Google is reportedly planning to include granular permission control in the upcoming latest version of its mobile operating system, currently known as Android M. This may give users more control over which information can be accessed by applications on their devices.
Sources told Bloomberg that Android M will provide users with more specific options on what information the apps in Android devices can retrieve, including the location, pictures and contacts of the user.
The sources wish to remain anonymous as the matter remains private.
Such a change would make Android more similar to rival Apple's iOS, and is expected to be announced by Google at its upcoming I/O developer conference in San Francisco on May 29.
Last year, Google simplified the means by which users were notified of the information an application would attempt to access. Users could then decide if they would proceed with installing the app.
With the rumored change, users will not only be told what information an app can access, but they will also be given the choice over which ones are allowed for the app to retrieve.
The thing is, the feature was already available on Android, but it was only hidden. Known previously as App Ops in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, the feature could be accessed after going through a certain process, but it was completely hidden beginning with Android 4.4.2 KitKat.
Google explained that the feature, which allowed users to switch on or switch off certain permissions for each app on their device, was not meant to be released to the public. The company said that the feature was meant for internal debugging purposes.
According to Android Police, Google is looking to separate permissions for access from app installation, with permission controls to be included in two places. The first is within the app, and it is up to developers how to create their apps to still work if certain permissions are denied by users. The second is within the Settings menu of devices, where users can access an iOS-looking interface where they can set what apps can access.
Granular permission control is just one of the many new features that Google is planning to add, or has already added, to Android. The company, despite holding an 81 percent market share in the global smartphone industry last year compared to 15 percent for Apple, is still feeling the pressure to maintain their lead.
Android's share has been slipping in certain parts of the world, such as in the five largest countries of Europe, where the operating system's market share decreased from 72 percent to 69 percent last year.
