Android Phones Add Instant Camera & Mic Controls for Better Privacy

Smartphones have become the most important daily life gadgets, they hold personal data, allow online shopping and keep the users in touch with each other on social networking sites. As a result of keeping so much confidential information on one device, ensuring the safety of microphones and cameras' usage has become a necessity.

Newly, the manufacturers are coming up with tools that make it possible for users to track and control the sensor usage in real-time. These functionalities alert the users when the camera or the microphone is accessed by an app, and immediately give the users the power to cut off the unwanted access.

By monitoring the tiny green dot in the upper right corner of the screen, the users can tell at once which apps are using the resources. After pulling down the notification bar, the user can see the exact app using the camera or microphone. Then the permissions can be changed by just one finger tap, thus, giving full control of what data is allowed for the specific app.

Moreover, Android phone users can turn the camera or mic off without going through several menus. By swiping down to display control tiles, they can instantly block these sensors. In case of any failure of the control, verifying hardware-level settings can assure that the camera or mic is not physically limited.

Quick Settings tiles can be utilized for quicker management. The panel can be opened by swiping down twice from the top, and access can be toggled on or off by tapping the camera or microphone tile. The tiles can be added or rearranged by tapping on “Edit” to customize the layout of Quick Settings.

These all are the features aimed to give the users the visibility of app activities, the reduction of the background spying, and the increase of the digital privacy. Experts hold the view that it is a good practice to evaluate the app permissions from time to time as a precaution against unauthorized access to sensitive data.