A typical mobile game needs very little: internet access for ads, updates or online play, permission to send notifications if you want reminders, and sometimes Bluetooth for a controller. Location, camera and microphone only make sense for games that clearly use them, such as location-based walking games or voice chat. A simple game asking for your contacts, text messages, call history or accessibility access is a red flag. You can check and change every permission in your phone’s settings at any time, and a well-made game keeps working when you say no to the ones it doesn’t need.
Which permissions are normal for a game? #
| Permission | Normal when | Red flag when |
|---|---|---|
| Internet | Almost always: ads, updates, online play | Rarely a concern on its own |
| Notifications | You want reminders or turn alerts | The game won’t start unless you allow them |
| Bluetooth or nearby devices | Controllers, local multiplayer | A one-player game with no controller support |
| Location | Location and AR games like Pokémon GO | Puzzle, arcade or card games |
| Camera | AR features, scanning codes | The game has no camera feature |
| Microphone | Voice chat, sound-controlled games | An offline one-player game |
| Photos | Saving or picking images you choose | Full photo-library access for a simple game |
| Contacts | Optional friend finding | Required just to play |
| Text messages, call logs | Almost never for a game | Always |
| Accessibility, “display over other apps” | Almost never for a game | Always. These can read or control your screen |
Google Play already restricts which apps can request text-message and call-log permissions, so a game asking for them is unusual. If one does, especially one downloaded from outside the Play Store, delete it.
What does a simple game actually ask for? #
Flappy Kittens is a useful real example, since it’s a small offline game with ads. On Android it ships with internet and network-state access (for ads and updates), notifications (for its optional daily reminder), the advertising ID (for ads through Google AdMob), and audio-settings and vibration permissions for sound and haptics, which Android grants at install without a prompt. Its developer deliberately blocks the microphone and storage permissions that its audio and file libraries would otherwise add, and the share card it makes of your score is saved in the app’s own space, which needs no permission.
On iPhone it asks two questions: whether it may send notifications, and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency question about tracking. Decline tracking and you still get ads, just non-personalized ones. Your progress stays on your phone, and the game’s privacy policy says no personal information is sent to the developer’s servers, while Google’s ad service may collect advertising data under Google’s own policy.
That’s roughly what a light game should look like: a short list, each item with an obvious reason.
How to check a game’s permissions on Android #
- Open Settings and tap Apps.
- Tap the game. Use See all apps if it isn’t listed.
- Tap Permissions.
- Tap any permission and choose an option.
For location, camera and microphone, Google’s permissions help page lists these choices: Allow only while using the app, Ask every time and Don’t allow, plus All the time for location. “Only while using” is the right setting for almost every game.
Android can also strip permissions from apps you’ve stopped using. Under the app’s settings, find Unused app settings and turn on Pause app activity if unused.
Before installing, scroll down a game’s Play Store page to the Data safety section and tap See details. It shows what data the developer says the app collects and shares, and why, as described in Google’s Data safety guide.
How to check a game’s permissions on iPhone #
- Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap a category, such as Location Services, Camera, Microphone, Photos, Bluetooth or Local Network.
- You’ll see every app that has asked. Switch off any that don’t need it.
You can also find the game in Settings (under Apps on recent iOS versions) to see everything that one game is allowed to use in one place.
Before installing, check the App Privacy section on the game’s App Store page. Apple’s privacy labels sort data into what’s used to track you, what’s linked to you, what isn’t linked to you, and what isn’t collected at all.
Tracking: the permission free games care most about #
Most free games earn money from ads, and personalized ads pay more, which is why so many games ask to track you. We explain the money side in why mobile games have so many ads.
On iPhone, App Tracking Transparency has required apps to ask since iOS 14.5. According to Apple, choosing Ask App Not to Track blocks the app from the system advertising identifier and from tracking you with other identifying information, like your email address. To stop the question for every app at once, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track in Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking.
On Android, you can delete your advertising ID under Settings > Privacy > Ads, after which apps get a string of zeros instead of an ID. Our step-by-step guide to turning off personalized ads in games covers both phones. Either way, you’ll see the same number of ads. They’ll just be less targeted.
Extra care on a child’s phone #
- Require approval for downloads with Ask to Buy on iPhone or Family Link on Android.
- Say no to location, contacts and microphone unless a game clearly needs them.
- Read the privacy label or Data safety section before installing, not after.
- Favor games that work offline and need no account, since they have less reason to collect anything.
Red flags that mean you should delete a game #
- It asks for accessibility access or permission to display over other apps.
- It asks for text messages or call history.
- It refuses to run until you grant a permission it plainly doesn’t need.
- It came from outside the official stores. Our guide to whether mod APKs are safe explains why that’s risky on its own.
Frequently asked questions #
Why does a game need internet if it plays offline? #
Usually for ads, updates and optional online features. An offline game still works without a connection, but it may show fewer ads or skip online extras while you’re offline.
Is it safe to allow notifications for games? #
It’s safe, but it can get noisy. Notifications can’t read your data. They’re just a way for the game to message you, and you can turn them off at any time.
Should I let games track me? #
It’s your call. Saying no doesn’t reduce the number of ads, it only makes them less personalized, and the game should work the same either way.
What happens if I deny a permission a game needs? #
The feature that uses it stops working. A location game won’t show your position on the map, for example. You can grant it later in Settings.
Does Flappy Kittens need any permissions? #
It plays fully offline and doesn’t need anything to run. On iPhone it asks whether it may send a daily reminder and whether it may track for ads, and you can say no to both.