How apps work

Privacy

How Android learned to say no, one release at a time.

4 pages47 min4 interactive6500 words

01The privacy timelineAndroid's privacy model changed from a single install-time gate to a per-capability, per-duration, per-accuracy negotiation. Each release removed a specific capability that apps had been abusing.intermediate13 mininteractive
02IdentifiersEvery identifier Android has ever offered has been narrowed, scoped or removed. The pattern is consistent: an identifier that survives uninstall and crosses apps is a tracking mechanism, and tracking mechanisms get regulated.intermediate11 mininteractive
03App OpsUnderneath the permission dialog is a second, finer-grained switchboard that records every operation and when it happened. The Privacy Dashboard reads it, data access auditing reads it, and adb shell appops lets you inspect it.nerd12 mininteractive
04The Privacy SandboxPrivacy Sandbox on Android is Google's attempt to replace cross-app identifiers with a set of on-device, aggregatable APIs. It is also the least settled topic on this site: APIs have been renamed, delayed and redesigned, so treat every specific here as a snapshot.nerd11 mininteractive

Test yourself

Test yourself: Privacy

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Which statements about the microphone and camera toggles introduced in Android 12 are true? Select all that apply.