Your apps

Your apps looks at the apps installed on the device and shows what each of them can access, such as the camera, the microphone, location, contacts, and messages. It is useful for spotting an app that has more access than it needs. The feature is available on Android only, because Apple does not allow an app to list the other apps installed on an iPhone.

The analysis is done on the device and the results are stored on the device only. Nothing is uploaded, and no app is reported anywhere.

Analyzing the apps for the first time

The feature is opened from the apps card on the You screen.

  1. On the first screen, titled "Let's analyze your app data", read what the analysis covers. It explains that apps can quietly access data through the camera, mic, location, and various other permissions.
  2. Tap Analyze my apps.
  3. The screen changes to "Analyzing your apps…" while the device is checked. This takes a few seconds, and longer when many apps are installed.
  4. When it finishes, the screen summarizes what stands out and lists every permission group that at least one app uses, with the number of apps in each. Below the list, a line states how many installed apps were analyzed and that the results are stored on the device only.
  5. Tap See more details to open the full "Your apps" screen.

The setup screen is shown once. After the analysis has run, See more details replaces it, and there is no way back into the setup flow.

The Your apps screen

The screen is titled "Your apps" and has two parts.

The card at the top, "What your apps can access", shows how many apps are monitored and a grid of permission categories, ordered from the most used to the least. Each tile shows the category name and how many apps use it. Only categories that at least one app uses are shown. The tiles are for information and are not tappable.

Below the card is the list of installed apps. Each row shows the app's icon, its name, and the permissions it uses, separated by commas. An app that uses none of the tracked permissions shows "No permissions"; those rows cannot be opened. Tapping any other row opens the app's details.

If no app data is available, the screen shows only "No Installed Apps".

What each permission means

Nine permission groups are tracked. The descriptions below are the ones shown on an app's detail screen.

PermissionWhat an app with it can do
Body sensorsReads heart rate, steps, and other body-sensor data.
CalendarReads and edits events, attendees, and reminders in the calendar.
CameraTakes photos and records video using the device camera.
ContactsReads the full contact list, including names, numbers, and addresses.
LocationReads precise or approximate location, including in the background.
MessagingReads and sends SMS and MMS messages on the user's behalf.
MicrophoneRecords audio using the device microphone.
PhoneReads phone state and call history, and can place calls.
StorageReads and writes photos, videos, and other files on the device.

Any other permission the system reports is not shown.

Looking at a single app

Tapping an app opens "App details", which shows the app's icon and name, the line "This app uses these permissions:", and a card for each permission with its description.

At the bottom, Review in phone settings opens Android's own App info screen for that app. Permissions are granted and revoked there, in the Android settings. Kiren shows what an app can access but does not change it.

If the app was uninstalled in the meantime, the screen shows "Failed to load app details".

Keeping the list up to date

There is no re-scan or refresh button, and none is needed. The list is refreshed automatically every time the Your apps screens are opened. An app installed or removed since the last visit appears correctly on the next visit. It does not update while a screen stays open. Leaving the screen and coming back is enough.

A note on the results

Your apps is an inventory, not a verdict. It shows what each app is able to access, and no app or permission is marked risky. A permission is not a sign of a problem in itself: a messaging app needs Messaging, and a map needs Location. What is worth a second look is an app that has access it does not need for what it does. The feature sends no notifications.