Method 1: Change Permissions for a Specific App

  1. 1

    Settings → Apps → select the app

    Open Settings → Apps (or Application Manager on older Android versions). Find and tap the app you want to manage.

  2. 2

    Tap Permissions

    Tap Permissions on the app info page. All permissions that app has requested or been granted are listed: Camera, Contacts, Location, Microphone, Phone, Storage, etc.

  3. 3

    Toggle each permission on or off

    Tap any permission to change it. For location, you can choose: Allow only while using the app (most private), Ask every time, or Deny. Allow only while using is the recommended setting for most apps — it prevents background location tracking.

Method 2: See All Apps with a Specific Permission

  1. 4

    Settings → Privacy → Permission Manager

    Open Settings → Privacy → Permission Manager (may be under Privacy or Security depending on your Android version). Select a permission type (e.g. Camera). A full list of apps with camera access appears. Tap any to adjust.

Which permissions to tightenLocation: set to “Only while using” for all apps except navigation. Microphone: deny for any app that does not need it. Camera: deny for apps that have no obvious need to photograph anything. Contacts: only grant to apps that genuinely need them (phone, email, messaging). Background activity: restricting background data in the app settings prevents apps tracking you when not in use.

Frequently Asked Questions

The app needs that permission to function. Either grant the permission (Settings → Apps → the app → Permissions → enable it), or accept that the feature requiring that permission will not work. Some apps require camera access to scan QR codes, location to show nearby results, or microphone for voice input — these are legitimate uses. Deny permissions you are not comfortable with and see if the app remains useful without them.
Set all location permissions to “Only while using the app” rather than “Allow all the time”. Additionally: Settings → Privacy → Location → turn off for any app that does not need location at all. On Android 12+, the Privacy Dashboard shows a timeline of which apps accessed location, camera and microphone, which helps identify apps you may want to restrict.