The Android OS has offered us full control over app permissions to help keep our smartphones safe from rogue apps. Apps cannot automatically grant themselves permissions, these have to be confirmed by the user via an on-screen prompt. Be cautious when granting permissions to apps on your mobile device. It’s important to review app permissions carefully, only grant the permissions that are necessary for an app’s intended functionality, especially when installing apps from unknown sources.
Most of Android’s app permissions are self-explanatory. For example, Microphone is used for recording audio and video, Camera is used to take photos, record footage, and stream video, Location is used to access your location using GPS for high accuracy, cellular data and Wi-Fi for approximate accuracy. Some of them however may be difficult to understand for beginners, such as the “Draw over other apps” permission on Android. Today, we will talk about this special permission on Android phone. You will learn the purpose of this permission, whether you should grant or deny an app this permission and how to enable or disable the “Display Over Other Apps” on Android phones.
What is Display over other apps permission for Android?
The “Draw over other apps”, also known as “Display over other apps”, is a permission on Android that allows an app to display its content on top of other apps or the device’s home screen. Essentially, it grants the app the ability to create a floating user interface element that can appear on top of any other app currently running on the device.
Several types of apps might require the “Draw over other apps” permission to function properly and provide their intended features, such as messaging apps, navigation apps, screen recording apps, clipboard managers, etc. Some music player apps might have a floating control widget that allows you to control playback without leaving the current app.
While this permission can be convenient for certain apps, it also has the potential to be misused for malicious purposes.
It’s important to note that while these are common use cases, not all apps within these categories necessarily require this permission. Always review the permissions an app requests before granting them to ensure that you’re comfortable with the level of access you’re providing.
Turn on or off Display over other apps permission on Android
Here we will show you two methods to enable or disable Draw Over Other Apps permissions using a Huawei and Tecno mobile phone. The exact wording and steps to enable or disable Display Over Other Apps or Draw Over Other Apps might vary slightly depending on your device’s manufacturer and Android version.
Method 1. Grant or deny Draw over other apps permission on a per-app basis
You can access the “App Info” screen on an Android phone to view and manage various details and settings for individual apps, such as the notifications settings, permissions, storage usage, mobile data & Wi-Fi, screen time, battery usage, and so on. You can also manage regular permissions and advanced permissions for specific apps from its App Info screen.
Open your home screen or App Drawer or App Library on your mobile phone. Find the app for which you want to access the App Info. Press and hold the app icon until a context menu appears. From the context menu, select App info or App details.
On this App Info or App Details screen, you can scroll down to the Advanced section to find out those special permissions if requested or granted, such as Display over other apps, Modify system settings, Install unknown apps, etc.
Tap on Display over other apps or Draw over other apps, depending on your device’s terminology. You can then turn it on or off simply by touching the toggle.
If you prefer to access the App Info screen through the device’s settings, you can follow steps below:
Open the Settings app on your Android device, select Apps or Applications, you’ll see a list of all installed apps. Find and tap on the app to access the App Info, where you can manage various settings and permissions.
Method 2. Manage the Draw over other apps permission through system settings
Open the Settings app on your Android device. Scroll down and select Apps, Apps & notifications, or Applications. Look for Special access, Special app access, or a similar option. Look for “Display over other apps,” “Draw over other apps,” “Apps that can appear on top,” or something similar.
Tap on it, a list of apps with this permission will be displayed. You will find the toggle to enable or disable it for selected apps.
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