Why application needs permissions to photo/media files?

[webcaptcha]

The title of question is clear enough.

[Locash]

So the debug option can save the logs to a folder of choice.

[webcaptcha]

Okay, why that application need to know my phone number? (it also ask that permission) @thuryn @nijel

[Locash]

@webcapcha Google location services use wifi info(no active connection needed but just discoverable), along with cell tower; then compares that to their respective mapping data to acquire a users location without using Gps; which is a resource hog. The other two are passively collected from resources already in use by most devices. Gps is also used but requires a service also so the coordinates received can be reversed geocoded into a named location.

The local mls(mozilla location service) and nominatim option use the same means BUT do not use personally identifiable info(ie. an google account) to request such data. This option is selected by default. You are able to turn off request location and just enter a location manually .

[webcaptcha]

@Locash you are wrong. I'm asking why app needs permission to:

read phone status and identity Allows the app to access the phone features of the device. This permission allows the app to determine the phone number and device IDs, whether a call is active, and the remote number connected by a call.

That permission doesn't needed for determine location. Please read Android docs.

[thuryn]

@webcache Yes, the permission is needed to get GPS cells, @Locash is right.

[webcaptcha]

What is GPS cells? Why even google maps don't need read phone state? Can you point please link to android doc where it says that phone state need to determine location?

[thuryn]

"GPS cells" - sorry, it should be "GSM cells" the link: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission.html#READ_PHONE_STATE - "current cellular network information" - so I don't need the phone number etc., but there is no specific permission to get signal strength from GSM network. I'm not happy with this, but there is no other way.

[Locash]

@webcapcha It is true that Google maps does not request direct access to Phone state. It doesn't need to, for Google play services does so. It being the means in which GMaps accesses a device's location. As long as Gservices is on a device, the device's location can be accessed by any of the google mobile suite apps(gmail,youtube, hangouts ect.) GPS and Cell-ID are not the only means of location retrieval. WiFi Macid divulges location also. For an app to have network access is enough, it can gain a device's location through the IP address. It's safe to say that if a device has any of the top 10 play store apps on it; its location is not a secret.

[thuryn]

@Locash thank you for the great explanation. It's not good, that your location is not save, but it's fact. On the other hand, sharing the location (for example in Play) is because of a legislation - so it's not fault of Google.

[IriaSomobu]

Should this issue be closed now?