A five-minute check of which apps can see your location, camera, microphone and contacts.
Apps often ask for more access than they need, such as your location all the time, your contacts or your microphone. A quick check every few months keeps your phone, and the work information on it, more private.
Review app permissions
- iPhone: go to Settings > Privacy & Security. Tap Location Services, Contacts, Microphone and Camera in turn to see which apps have access.
- Android: go to Settings > Security & privacy (or Privacy) > Permission manager. Names vary by phone.
What to change
- Location: set most apps to While using the app or Never. Few need it all the time.
- Contacts, microphone and camera: turn off access for apps that don't obviously need it.
- Delete apps you don't use. They can still collect data in the background.
Work apps: leave the permissions for Outlook, Teams and Authenticator as they are. They need them to work properly.
