App Permissions – How Much is Enough?

by Ankit Kharola Digital Marketing Manager

What application permissions should you be careful with?

Lately, there has been a lot of controversy about apps and their default user permissions. Developers do not always seem to think micro and include encompassing permissions. App permissions are important in numerous ways for numerous varieties of apps and for numerous reasons such as users’ location, camera roll, notifications alert and so on.

Whatever it is that you might need access to on a user’s phone will still demand the user’s permission. One more thing about permissions is that you only have one shot to do it right. It is true that a user might be able to change it in their settings. It is not always certain as some users don’t really care about permissions that much which is why it is very important to get it right the first time else you just end up blowing apart your only chance at proving the worth of your app.

Sincerely I don’t believe any amount of permission is really too much if your app is really worth it but what is necessary is that you are doing it the right way.

Before you start pushing permissions at your users, think for a moment about what the app really needs to function flawlessly and render users a great experience upon usage. Look closely if you will really the access that you are requesting for and try to find some of them that you can do without.

It would absolutely be so much fun to gain access to every part of a user’s device in case you might need it but, the moment they come across a request for a permission that they do not seem to understand; that is the moment you lose their trust and of all the things that matter in mobile app marketing, the greatest is trust.

Look at the things from a user’s point of view for a minute; would you like to give up your privacy and let someone access all of your information? The answer of any rational being would be a big ‘No’ but the truth is that we’d be willing to give it out if we see that there is a somewhat good reason behind the permission requested and if that reason is understood. So as an app developer, your job now is to let your users know the benefit of letting you into their private data by giving you app permissions.

Where many developers get it wrong is that after a user grants permission, he/she is only bothered about the benefits attached and not about how these permissions are used but that is a very wrong conception. The truth is that they actually do so, you have to prove further to them how you are going to use it. For example, check out Uber’s Location Permission message:

“Uber picks you up exactly where you are. To start riding, choose “Allow” so the app can

find your location” other examples can be found in when using the Google Maps app, Heydey app and many more. All explaining why and how they intend to use the permissions requested for.

Another thing to know is the right time to ask for permission and how to go about asking for permission. There are two conventional approaches to doing this but if you feel you have something else up your sleeves that you think is better then, you can try it if your guts give you the permission to.

The first approach is the kind where all permissions are asked of the user the very first time the app is opened after installation; I prefer to call it the “installation mode approach”. Many users still find this kind of approach annoying and might just go on clicking “No” just so that the app gets opened fast so that’s what brings us to the second approach.

The second approach is the kind of approach where you present the permissions to the users at the moment when they seem to need it or when it will make sense to them.

The smartest thing is that you don’t force users, all they need is honesty [trust] and for you to show them that you respect them. Go through your app yourself and see to what permission you really need and figure out the best kind of approach you can adopt to ask for it. Make your users your priority and they will love you – and might even share your app.