Android 12 Security: How to Stop Apps From Accessing Your Camera, Microphone

Android 12 is already available on Pixel phones, including the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, and it will soon be accessible on other Android devices that are compatible.

The update was revealed at the Pixel event in October and includes a few popular features such as scrollable screenshots and Quick Tap.

Android 12 Security

Some of the privacy features of Android 12 are the privacy dashboard, with a camera and microphone kill switch.

These privacy enhancements are among the most fascinating elements of the new OS. They're designed to provide users with more control over how much personal information their phone's apps may access.

Android users may now manage their permissions and location through a privacy dashboard.

Users may also disable their microphone and camera on all apps with the new Android 12 Security.

Android 12 Apps Permission

How to manage the location and the Android apps permission:

1. Go to the Privacy Dashboard.

2. Click on different permissions from the main page to see which apps accessed the users' personal information in the previous 24 hours. The location, camera, microphone, and contacts are just a few of the options.

3. To see which permissions are available, tap on them. The user will see a timeline showing when and which apps accessed that data.

4. At the bottom of the screen, select Manage Permissions. The user can adjust what information that app has access to by doing so. Users can do this from within each app as well.

There is also an option to turn on "approximate location" rather than exact location, which means apps that don't need to know your actual location (like weather apps) won't get that level of information.

Android 12 Privacy Dashboard

According to Hitechglitz, here's how to find out which Android apps have access to personal information about the user and cancel any undesirable rights:

1. With the new update, Android 12 adds a useful indicator to the top menu bar that shows whenever an application is using your camera or microphone. Android app users may open your quick-settings panel and turn off access by swiping down from the top of the screen when the indicator shows.

2. Go to Settings > Privacy > Privacy Dashboard to access the Privacy Dashboard.

This Android 12 Privacy dashboard will show the user when and which apps have accessed the phone, microphone, location, or other sensitive data.

Android 12 Security Access on Microphone and Camera

How to turn off the microphone and camera access in all Android apps:

Another new Android 12 security feature gives the user additional control over the microphone and camera on their Android phone.

According to Androidcentral, here's how to enable and disable them throughout all applications.

1. Go to the Quick Settings bar.

2. Scroll down and navigate through the shortcuts. To turn on or off the Microphone or Camera access, directly tap the icon to block the access, and tap again to switch the status to available.

Remember, if users turn off the Microphone or Camera settings, it will not allow all applications any access.

So, the previous applications that were granted permission to access the microphone or camera will not be able to access it anymore.

The application, on the other hand, will have no idea that the user switched it off because it will just see a blank feed.

When the user turns off their camera or microphone, the Android system will notify the user that they have started an application that requires them.