This guide covers the camera and microphone permissions that matter most for video calls, recording and image tools.

Before you start

The permission manager is part of Android itself. Changing a setting there happens on your phone and does not need an account or an internet connection. Google added a central permission manager in Android 10. Older versions only let you change permissions app by app. Phone makers such as Samsung, Xiaomi or OnePlus often rename or move menus, so the labels on your phone may differ from the ones below.

• Check your Android version under Settings, About phone, so you know which options to expect.
• Write down which apps you rely on for calls or recording. Removing their camera or microphone access will stop those features until you allow it again.
• Close any active call or recording first. Some apps only notice a permission change after they restart.

The permission manager only controls device access from now on. It does not delete recordings, photos or data an app has already collected or uploaded. How long that data is kept depends on the app or its service. Check the app's own privacy information rather than assuming the data is gone.

Step-by-step instructions

You can work by permission type, for example every app with camera access, or by individual app. Both ways change the same settings.

• Open Settings and type "permission manager" into the settings search bar. This is the most reliable route because menu locations vary by version and manufacturer.
• If search finds nothing, look under Privacy, or Security and privacy, then Privacy, for an entry called Permission manager.
• Tap a category such as Camera or Microphone. Android lists the apps that are allowed, the apps set to ask and the apps that are denied.
• Tap an app to change its permission level for that category.
• Choose the narrowest option that still lets the app do its job. Usually that is "Allow only while using the app" or "Ask every time". Choose "Don't allow" for apps that have no reason to use that feature.
• To review a single app instead, go to Settings, Apps, select the app, then open Permissions.

Options vary by version. Android 11 added one-time access, shown as "Only this time" in the permission prompt, for camera, microphone and location. The same version added automatic removal of permissions from apps you have not used for a while. Android 12 added a privacy dashboard and on-screen indicators that show when the camera or microphone is in use. It also added quick settings tiles that block camera or microphone access for every app at once. Android 13 split storage access into separate permissions for photos and videos and for music and audio. Android 14 lets you share only selected photos and videos instead of your whole library.

Every change is reversible. If an app stops working after you restrict it, go back to the same screen and allow the permission again.

Check the output

• Reopen the Camera or Microphone category in the permission manager and confirm each app is in the group you chose.
• Open an app you set to "Ask every time" and start a feature that uses the camera or microphone. A permission prompt should appear.
• On Android 12 or later, watch for the camera or microphone indicator in the status bar while an allowed app is recording. Open the privacy dashboard to see which apps recently used these features.
• If you turned on the global camera or microphone block in quick settings, apps receive no image or sound even when their own permission is allowed. Turn the block off before testing an app.

These checks confirm which apps have access. They do not tell you whether an app processes audio or video locally or sends it to a server. That depends on the app, so look it up in the app's documentation.

Common problems and next steps

Permission manager not found: some manufacturer versions of Android do not have one central screen, or give it another name. Use Settings, Apps, select the app, then Permissions, which exists on all versions from Android 6.0 onward. Android 6.0 is the version that introduced runtime permissions.

An app still cannot use the camera or microphone after you allowed it: make sure the quick settings privacy block is off. Close any other app that might be holding the camera, then fully restart the app you are testing. Some apps also have their own camera and microphone settings that work separately from Android's permission.

Permissions keep disappearing: on Android 11 and later, the system may remove permissions from apps you have not opened for some time. To stop this for an app you need, open its app info page and turn off the option to remove permissions or pause app activity if unused. The wording of this option varies between versions.

An option is greyed out or cannot be changed: a work profile, device management policy or parental control may be enforcing that permission. Ask whoever manages the device, because the permission manager cannot override those policies.