[JasonFruit]

The update to provide run-time permission prompts pleases me as a user; as a developer, I'm not as excited about it, especially if it doesn't come with narrower categories of permission. I could see it prompting the user to provide permission to do much more than is being done, and without the ability to provide reasoning and context in the dialog.

[EddieRingle]

Dave stated during the keynote that they were slimming down the number of permission categories.

[lsaferite]

Wait, wouldn't slimming down categories result in even less granular control?

[baddox]

I assume that the upfront permissions prompted before an install will be simpler and fewer, and the more granular permissions (like microphone or camera access) will be prompted when they are actually requested by the app. Just like iOS.

[digi_owl]

Don't think so, as their post install UI slide showed pr category switches with categories very similar to those already seen in the "improved" Play app.

[rsync]

"Dave stated during the keynote that they were slimming down the number of permission categories."

So ... they're taking a terrible problem and making it even worse ?

[mcintyre1994]

I disagree. I don't know that they've got the right balance until I try it, but anything is better than eg Facebook having permission to just about everything and presumably using it whenever some algorithm tells them there might be useful data to grab.

Forcing them to ask every time will either show my concern is wrong (a good thing) or stop them doing it (even better).

[tdkl]

For devices running M. Versions prior to that will be left as is.

[EddieRingle]

Not devices, but applications targeting M, yes.

[tdkl]

The new permission system will be available on devices running M only. So a dev will have to support both when targeting M.

[EddieRingle]

Well that goes without saying. I'm just trying to say that applications running on M and later that still target an older SDK will not use the new system.

[magicalist]

According to the android session this morning even apps compiled against older SDKs will still have permissions that can be disabled when run in M, so they were encouraging everyone to test apps on M even if they weren't going to release their app built against the M SDK anytime soon.

[digi_owl]

As best i could tell, on a device running M it would be like this:

M ready app, you get no permissions display up front but asked to approve on API use.

Older app, you get a permissions display up front and can disable API access in Android settings.

On older devices both M ready apps and older apps would behave like today, giving you a list of permissions up front and no way to control them (unless you are running a custom Android or the OEM added the possibility).