One of the top Android 12 features is the new privacy dashboard that lets you keep an eye on apps that access sensitive permissions. Although Google will not officially bring this feature to older Android phones, India-based developer Rushikesh Kamewar has released a free app under the same name. Dubbed Privacy Dashboard, this app lets you track camera, location, and microphone permissions on any phone. With that said, let’s see how you can get Android 12’s Privacy Dashboard on any Android phone.
You can use the Privacy Dashboard app on phones running Android 7.0 (Nougat) and above. If your phone happens to be running a compatible Android version, here’s how you can download and use the Privacy Dashboard without upgrading to Android 12. It also saves you the trouble of purchasing a new smartphone that will get the Android 12 update when it releases later this year.
- Download Privacy Dashboard App
- Setup Privacy Dashboard on Your Android Phone
- Using Privacy Dashboard App on Android Phone
Download Privacy Dashboard App
Setup Privacy Dashboard App on Your Android Phone
When you open the Privacy Dashboard app for the first time, you will need to allow location access and accessibility permissions. Location permission access is required to log location app usage, while accessibility permission is required to keep track of camera and microphone usage by apps on your phone.
Once you open the dedicated accessibility page for Privacy Dashboard, enable the “Use Privacy Dashboard” toggle and tap on “Allow”. You are now all set to use the app.
Once you have set up the app, you will see a chart on the home page that represents the camera, microphone, and location usage over the past 24 hours. You can tap on the Location, Camera, or Microphone options below the chart to view the respective timelines.
The app also comes with an optional privacy indicator that you can customize to change the position, size, opacity, bezel margin, and more. You can enable the privacy indicator toggle from the app’s settings to enable Android 12-like privacy indicators on your phone. You also have the option to exclude specific apps from showing up in the log.
So, that’s how you can get the Privacy Dashboard on phones that may not receive Android 12 update. If you are interested in other Android 12 features, we have a list of Android 12 features you can use on any Android phone. On the other hand, if you are more interested in iOS 15 features, go through our linked article to how to get iOS 15 features on Android right now.
