[no-reply]

Honest question, how many of us read permissions after scrolling through the description and then download ? It might make sense if you have metered bandwidth, not otherwise. I first try to find an ad-free app, install it and then see if it asks unnecessary permissions and go from there.

[jeffdubin]

Yes. I check permissions on every app before I install it. Or, at least I did until that was recently taken away.

There are some permissions given to apps without a user prompt, e.g. start at boot. If there are five similar apps with similar functionality and ratings, I'll typically choose the one asking for the least permissions. And if I notice an app looking for excessive permissions (e.g. location) with no good reason why (e.g. a terminal app), that'll give me a clue that there's a ton of data being collected.

Once upon a time, a giant percentage of a device's user base was tech-savvy early adopters. But with billions of devices having been sold, 99%+ of Android users have very little interest in details like permissions.

But when these details are taken away... when I can't see permissions, when apps I use lose features because of new, restrictive Play Store policies, and when Android continues down this road of "privacy" without insight into exactly what my phone is doing... well, if I wanted this, I'd have chosen an Apple device.

[CSMastermind]

I always read the permissions and have decided not to install applications several times because of it. I'm very likely an outlier but I'm still curious about the reasoning behind this change.

[khyryk]

If I open up a basic text note app and I see basically every single permission listed, I get an idea of the mentality involved in the creation of the app. I specifically prioritize apps that ask for fewer permissions.

[kayxspre]

I recall in several write-up about potentially harmful apps that, apart from the review, another helpful method is to check the permission and see if it's necessary for the main function of the app. Having the list of permissions before installing is helpful in determining whether it requires more permission than necessary to function.

[nsv]

I always look at the permissions for apps I use.