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I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve installed an app, quickly tappedAllowon the prompt asking for photo access, and moved on without a second thought. If you’re anything like me, now may be a good time to check which apps still have access.
How to See Which Apps Have Access to Your iPhone Photos
When you first install an app, and it wants to use an image or video from your camera roll, you’re asked whether you’d like to permit it to access your photo library. This prompt typically appears when you attempt to upload, edit, or share media within the app.
For example, when I tried to upload an image to my Instagram story, the"Instagram"Would Like to Access Your Photo Libraryprompt appeared.
You’re typically given three options:Limit Access,Allow Full Access,orDon’t Allow. With theLimit Accessoption, you’re able to manually choose which images or videos the app can access, whileFull Accessmeans the app can access your entire camera roll.
To check which apps can access your Photos app, go toSettings > Privacy & Security >Photos. A list of all your apps that have previously requested access to your Photos app will appear.
To modify the level of access an app has to your Photos app, select it from the list, and choose one of the following options under thePhoto Library Accessheader:Limited AccessorFull Access. Otherwise, if you want to revoke the app’s access to your library entirely, selectNoneinstead.
While you’re at it, you may also want tomanage which apps can access your location on your iPhonefor greater privacy control.
Why You Should Keep Up With Which Apps Have Photo Access
For most, the Photos app is typically the most private app on their smartphone. The last thing anyone wants is for their private memories to potentially end up somewhere they shouldn’t.
While you canlock the photos app on your iPhone, when an app has Full Access to your photo library, it can theoretically view, copy, or even use your images without you realizing it. This is seldom a problem for well-known apps like Instagram or Facebook, as they follow privacy guidelines, and a privacy violation could be highly damaging to them.
However, if you’re like me and have a bad habit of installing every cool app you see on the App Store, it can quickly become an issue. Lesser-known apps could potentially misuse this access in ways you never intended.
A good rule of thumb is to only grant Full Access to apps you’re 100% sure you can trust. Otherwise, stick to Limited Access or avoid granting it entirely. And if you ever accidentally grant an app permission in a hurry, simply follow the steps above to revoke it!
