Android 11: This is why camera apps are getting limited


Cameras Moto G8

Google is making a change to Android 11 that forces apps to use the built-in camera functions – even if you have a third-party camera application installed and set as default.

Google believes it has found an excellent crossroads between privacy and security. The reason for this is very simple: camera apps have gone too far, so Google wants to get the bad apples out of the basket in this way. This way, they can no longer steal your sensitive data, such as your location. It’s not a drastic change that will turn the Android user experience upside down, as many apps continue to work the same way.

At the same time, representatives of two of the largest camera apps at the moment are still concerned about this development. So hope not that Google will continue with this way of trading for long. This can have an effect on their business.

Samsung Galaxy A51 cameras

Android 11 limits camera usage of applications

So things will change, but a lot of things will also remain the same. You can still use third-party camera apps by opening it manually from the home screen. You can also still take advantage of the built-in camera functions of popular apps like Snapchat and TikTok. You can also still use your shortcut to open a camera app of your choice (such as double tapping the power button). Finally: apps can still open your favorite camera app on Android 11, but importing photos and videos is no longer possible.

The only change is, if Android apps want to use your camera app, they go straight to your system’s standard built-in camera – so they no longer need to build their own interface and therefore don’t let users choose.

And that is an important difference, because that means that those apps do not just send your location when they use the built-in camera function. In the developer guidelines, Google explains exactly why: the company is afraid that apps will ask for photos so that they can track your location undisturbed. When you take a photo, geotags are sometimes added to it. Those tags contain GPS coordinates of the exact location and that data can be forwarded by non-camera apps by using the (rogue) camera app.

It is not clear how many apps have been guilty of this in the past. But that it will happen is certain. Apps like Shutterfly have been caught in this behavior. Some camera app developers are now concerned that this decision will affect their businesses, while others are shrugging and realizing that users can still use their apps – a roundabout way, but it’s not impossible.

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