Phone privacy settings · iPhone and Android
Which apps can see your photos? How to review access on iPhone and Android
Every app that touches your photos asked you once, probably in a hurry, and you said yes. Months later it still has that access. A short review can remove most of the risk, and it takes about five minutes.
The three levels
Phones now give apps a choice that is not just yes or no.
- All photos. The app can read your whole library, including everything you add later. Fine for a backup tool you trust. More than most apps need.
- Selected photos. You pick specific pictures and videos. The app sees only those.
- None. The app can’t see your library. It can still ask you to pick a photo through the phone’s picker.
Photo access is separate from camera access. An app can take new photos without being able to see your old ones, and the other way round.
On iPhone
Photo access sits in Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos, where you see every app that has asked and the level it has. Tap an app to change its level. Apps that have asked only appear in the list after they ask. The same Privacy & Security screen covers location, camera, microphone and other permissions, so it is worth a look beyond photos too.
Options on that screen are typically None, Limited Access (selected photos) and Full Access, though the labels can vary by iOS version. When an app has limited access, you can change which photos it sees from the same screen or when the app prompts you. Go by what your own screen shows.
On Android
Android Help describes two routes for app permissions:
- By app. Open Settings > Apps, tap an app, tap Permissions, then choose Photos and videos and change it.
- By permission. Open Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Permission manager, tap Photos and videos, and review every app with access in one list.
Menu names vary by phone maker and version.
Android 14 and later
Android 14 added selected photos access. When an app asks to read your photos and videos, the prompt can offer to let you choose specific items instead of allowing everything. This applies to apps built for Android 14 or later, and older apps may be handled in a compatibility mode, where a selection can expire when the app closes, much like a one-time permission.
The photo picker
Android also has a system photo picker. An app that uses it asks the phone to show your photos, you tap the ones to share, and the app receives only those, with no storage permission at all. If an app offers the picker, use it.
Pause unused apps
Android can also remove permissions from apps you haven’t opened in a while. In an app’s settings, look for the Pause app activity if unused option, which Android Help documents.
A five-minute review
- List the apps with all-photos access. Ask of each: does it really need my whole library?
- Downgrade editing, social and shopping apps to selected photos or none.
- Keep full access for tools whose job is your whole library, such as a backup you chose yourself.
- Delete apps you no longer use. A forgotten app keeps whatever access it was given.
- Repeat after big updates and when you install something new.
Where Silo fits
Silo asks for photo access so it can show your library while you choose what to import, and to remove originals once they are verified. If you give it access to only some photos, it can still import, but it can’t remove originals it wasn’t given. What you import is encrypted. The original stays in your photo library until you decide to remove it, and other apps with full access can still see it there. Silo has no ads and no ad tools.
Questions
Does an app with full access see my hidden photos?
It depends on the phone and version. Don't assume hidden means invisible to apps, and use selected photos or none for apps that don't need your library.
What is the photo picker?
A screen run by the phone itself that lets you choose pictures to hand to an app. The app gets only what you choose, and doesn't need permission to your whole library.
If I choose selected photos, can the app see the others?
No. The app can only see the items you picked. You can change that list later in settings, or when the app asks.
Do I need to give a photo editing app full access?
Usually no. Selected photos or the picker is enough to edit one picture. Full access is more useful for apps that back up or organize your whole library.
Does Silo need access to my whole library?
Silo asks for photo access so you can pick what to import, and needs it again to remove originals afterward. It imports only what you choose, has no ads and no ad tools, and keeps the vault in its own storage.