Android Special Permissions Explained: What Each One Allows and When an App Has No Business Asking
What install unknown apps, display over other apps, accessibility, notification access, usage access and all files access allow, and when to say no.
Android has two kinds of permissions. Runtime permissions (camera, microphone, location, contacts, and notifications on Android 13 and later) appear as a pop-up you can allow or deny. Special app access covers a handful of far more powerful abilities that Android won't grant through a simple pop-up. Instead, the app sends you to a dedicated Settings screen where you flip a toggle yourself.
These permissions let an app reach beyond its own sandbox, which is exactly why malicious apps want them. Below are the six you will meet most often, who legitimately needs each, and the red flags that mean you should say no.
Where to find them: on stock Android, go to Settings > Apps > Special app access. On Samsung phones it is usually Settings > Apps > ⋮ (More options) > Special access. Other manufacturers place it under Privacy or Security. Names vary, so searching Settings for "special access" is the fastest route.
1. Install unknown apps
What it allows: a specific app, such as your browser or a file manager, can hand APK files to the system installer. Since Android 8.0 this is granted per app, not as a single global switch. Android still shows a confirmation screen for every install.
Legitimately needed by: the one browser or file manager you actually use to open APK files, and installers that handle split packages (see APK vs XAPK vs APKS vs APKM explained).
Red flags: a game, wallpaper app, video player or "cleaner" asking for it. With this access, an app can download other packages and prompt you to install them.
Good practice: grant it to one app, install what you need, then switch it off again.
2. Display over other apps
What it allows: the app can draw windows on top of everything else, such as chat bubbles, floating video, screen dimmers and floating timers. The risk is that an overlay can imitate a login screen or cover part of a system dialog. Android 12 and later block touches that pass through most third-party overlays, and the system hides non-system overlays on some sensitive screens such as the package installer.
Legitimately needed by: chat-bubble features, screen filters, floating widgets, and some modified game builds that show a floating mod menu.
Red flags: an app with no visible floating element asking for it, especially in combination with an accessibility request. That pairing is a classic pattern in banking malware.
About mod menus: in online games, floating menus and cheats can be detected by the developer's servers, and accounts can be suspended or banned. If you use a modified build, single-player games carry far less risk.
3. Accessibility
What it allows: an accessibility service can read the content shown by other apps, observe interactions, and perform taps and gestures on your behalf. It was designed for screen readers, switch access and voice control, and it is the most powerful permission on this list.
On Android 13 and later, apps installed from a downloaded file (rather than an app store) may have this toggle greyed out as a restricted setting. You can lift the restriction from App info > ⋮ > Allow restricted settings, but that warning exists for a reason. Only lift it for an app whose purpose you understand.
Legitimately needed by: screen readers, voice control, switch access, automation tools, and some gesture or app-lock utilities.
Red flags: games, MOD apps, video players, wallpaper apps, battery "boosters" and cleaners. An app that refuses to open until you enable accessibility is a strong reason to uninstall it. A game never needs this.
4. Notification access
What it allows: the app can read the content of every notification, including message previews and one-time sign-in codes. It can also dismiss notifications and trigger their actions, such as replying.
Legitimately needed by: smartwatch companion apps, notification history tools and auto-reply tools.
Red flags: anything without a clear wearable or notification-management feature. Because many one-time codes arrive as notifications, this access can be used to get around SMS-based two-step verification. Like accessibility, it can appear as a restricted setting for sideloaded apps on Android 13 and later.
5. Usage access
What it allows: the app can see which apps you used, when, and for how long. It does not see what you did inside those apps.
Legitimately needed by: screen-time and parental tools, launchers that sort apps by use, and data, battery or device monitors.
Red flags: games and ad-heavy utilities. A game has no reason to know what else you run.
6. All files access
What it allows: on Android 11 and later, the app can read, change and delete everything in shared storage, including photos, downloads, documents and backups, without going through the normal photo picker or media permissions. It still can't open other apps' private data, and on current versions Android/data and Android/obb remain off limits.
Legitimately needed by: file managers, backup and sync tools, and storage analyzers.
Red flags: a game, a video player that only needs media access, or a flashlight. Google Play restricts this permission to apps whose core function requires it; for apps installed from elsewhere, the judgment is yours.
Other entries on the same screen
- Device admin apps: can lock the screen, enforce password rules or wipe the device. These are legitimate for work management and find-my-device features. Anything else holding this is a red flag, partly because a device admin can't be uninstalled until it is deactivated.
- Modify system settings: brightness, screen timeout and ringtones; reasonable for automation tools.
- VPN connection requests: the VPN app can route and see your network traffic. Approve this only for a VPN you chose deliberately.
- Alarms, Picture-in-picture, unrestricted data and battery exemptions: lower risk; they mainly affect battery and data use.
A quick decision table
| Permission | Plausible for | Say no when |
|---|---|---|
| Install unknown apps | Your browser or file manager | Any game or media app |
| Display over other apps | Bubbles, filters, floating menus | Nothing floats on screen |
| Accessibility | Screen readers, automation | Games, cleaners, players |
| Notification access | Wearables, notification tools | No notification feature |
| Usage access | Screen-time and monitor tools | Games, ad-heavy apps |
| All files access | File managers, backup tools | Anything that only needs media |
How to review and revoke
- Open Special app access and go through each category. Switch off anything you don't recognize or no longer use.
- Check Settings > Accessibility, usually under Downloaded apps or Installed services, and turn off services you didn't knowingly enable.
- For device admin apps, deactivate the admin first, then uninstall.
- Review runtime permissions under Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Permission manager. On Android 12 and later, the privacy dashboard shows which apps recently used the camera, microphone or location.
- Keep Google Play Protect on and read its warnings. If it flags an app that also holds accessibility or notification access, uninstall that app.
A note on modified builds
A modified app or game is re-signed and may include changed code, but it shouldn't need more special access than the original. Before installing anything from the TechBigs apps catalog or elsewhere, it helps to verify the APK's SHA-256 checksum. Keep in mind what a match means: the file is unchanged since the checksum was published. It does not mean the app is harmless, so the permission review above still applies after you install. If an install fails along the way, see how to fix "App not installed".
FAQ
Why is the accessibility toggle greyed out for an app I installed? On Android 13 and later, sideloaded apps get "restricted settings" for accessibility and notification access. Lift it from App info > ⋮ > Allow restricted settings only for an app you have a clear reason to trust.
Does any game need accessibility or notification access? No. A request for either is a reason to stop and uninstall.
Will an app break if I revoke a special permission? Only the feature that depends on it stops working, for example chat bubbles. You can grant it again at any time.