How do I remove microphone access from an app?

Removing microphone access from an app is an important step to protect your privacy and security. The microphone on your smartphone allows apps to listen to your conversations, background noises, and any audio within range of the microphone. This audio data can potentially reveal sensitive personal information about you and your surroundings. Many apps request microphone access but don’t necessarily need it for their core functionality. Limiting microphone access ensures that shady apps cannot secretly record you without your knowledge. It also reduces the risk of an app’s audio recordings being hacked or leaked.

With privacy and security threats on the rise, it is wise to only grant microphone access to apps you fully trust. Periodically auditing and revoking unnecessary app permissions is a best practice. This guide will walk through the step-by-step process to revoke microphone access across Android and iOS devices.

Check Current Microphone Permissions

The first step is to check which apps currently have access to your microphone. On an iPhone or iPad, go to the Settings app and tap on Privacy. Then select Microphone to see a list of apps that have requested and been granted microphone access [1].

On Android, open the Settings app and go to Apps. Tap App Permissions, then Microphone. This will show you all apps installed on your device that can currently access the microphone [2]. Review the list to see which apps have permission that you may want to revoke.

Checking these settings allows you to see an overview of which apps can access your microphone before making any changes.

Revoke Access in App Settings

Many apps include settings where you can view and revoke permissions that have been granted. To remove microphone access for a specific app on your device:

1. Open the app and look for its settings. There may be a settings icon, menu, or cog that contains options for the app.

2. Navigate to the app’s permissions, privacy, or security settings. Look for options related to the microphone, audio or voice.

3. Find the toggle, switch or option to disable microphone access and turn it off. The app should no longer have permission to access your microphone.

4. You can repeat this process for other apps you want to revoke microphone access for. Just head to each app’s settings individually.

If you’re having trouble finding the setting, check the app’s help documentation or search for “[App Name] disable microphone access.” The steps can vary slightly between apps.

According to discussions on Apple’s forums, users recommend reviewing privacy settings within each iOS app to revoke access on iPhone and iPad devices.

Revoke Access in System Settings

You can revoke microphone access for a specific app through your device’s system settings. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions > Microphone. Here you will see a list of apps that have requested microphone access. Tap on the app you want to revoke access for and toggle the “Allow” switch off. [1]

On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone. You will see a list of apps that have requested microphone access. Tap on the app and select “Don’t Allow”. This will revoke microphone access for that app. [2]

Revoking microphone access from the system settings will help ensure that particular app can no longer access your device’s microphone without asking for permission again. This is useful if you want to selectively revoke access for certain apps but not others.

Double Check Access is Revoked

After removing microphone access in the app or system settings, it’s important to confirm the app no longer has access to the microphone. Here are some tips to check:

• Open the app and look for any microphone icons or indicators that it is listening.
• Try using a microphone feature in the app – if access was successfully revoked, it should fail or request access again.
• On Android, go back to the App Permissions section in Settings and confirm the app no longer has the Microphone permission enabled ^[1].
• On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and confirm the app is no longer listed as having access.

Revoking permissions does not always take effect right away, so check back later if access still seems enabled. Also try force quitting the app and restarting your device to ensure settings are refreshed.

Considerations for Android

Microphone access permissions vary across different versions of Android. For example, starting in Android 10, apps need to explicitly ask for microphone permission at runtime rather than just declaring the permission in the manifest. This provides users with more control over granting microphone access [1].

On Android 6.0 and above, users can revoke microphone access directly from the app info screen in system settings. However, on earlier versions of Android this option is not available. Users would need to find the app in the app manager and uninstall updates to revoke access [2].

Some Android skins, like Samsung Experience, also provide additional microphone controls not found in stock Android. So the options to manage microphone access will also depend on which device you are using [3].

Considerations for iOS

Microphone permissions vary across different versions of iOS. In iOS 10 and earlier, apps had access to the microphone by default. Users had to manually revoke access in the Settings app.

Starting in iOS 11, Apple introduced more granular control over microphone access. Apps now have to explicitly ask for microphone permission when it wants to access the mic. iOS will prompt the user with an alert the first time the app tries to access the microphone.

In iOS 15, Apple added a new toggle to disable access to the microphone across all apps from Settings. This provides a quick way to revoke microphone access globally.

So the steps to manage microphone access differ depending on which version of iOS you are running. Newer versions of iOS give users more control over permissions.¹

It’s also worth noting that some apps may require microphone access to function properly. Revoking access could cause certain features to stop working, so be thoughtful about which apps you restrict.

Regain Access if Needed

If you later decide to restore microphone access for an app that you had previously revoked it for, follow these steps:

On Android:

1. Open the Settings app and tap Apps & notifications.
2. Select the app and tap Permissions.
3. Turn on the Microphone permission.

On iOS:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone.
2. Find the app and toggle the switch next to it to green/on position.

This will re-enable microphone access for that app. You can repeat these steps for any apps that you want to restore microphone access for after revoking it.

Other Privacy Settings

In addition to microphone access, you may want to manage app permissions for other sensitive data like location, contacts, calendar, photos, and more. Both Android and iOS allow you to control app access to various permissions.

On Android, open the Settings app and go to Privacy. Here you can see permissions granted to apps and toggle them on or off. For example, you can revoke location access for apps that don’t need it. You can also reset app permissions to revoke access across the board (Android privacy settings and permissions).

Similarly on iOS, go to Settings > Privacy to manage app permissions for location, photos, contacts, calendar, reminders, microphone, and more. You can see which apps have requested access to each permission and individually toggle access on or off. iOS 14 also introduced App Privacy Report to show detailed insights about how each app is using permissions (Privacy – Control).

Being proactive about app permissions allows you to protect sensitive personal data. Only enable access when absolutely necessary for app functionality.

Conclusion

In summary, taking control of your app permissions is an important part of digital privacy and security. Many apps request access to features like your microphone without a clear need to do so. By selectively revoking access and only enabling permissions when required, you can better protect sensitive data.

Microphone access contains risks, as your conversations and background audio could potentially be recorded without your knowledge. Revoking this permission prevents your mic from being activated covertly. Overall, be proactive in checking permissions for new apps you download, and limit access unless you fully understand why an app needs it.

Managing app permissions does require some effort to check settings and toggle access on/off as needed. But putting in this time helps safeguard your privacy from unnecessary data collection by apps or third parties. Your personal information, conversations, and activities deserve protection.