Google's android 17 upgrade cuts out invasive app permissions

Google is rolling out a major security upgrade to android that could break some apps on your device.

Advanced protection mode gets stricter

android's advanced protection mode, designed to safeguard devices against threats like theft, public Wi-Fi, or malicious apps, is getting a significant overhaul.

Since its launch, the feature has worked fairly solidly, but Google has now identified some vulnerabilities that it wants to address.

As spotted in the android 17 Beta 2, Google is curbing app access to the AccessibilityService API, a set of extremely sensitive permissions that enable apps to deeply interact with the system.

These apps can read the screen or execute actions on the user's behalf. Google argues this API should only be used by disability-assistance apps, but in practice, many non-accessibility apps rely on these permissions to offer certain functions.

With the new change, if advanced protection mode is enabled, android will automatically block apps that utilize these permissions without being classified as accessibility tools.

For now, these restrictions aren't present in the current android 16 QPR3 update. However, all signs point to the limitation arriving with the final version of Android 17, slated for a June release.

By doing so, Google aims to reduce the risk of malicious apps abusing such powerful permissions.

However, this shift poses a challenge in finding a balance between enhancing security and not hindering legitimate apps that depend on these capabilities.