How to see hidden app permissions on Android
When you open an app’s permissions in Android Settings, you see a short list: camera, location, microphone, maybe contacts. That’s not everything the app can do. Most permissions are granted the moment you install an app, without a prompt, and never appear on that screen.
Why Settings only shows some permissions
Android splits permissions into groups. “Dangerous” permissions, like the camera or your location, need your approval, so Settings lists them. “Normal” permissions are granted automatically at install time. They include things like full internet access, starting when your phone boots, keeping the phone awake and seeing which other apps are installed.
A third group, special app access, covers powerful abilities such as drawing over other apps, reading your notifications or installing other apps. You grant these on separate screens, so they don’t show up in the normal permission list either.
Check the permissions you approved
These are the permissions Android asked you about.
- Open Settings, then Apps (on some phones, “Apps & notifications”).
- Tap See all apps and pick an app.
- Tap Permissions to see what is allowed, allowed only while in use, or not allowed.
- For a view by permission instead of by app, open Settings, then Security & privacy, then Privacy, then Permission manager. Names differ a little between phone makers.
Check special app access
These abilities are the ones spy apps and scam apps go after first.
- Open Settings, then Apps, then Special app access. On Samsung, open the three-dot menu on the Apps screen.
- Go through Device admin apps, Display over other apps, Install unknown apps, Notification access, Usage access and All files access.
- Open Settings, then Accessibility, and look under Downloaded apps or Installed apps. An app with accessibility access can read your screen and tap for you.
- Turn off anything you don’t recognize or no longer need.
See the permissions Android never shows
Install-time permissions have no screen in Settings at all. On Google Play you can check an app before you install it: open its listing, tap About this app, and scroll to App permissions. Once an app is on your phone, the only way to see its full list is with an app that reads it from the system.
SentinelEye lists every permission each app holds, labels it “Shown in Android settings”, “Special access” or “Hidden by Android”, and explains it in plain English. It can also alert you when an update quietly adds new permissions. Everything is checked on your phone and nothing is uploaded.
Questions
Are hidden permissions dangerous?
Most are harmless and needed for an app to work, like internet access for a chat app. They matter when they don’t fit the app: a flashlight that starts at boot and can see every app you have installed deserves a second look.
Can I turn off a hidden permission?
No. Android grants install-time permissions automatically and has no switch for them. If an app holds permissions you’re not comfortable with, the fix is to uninstall it or find an alternative.
What does QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES mean?
It lets an app see the full list of apps installed on your phone. Google Play limits it to apps that really need it, such as launchers, antivirus and permission scanners.