The Android Privacy Dashboard offers users a 24-hour view of permissions-related activities on their devices. If you prefer having a more comprehensive view beyond 24 hours, then this update is for you.
Google has started rolling out an update to the Android Privacy Dashboard which gives users access to 7 days of history.
According to a report from 9to5Google, this update is now available on Pixel devices running Android 15 QPR1. This is also part of the November 2024 Google Play system update. Once the update has been installed, you can access the 7-day history feature on your Android device by going to Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy dashboard.
What’s interesting is that this is a feature that Google has been working on for a while. Google had originally planned to release this in Android 13. It was also actually enabled in Android 16 DP1, but it seems that Google decided to roll it out in Android 15.
Another interesting thing about this update is how Google chose to push it out. Rather than waiting for a major Android update to make these changes, the update came via Google Play system updates. This highlights how in the future, Google can make improvements and changes to Android in a more efficient manner.
If you prefer keeping the same 24-hour view, you can. Users can toggle between either 24 hours or 7 days, depending on their preference. Depending if you want a shorter summary or something more detailed. At the very least, this gives users more options to choose from. Especially if they need to scroll back in time and look for any anomalies.
What is Privacy Dashboard?
The Android Privacy Dashboard was initially introduced back in Android 12. The goal behind the feature was to provide users with a greater degree of transparency on what goes on in their phones. Android has always been quite upfront whenever apps request permissions. But with the Android Privacy Dashboard, users actually get to see what gets accessed, and more importantly, when it gets accessed.
If your phone is locked and not in use, but the Privacy Dashboard shows that the camera or microphone was accessed during that time, then you know that something isn’t right.
It also shows which apps have been accessing it, and when. This allows users to quickly pinpoint potentially suspect apps that might be accessing certain smartphone functions when they shouldn’t.