With the addition of the developer-generated Data safety section this year, Google Play removed the old list of app permissions. The Play Store is now reversing this decision in response to user feedback and will have both coexist.
Update 8/31: Google has brought back the app permissions list with version 32.1.10-21 of the Play Store. To access, open a listing > select “About this app” > scroll down to “App info.” “See more” in green takes you to the list, with Google noting the app version and how:
You can disable access for these permissions in Settings. Updates to [app] may automatically add additional capabilities within each group.
Original 7/21: In a short thread this morning, Android Developers (@AndroidDev) on Twitter said it “heard your feedback that you find the app permissions section in Google Play useful, and we’ve decided to reinstate it.” It will be “back shortly,” but the company did not specify if this will be done through a server-side change or whether a new version of the Play Store app is required.
The Data safety section provides users with a simplified view of how an app collects, shares, & secures user data, but we also want to make app permissions information easily viewable for users to understand an app’s ability to access specific restricted data & actions too.
As Google summarizes, the Play permissions list is “based on the install-time permissions that an app declares in its manifest,” and “represents an app’s ability to access specific data.” Data safety is focused on what an app collects and shares with third parties, similar to Apple’s App Store.
The company is still a big proponent of Play’s new approach, but it understands why people might prefer the previous, more factual model to seeing the full list of permissions needed to use an app before downloading it.
As of July 20, Google is directly warning “non-compliant new app submissions and app updates” that don’t completely fill out the Data safety form. Developers have until August 22 to comply or they won’t be able to publish new apps or updates. After that, applications might be removed from the Play Store.
This morning’s announcement ended on the following note:
We will continue to take in feedback and work closely with the developer community to prioritize data privacy and transparency for users.
More on Google Play:
- Here’s a better look at the new Google Play Store logo [Updated]
- Play Store rolling out Material You buttons
- Google Play will allow alternate billing systems in Europe with reduced service fee
- Wild Google Play Points promo is a peek into the world of mobile gaming whales
Author: Abner Li
Source: 9TO5Google
