Android’s Privacy dashboard can show which apps accessed your camera or microphone. The screen showing which permissions an app has is different from its actual access history. Start by checking which app accessed a permission and when, then adjust permissions for features you do not use.
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An app appearing in the history does not by itself establish that it was spying on you or that your phone was hacked. Consider whether you were making a video call, taking a photo, using voice input, or doing something else that needed that permission at the time.
Permission settings and access history answer different questions
Allowing camera access defines the conditions under which an app can use the camera. The Privacy dashboard shows which apps accessed data through a permission during the displayed period, and when that access occurred. If an app concerns you, look at both.
For example, a microphone entry immediately after a video call may relate to that call. For an unexpected entry, check the app name and time, then consider whether a feature in that app would have needed the microphone.
This helps you interpret the record. It is not a test that can determine an app’s safety from its access history alone.
Check access times in the Privacy dashboard
Google’s general route is Settings → Security & privacy or Privacy → Privacy dashboard. On some devices, you may need to select Privacy once more before the dashboard appears. Choose the permission you want to check, such as Camera or Microphone, and review the apps and access times shown.
Check the period displayed as well. Google describes a 24-hour history for Android 12 and the last 7 days for Android 13. Do not assume those periods apply unchanged to every later version or manufacturer’s interface. Use the range shown on your own device.
Some features depend on the Android version. If you cannot find the route, search Settings for Privacy dashboard or Permission manager, then check your phone manufacturer’s guidance for that version. Google’s Privacy dashboard help also describes the version-specific behavior.
Match each permission to how you use the app
To change an individual app’s permissions, open Settings → Apps → the app → Permissions. To review multiple apps with camera or microphone access, use Permission manager, which groups apps by permission type.
Depending on the app and permission, you may see these choices:
| Option | When to consider it |
|---|---|
| Allow only while using the app | You take photos, use voice input, or use similar features while actively using the app |
| Ask every time | You want to decide whether to grant access each time |
| Don’t allow | You do not need that feature in the app |
Not every device presents every option. All the time applies to location; do not assume the same option exists for the camera or microphone.
Choosing Don’t allow prevents the app from using that permission even while you have it open. A camera button or voice input feature may therefore stop working. Change one permission for one app at a time so you can avoid disabling functions you need. Google’s app permission guidance explains the choices.
If calls or recording stop working, check two places
If the camera or recording no longer works after your review, first check the affected app’s camera and microphone permissions. Make sure you have not selected Don’t allow for a function you need.
Device-wide access controls can also affect these features even when the app’s own permissions seem correct. On supported devices, privacy settings let you turn off camera or microphone access for the entire device. This has a different scope from changing one app’s permission.
- If only one app is affected, start with that app’s permissions.
- If its permission settings do not explain the issue, also check the device-wide camera and microphone access controls.
If you intended to restrict only one app, consider whether a device-wide block is necessary. These checks cover permission settings, not every possible cause of a malfunctioning app.
When menus differ or the history is incomplete
Names, locations, and the way history is displayed vary between Android versions and phone manufacturers. If instructions from another phone do not match yours, check your Android version and the manufacturer’s help first.
The dashboard also cannot establish what happened outside its displayed period. Base adjustments on the visible history and current permissions instead of assuming activity that the screen does not show.
Permission management does not block every malicious app or every form of data collection. Reviewing these settings does not require starting with app-data deletion or a factory reset.
Official sources
- Google Android: Manage permissions from the privacy dashboard
- Google Android: Change app permissions on your Android phone
Official sources checked on September 18, 2026. Check your device’s own guidance for manufacturer-specific menus and later Android versions.