The Android 12 Privacy Dashboard allows you to see and manage how the applications utilize your Smartphone. Android 12 is currently in the beta phase and Google is planning to launch the stable build in September 2021. But if you have got a budget-range Android device, you’re less likely to get the update this year.
There is a way through which you can obtain one of the greatest Android 12 features without bothering about the installation of Android 12 on your Smartphone. A brand-new application provides the new Android 12 Privacy Dashboard to any existing Android device without an update.
In today’s post, we will have a look into the Android 12 Privacy Dashboard Feature and how you can install it on your existing Android device, especially if you are not getting it via an official OTA update. Here’s an overview:
The new Privacy Dashboard Feature in Android 12:
Image Credits: Beebom
The Privacy Dashboard is one of the finest new specifications of the Android 12 Operating System. It is situated in the Settings section in Android which monitors your apps’ access to sensitive permissions. The main dashboard of this app has a circle-shaped ring pattern which indicates the usage of these sensitive permissions on multiple applications (mostly the Location, Camera, and Microphone). If you choose one, you’ll see a timescale that displays the time consumed by the apps using that specific permission in the last 24 hours.
How to Obtain the Android 12 Privacy Dashboard Feature on your Smartphone?
Google will not bring this particular feature to older Android devices (like Android 11 or lower versions of Android OS.) But here in this useful guide, we’ll discuss simple methods to experience this special feature instantly on any of your Android devices, whether they’re operating on the latest Android 11 Operating System or their lower version like (Android 9, 10, etc.).
An Indian Android App Developer, Rushikesh Kamawar, recently developed an app through which you can experience the Android 12 Privacy Dashboard feature on your Smartphone easily. You also can’t believe that this third-party application operates in the same manner as the official one with the additional advantage of being installed on any Android Smartphone. Whatever be the Android version (like Android 8, 9, 10, or 11) this app can provide the feature without bothering about the Android update. This third-party application will mimic Android 12’s Privacy Dashboard feature on older Android OS devices which means you don’t need to wait for the official Android update and can experience the feature without any issue.
Now, we’ll discuss how to install and set up the Privacy Dashboard application on your Smartphone.
How to Install and Set-up the Privacy Dashboard app on your Android Smartphone?
- Firstly, Download this app from the Google Play Store. You can download the app here:
- Once you have installed the application on your Android device, simply click on the Open button.
- For the first time, this application will ask you to allow or grant multiple permissions like location and accessibility on the Android device. This statement signifies that the Accessibility permission will allow the app to track the use of the camera, microphone, etc. on the Android Smartphone.
- Now, just tap on Allow Access option for the ‘Location Access’ option and then select the While Using the App option.
- Now, click on the Open Settings menu for the ‘Accessibility Setting’ option.
- Once you reach the Accessibility page on the device Settings menu, click on the Privacy Dashboard option.
- Then tap on the switch ‘Use Privacy Dashboard’ to allow this permission.
- Now, you’re ready to experience this feature.
Although, the app will continuously display a message on the notification bar that ‘app is running in the background’ through which you can understand whether it is running or not when you need it the most. But if this is the case that bothers you a lot and you want it to turn off, then you can follow these steps to disable the continuous notification on your Android device.
- Open the Privacy Dashboard application on your Android
- Go to the App Settings menu and then click on the Hide Notifications
- Here you’ll discover an option which is known as ‘All Privacy Dashboard Notifications’.
- You can either stop them completely or can also manage the notifications by the ‘Important’/ ‘Less Important’ option which displays only specific notifications from the app.
How to Use Privacy Dashboard Application on your Android Device?
- After the installation and set-up of the app, you’re ready to use the app properly. Now, go to the home page of the app and check how many applications have been used the location access, camera, and microphone on your Android device throughout the day.
- You can just click on the Location, Camera, or Microphone options to look over the detailed information along with the proper timeline.
- Whenever an application uses one of these three permissions (location, camera, or microphone) on the Android device in the background, the Privacy Dashboard app will immediately inform you about it by displaying the icon on the top bar of the Smartphone screen.
- So, if in case, some applications are unnecessarily using those permissions which you feel pointless or useless then make sure to visit that particular app info page and instantly go to ‘Manage Permissions’ as per your requirement.
- Moreover, you can change or alter the privacy indicator from the app settings page as per your requirement.
Through these steps, you can use this application on your Android device. Although, the Privacy Dashboard app has some bugs and faults as it accidentally logs applications that are running in the forefront or foreground and even some stock applications. We hope that the developer of this app will remove these types of bugs instantly and also resolve these types of faults in the app.
Thanks for reading. I will be back soon with another interesting update. Keep visiting HiTricks. Don’t forget to join our Telegram Channel for getting the latest tech updates.
Anuj is a passionate blogger from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. Currently pursuing B.sc in Programming and Data Science from IIT Madras. Apart from being an avid learner and a tech enthusiast, he loves playing PC Games and likes to keep himself updated with the latest trends in the tech industry.
