My flashlight app was sharing my location, so I fixed it

My phone's battery was dying fast, so I looked at what was using it. A flashlight app was checking my location every few minutes, even when not in use. I deleted it and went through all my app permissions. Social media apps had full access to my contacts and photos by default. I turned most of that off, and my battery life got better. It's funny how a simple flashlight needs to know where I am all day. This made me see how much data we just hand over without a second thought. Now I check app permissions every month, and it helps a bit with creepy ads.

4 comments

4 Comments

thea_jones1mo ago

Always check the app store listing before you download anything.

garcia.paige1mo ago

Ugh, what gets me is when the listing looks totally fine but the app itself is a scam. Like those fake "customer support" apps that pop up for big companies, or a simple flashlight app that secretly mines your data. The developers just copy the style of real apps so well it's hard to tell. You can check the listing all day and still get tricked by a good fake.

loganhill1mo ago

I used to ignore permissions until @garcia.paige's point about fake apps.

flores.sage1mo ago

My mom almost downloaded a fake weather app last week. @garcia.paige is right about the copying. I see this with phishing emails now too. They mimic real brands perfectly. It's like a whole industry of fake stuff online. You gotta be suspicious of everything.