How to Manage/Change Individual App Permissions on Android 4.3

As we know, Google’s latest mobile operating system – Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is released and Nexus devices are the first to get this update. Most of the changes in Android 4.3 are not noticeable. There’s one hidden feature in the new OS that surely is worth trying out. Named “App Ops”, this feature lets you selectively disable some permissions from your apps. For example, if you don’t want Facebook to access your location, then you can fix that issue by App Ops.

However, what’s strange is that there’s no interface in Android 4.3 to access App Ops. For some reason, Google has made it hidden, and the company might have some plans for it in future Android versions. But don’t worry, a third-party Android developer has launched an app on Play Store named as Permission Manager that offers direct access to this new permission settings – aka. App Ops. The good thing is that the app does not require any special permission when you install it.

How to Manage App Permissions on Android 4.3

When you install and launch Permission Manager, you’ll be able to see the below screen. You can see a list of all of your installed apps, with different tabs like location, personal, messaging and device so that you can visit the tab that you’re interested in. You can see the permission that the app runs with, and on the right, you can see when the app was last used. The timestamp is very useful as it alerts you about which app is running, even when you’ve closed that particular app.

Tap on an app that you want to change the permission and then you can see which permission it runs with, with a slider to turn on and off. For example, Facebook requires permission for accessing location, reading contacts, modifying contacts, vibration and post notifications. You can disable, or turn off a particular permission from this screen. Let’s say if you disable location information then the app won’t know anything about your location. In short, if you’re not comfortable with a particular permission, then simply disable it from here.

Conclusion

The app basically is a shortcut to App Ops, which lets you access and manage individual app permissions on Android. It offers minute control over various apps for those who’re concerned about their privacy and app permissions. Using this app, you can prevent Angry Birds from accessing the Internet, stop Facebook from accessing your contacts and location, and do much more.

Of course, you’ll need to be running on Android 4.3 to try out Permission Manager. It’s a free app and you can get it right now from below link. No root necessary.

Install Permission Manager from Play Store