Samsung’s One UI 4 has been “out” for a few months now, and consistently with the Korean manufacturer’s habits, it bears little resemblance to Android 12 on which it is based. Samsung has always featured strongly in its interfaces, and the One UI 4 is no exception. Choices are more or less different from those of Google also on the subject of privacy, where the latest version of the green robot showed a series of innovations compared to the past.
Samsung has integrated all of them into One UI 4 but varies something. And since the company’s 2022 has just come to life, both in terms of new entries in the range and on that of the updates for the 2021 and 2020 products that are shipped, it is interesting the in-depth analysis of the XDA colleagues on the privacy of the interface. Korean so as to soften the approach to those who buy a Galaxy S22 or one of the very recent Galaxy A53 or A33 that arrive with the One UI 4.1 installed in the factory.
Small note: XDA used a Galaxy S22 Ultra, but with the same interface, the rumors should not change significantly between one product and another.
PRIVACY AND PERMIT
Samsung has cut a step compared to Google: if on Android 12 “stock” the privacy dashboard has a separate section, on One UI 4 (and later versions) Samsung has preferred to condense the information. On Google Pixel with Android 12, it is immediately evident in the upper area the pie chart showing which apps have accessed the position in the last 24 hours, with the detail just below.
Samsung has avoided the graph by proposing in the first instance the details of the three main categories relating to privacy: camera, microphone and location. By touching one of the three, you access the list of apps that have used that component, complete with the times of the individual requests and whether the same occurred with the app in the background or while it was being used. Within the screen, the gear at the top right allows you to grant or deny apps access to individual areas.
AUTHORIZATION MANAGER
Also within the Privacy section of the System Settings, under the three categories of permissions – camera, microphone and location – there is the Permission Manager item which allows you to intuitively manage permissions based on the app. Just tap one of the items in the list, such as Calendar, Call Log, Camera, etc., to get a list of apps that have been granted or denied permission for that specific scope.
The Location section has one more option, the one to grant or deny precise location.
CHECKS AND NOTICES
Having said that we are always within the Privacy section of the System Settings, the Controls and alerts area is populated by two very useful switches: deactivating the first one denies access to the cameras to all of them in one fell swoop. the apps in memory, even if previously given permission, and the same is possible with the switch at the bottom that concerns the microphone.
In fact, two general switches can also be accessed quickly and easily through the quick settings curtain. However, the two buttons are not present by default, they must be enabled. To do this, pull down the quick settings panel, touch the toggle with the “+” (in the image, the one next to Wi-Fi Calling ) and drag both or one of the toggles to the desired position. By tapping on Done at the bottom, the modification is finalized.
Thus, from the quick settings drop-down which is always at your fingertips, you can deny or grant all installed apps access to cameras and microphones.