An Inquiry into Perception and Usage of Smartphone Permission Models

Abstract

Initially, Android and iOS took different approaches to protect users’ privacy from third-party apps by means of permissions. The old Android permission model has been repeatedly criticized for its poor usability, whereas the runtime permission model of iOS received relatively low attention in the usable security community. Since October 2015, Android also implements the runtime permission model. We compare perception and usefulness of the respective permission models by three groups: users of old Android, runtime Android and iOS permissions. To this end, we conducted a survey with over 800 respondents. The results indicate that both permission types are reportedly utilized by users for decision making regarding app usage. However, runtime permissions in Android and iOS are perceived as more useful than the old Android permissions. Users also show a more positive attitude towards the runtime permission model independently of the smartphone operating system.