Android Q also implements huge privacy fixes. Privacy is being baked into the major privacy fixes seen in Android Pie.
When an app is granted permission for storage, it can take advantage of files it shouldn’t be able to access. Scoped storage is here to fix that. On a per app basis, an isolated storage sandbox is created, which restricts other apps’ access to the files that an app stores on an external storage device.
Location services are also changed to manage nasty apps that randomly request device locations in the background. This is done by redesigning the location options from “allow or deny” to “allow always, allow when the app is open, or deny”. This way, users won’t have to turn off their GPS in fear of a rogue app.
On top of location control, apps will no longer be able to start themselves up in the background without permission. Not only does this improve privacy, but battery life too. Rogue apps that start in the background often use a phone’s resources for advertising or light computation.
Attributes of the phone, like the model and make, are also set to be hidden from apps to improve privacy. This can be granted on request, and is generally a good thing for concealing habits about how one would use one’s phone.
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