At its I/O 2021 developer conference last month, Google unveiled Android 12. The Android 12 beta has been downloaded more than any other Android beta ever because of the significant UI revamp. Many Pixel users have already installed the beta on their devices. While one-handed mode and the wallpaper-based theming system are exciting new Android 12 features, the addition of a Privacy Dashboard is a significant privacy-friendly upgrade. This post will teach you how to take charge of your privacy with Android 12’s privacy dashboard.
Android 12 Privacy Dashboard: Explained (2021)
Pixel phones running Android 12 presently have access to the Privacy Dashboard. If all goes as planned, we might also be able to use the privacy feature on other Android 12 devices with OEM skins. Without further ado, here is all you need to know about the Android privacy dashboard.
What is Privacy Dashboard in Android 12?
A brand-new feature on Android called Privacy Dashboard is designed to make it easier for consumers to monitor the apps that access private information. It clearly displays a timeline of the apps that have recently accessed your phone’s permissions. Android users can quickly identify and remove malicious apps that might be monitoring their data with Privacy Dashboard.
You might be curious about all the rights that the Privacy Dashboard feature allows you to monitor. In any case, you can monitor the following rights using Privacy Dashboard:
- Location
- Camera
- Microphone
- Body sensors
- Calendar
- Call logs
- Contacts
- Files and media
- Nearby devices
- Phone
- Physical activity
- SMS
However, you won’t see a timeline of all the apps that accessed rights for each of these categories.
How to Use Android 12 Privacy Dashboard?
App access timelines for location, camera, and microphone permissions are available in Android 12. Google may include broader support for all permissions in next Android releases.
Here’s how to access and use the privacy-friendly Android 12 feature on your phone now that you know what Privacy Dashboard is.
1. Go to the Settings app and scroll down until you find the Privacy option to access the Privacy Dashboard.
2. Select Privacy dashboard from the Privacy settings menu. The visual representation of the permissions accessed throughout the last 24 hours is now visible to you. It resembles the Digital Wellbeingchart in appearance.
3. Tap on the individual permission options shown below the chart to get a list of the apps that have access to a certain permission, like location access. For instance, tap on Location to view the entire timeline and see which apps have accessed your location during the past 24 hours. Under the app’s name, Android 12 will additionally display the time that the permission was obtained, although as of Android 12 beta 2, that information is not present.
4. Tap on Manage Permission to cancel access if you see an app that shouldn’t be using the permission. The list of all apps having that particular permission will appear when you click Manage Permission. Select the desired app from the list, then tap it to continue.
Get Privacy Dashboard on Any Android Phone
5. You can now give the app the proper permissions. The toggle for Use accurate location is one new feature worth highlighting. When you turn off this setting, apps will only receive a rough position, which is adequate for many use-cases. You can also decide to completely reject an app’s request for permission.
You can download a third-party app called Privacy Dashboard to acquire a privacy dashboard-like functionality if you are using a phone that is not likely to receive Android 12 or will receive Android 12 at some point in the future. You may also check the release date of the Android 12 update for your phone. Anyhow, the Privacy Dashboard app will display a chronology of the apps that have used your device’s sensors, and when the app navigates you to the permission manager page, you may also disable the permission. Settings -> Privacy -> Permission manager is where you go to turn off permissions. For comprehensive instructions on how to instal the Android 12 privacy dashboard, please refer to our separate guide. Check out our linked guide in the meanwhile to gain more Android 12 features on your phone.
Use Privacy Dashboard to Monitor Apps on Android
Privacy Dashboard may be downloaded from the Play Store (Free, offers in-app purchases)
