Android
Access Dots is an Android app that can tell if other apps are spying on you
Screw you, insidious apps.
There has been great furor around data-breaching and whether smartphones are recording your every word. In a world were deep-fakes are becoming a very real problem, it is no wonder that smartphone users are suspicious when it comes to app permissions.
Why, exactly, does that simple timer app need access to your calls, photos, contacts, and camera? It comes across as a little odd, at times. So, it is great to hear that Access Dots has stepped up to the plate with an Android app that can tell you when apps are accessing your device’s recording functions. Nobody likes a sneak, after all.
A simple solution
Image: KnowTechie
So, how does Access Dots work? The premise is really simple. First, you need to install the Access Dots app (available via the Google Play store). Then, the magic starts to happen. Whenever another app exercises its permission to access your mic or camera, for example, Access Dots will display a little notification at the top of your screen. This is simply a little dot in the notifications bar.
If an app is using your smartphone to record at the time, that dot will be orange or green. If you’re not expecting anything to be accessing your mic or camera, you can then head to your apps list and check out which app is recording every word you utter.
Overkill?
Is this kind of reaction overkill? I mean do we really need to know if an app is accessing our microphone or camera? Well, really, yes we do. Many of us will blindly give an application permission to access our entire smartphone. It is very rare that anyone will actually look at what an app wants to do once you’ve installed it. If you want to know which apps are eavesdropping on your convo, then Access Dots is the app for you.
While the app doesn’t tell you exactly which apps are accessing your device’s microphone and camera, you will still be alerted to any suspicious goings-on. Hopefully, future versions will have this feature. That way, you can kill the app on the spot and prevent it from reporting your every conversation back to some sort of criminal mastermind hell-bent on deep-faking your face and words with pinpoint accuracy.
Keeping your phone secure
Here at KnowTechie, we’re huge advocates of technological freedom. We firmly believe in your data being your data and we know this is a concern for you, too. You can use several methods of keeping your tech secure, and it doesn’t stop at downloading the Access Dots app.
If you are concerned about privacy and security, you really should consider subscribing to a reputable VPN – that way the data you send over the internet is all encrypted and kept safe from the grubby mitts of those evil cybercriminals.
What do you think? Are you interested in this Android app? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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