How to Manage Permissions in Redmi MIUI 10.2 – Complete Details

Apps are crucial part of Android phone usability.

Redmi Note 4 has version 7.0 as the latest update. MIUI is a firmware developed by Xiaomi for its branded smartphones. This interface has different settings and permissions for your apps are one of them.

Installing a new app requires giving permissions to your camera, contacts, location, SMS, storage etc. Each app has its own requirements and specific permission needs.

In Android 4.0 and earlier, you didn’t have the option to toggle permissions. Either you had to accept all or deny.

Many Android users don’t like the idea of giving unrelated permissions (like location, camera etc) to some apps.

For example, Facebook requires access to the following permissions – Calendar, Camera, Contacts, Location, Microphone, Storage, Telephone.

This can be unnecessary sometimes, if you are using the Facebook app at home. But if you want to share “check-in“, then you need to give location access permission.

Some apps don’t work if you won’t allow access to contacts permission. Otherwise, the app may crash if the requested permissions are not given.

This post will discuss about permissions in Redmi MIUI 10.2 and how to manage them. In other smartphones and MIUI versions, the interface and options may differ slightly.

How to Access Permissions in Android 7.0

To do this follow this path

Settings > Permissions

The settings app can be found on the home screen or by clicking the gear-wheel on the top-right hand corner of your Redmi smartphone.

The following type of permissions are available here –

• Autostart
• Permissions
• Other Permissions
• Install via USB

Info about Autostart Permissions in MIUI 10.2

The main purpose of Autostart permission is to start apps in the background when your phone reboots. This is necessary for apps like Truecaller, which automatically identify your caller IDs. It is the same case with Google Apps like Gmail, Maps etc.

Another important function of autostart of apps is that they display notifications. It can be useful for important apps like WhatsApp.

When you click an app under this permission setting, there are two options.
1. Allow apps to start automatically.
2. Allow the app to be started by other apps.

You can enable or disable both the permissions or only one of them. One can also a label “Running” for some of the apps under Autostart permission. You can toggle the switch on or off if you want prevent apps from autostarting.

Permissions in MIUI 10.2 and Android 7.0

This is a list of app permissions. In this screen, you can see the following set of permissions.

1. Body Sensors
2. Calendar
3. Camera
4. Contacts
5. Location
6. Microphone
7. SMS
8. Storage
9. Telephone
10. Additional Permissions

Body Sensor permissions

These are generally necessary for fitness apps. But default app like Google Play Services also uses this permission. Since this is a kind of motion sensor permission, it is not required by all apps.

Calendar permissions

The Calendar permission is used by apps like Google and Calendar app. I have disabled this app for Messenger, Facebook, System Launcher. You can also see the system apps that use this permission. For example, Mi Cloud, MiCloudSync use these apps.

I found that when you deny system apps access to calendar apps, you are shown a warning which says like –

If you deny this permission, basic features of your device may no longer function as intended. You can use the options 1. Cancel 2. Deny Anyway.

Camera permission

This is required by apps like Duo, Google, Instagram, Messenger, CamScanner, Compass, WhatsApp etc. This is generally required by social media and game apps. If you are unsure whether you should enable or disable this option, it is best to keep the default options.

Contacts permission

This is required by apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, Messenger, Twitter etc. In some cases, apps use this permission to add contacts in your phone list to their social media accounts.

If you want to prevent this, you can deny this permission. This way you are more secure from preventing snooping of your contact details.

Location service

This is also used by apps like Uber, Zomato, Ola, Compass, Google, Hotstar etc. This is also a permission that involves privacy setting. If you don’t want anyone to follow or troll you, it is better to deny this permission.

But if you want to use apps that use functionality like Google Maps, then you need to allow this. So it is always better to allow when required and deny it when not required.

You can also deny this permission from home screen for all the apps at once.

Misc Other permissions

Google, Instagram, JioCall, Skype kind of apps require Microphone permissions. This is useful for conference apps. For example, Reddit app does not require this permission. You can just deny them.

Storage permissions are required by apps like CamScanner, Camera, Chrome, File Manager. For example, if you deny this permission to Photos app, then you may not be able to save your images to your phone or micro-sd card.

Additonal permissions are like Car Information, Mi Pay, miui.permission.ACCESS_BLE_SETTINGS, read instant messages, write instant messages etc.

Other permissions

In this screen, there are two tabs. 1. Apps 2. Permissions

Apps

You can see the list of apps and number of permissions they have been granted. For example, Facebook has 7 permission. When you tap that app, you can see the list of settings. These include

1. Modify system settings
2. Change Wi-Fi connectivity
3. Change Bluetooth connectivity
4. Home screen shortcuts
5. Show on lock screen
6. Start in background
7. Display pop-up window

When you click any setting, you are provided the following options. 1. Accept 2. Notify 3. Deny.

The first setting will allow that permission. The third option will deny it. If you want to be notified when this app uses that particular setting, than you can use the second option. In the same way, Instagram requires five permissions.

For example, I denied the “start in background” permission. This will prevent apps from using lot of battery power.

Permissions

In this setting, you can see the list of permissions. Each setting will indicate, how many apps are using this permission. The following is the list of permission in MIUI 10.2.

1. SMS and MMS.
2. Modify system settings
3. Change Wi-Fi connectivity
4. Change Bluetooth connectivity
5. Home screen shortcuts
6. Show on lock screen
7. Start in background
8. Display pop-up window

For example, 73 apps are using the “Start in background” permission. You can deny some of them if you don’t require. The advantage of this feature, is that you can change this permission for many apps at one location.

Change Bluetooth connectivity permission is not required by all apps. Some of the apps by default request this feature. The advantage of MIUI 10.2, is you can deny access to them when not required.

In 2019, many smart devices keep pinging the servers with data collected from your phones. When you deny permission to such apps, it may stop collection of privacy information.

Conclusion

As we have seen above, the “permissions” feature in Redmi MIUI 10.2 has lot of options. The main purpose of this option is to allow or deny access to certain permissions of your Android phone.

App developers make use of MIUI framework which provides API to take control of permissions on your phone. These are generally asked when you install any app. You have the choice to allow or deny them.

But if you deny all the permissions, the app may not function or crash sometimes. For example, a camera app, will not funciton without allowing it take control of camera permissions.

But if you allow specific permissions like location services, it may cause privacy risks. Confidential information is another priority. For example, Messenger may not necessary be required to access contacts permission.

So MIUI framework provides an easy and elegant way to manage app permissions. The advantage with 10.2 version and Android 7.0 are that many new features have been added, which are not available earlier.