How to check and turn off app permissions on your phone (camera, microphone, location, contacts)

Steps

1. Android: check the privacy dashboardOpen Settings, go to "Security and Privacy" (just "Privacy" on some phones) and tap "Privacy dashboard". On Android 13 and later you see the past 7 days; on Android 12, the past 24 hours. Tap the permission you are curious about, such as camera, microphone or location, to see which apps used it and when. Tap a suspicious app to change its permission right there.
2. Android: browse permissions by type in Permission managerGo to Settings → "Security & Privacy" → "Privacy" → "Permission manager". Tap a permission type such as Camera, Microphone, Location, Contacts, Call logs, SMS or Photos and videos; the apps you allowed and denied are listed separately. Tap an app and change its setting. For camera, microphone and location the options are: "All the time" (location only), "Allow only while using the app", "Ask every time" and "Don't allow".
3. Android: check every permission of a single appGo to Settings → "Apps"; if the app is not listed, tap "See all apps". Pick the app and tap "Permissions"; every permission you have allowed or denied for that app is gathered here. Tap any permission you think is unnecessary and choose "Don't allow". A flashlight or calculator app, for example, has no need for your contacts, SMS or microphone.
4. Android: choose approximate locationOn the app's Permissions screen, tap "Location". Choose between "Allow all the time", "Allow only while using the app", "Ask every time or allow when you share" and "Don't allow"; outside navigation, most apps do not need constant background location. If you leave access on, turn off "Use precise location" on the same screen. The app then only knows an area of about 3 square kilometers, which is plenty for a weather or news app.
5. Android: let unused apps lose their permissions automaticallyGo to Settings → "Apps" → the app in question. Under "Unused app settings", turn on "Pause app activity if unused". If you then leave that app unopened for a while, Android takes back the permissions you granted. This is a per-app setting, so check it for every app you rarely open but do not want to delete.
6. Android: switch camera and mic off device-wide, and know the green indicatorWhen an app uses the camera or microphone, a green indicator appears at the top right of the screen; swipe down and tap it to see which app is using it, then tap again to manage its permission. To block the camera or microphone for all apps at once, go to Settings → "Security & privacy" → "Privacy" → "Privacy controls" and turn off "Camera access" or "Microphone access". The faster route: swipe down twice from the top of the screen and tap the camera or microphone tile in Quick Settings. If the tile is missing, tap "Edit" or "Add" at the bottom of Quick Settings and drag the tile in.
7. iPhone: review camera, microphone and other accessGo to Settings → "Privacy & Security". Tap a category such as "Camera", "Microphone", "Photos", "Calendars", "Bluetooth" or "Local Network" to open the list of apps that requested that access. Turn off an app's switch to remove its access. If an app is not on the list, it has never asked for that data; apps do not appear on these lists until they request permission.
8. iPhone: limit access to your contactsGo to Settings → "Privacy & Security" → "Contacts", then tap the app. Below "Contacts Access", choose how much access you are giving it. If you do not want to open up your whole address book, choose "Limited Access", tap "Edit Selected Contacts", tick the people you want the app to see and tap "Done". A messaging app then sees only the contacts you picked.
9. iPhone: set per-app location access and Precise LocationGo to Settings → "Privacy & Security" → "Location Services" and tap the app. Pick the access level that fits what the app does; with "Ask Next Time", the app has to get your approval again the next time it wants your location. If the app does not need your exact position, turn off "Precise Location" and it will only see your approximate location. The record of your own movements (Significant Locations) is a separate setting; this screen only changes app permissions.
10. iPhone: read the orange and green dots, turn on App Privacy ReportA green dot in the status bar means an app is using the camera (or the camera together with the microphone); an orange dot means an app is using the microphone without the camera. The top of Control Center also tells you which app used either one recently. For a history, scroll down on Settings → "Privacy & Security", tap "App Privacy Report" and choose "Turn on App Privacy Report". The report only gathers data from the moment you turn it on; after a few days, the "Data & Sensor Access" section shows how many times and when each app accessed your location, camera, microphone or contacts in the past 7 days. The report data is encrypted and stored only on the phone; turning the report off deletes it.