The Apps That Can Read Your Screen

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You install an app because it promises to make something easier. Perhaps it reads text aloud, helps organise your screen, or provides another useful accessibility feature. Months later, you may have forgotten that the app was given special access to your phone.

Some apps can request accessibility permissions that allow them to interact with or read information displayed on your screen. These permissions can be legitimate and useful, but they are also more powerful than ordinary app permissions.

You may never need to think about this if you only use well-known accessibility tools. The problem is that people sometimes grant special access simply because an app asks for it, without understanding what the permission allows.

Take a look through your phone’s accessibility settings and see which apps have been given special access. The exact menu varies between devices, so you may need to search Settings for “Accessibility” or “Installed apps” if you cannot find it.

Ask yourself whether each app still needs that permission. If you stopped using an app months ago, remove its access or uninstall it. If you do not recognise an app listed there, investigate it before allowing it to continue.

Be particularly cautious if an unfamiliar app tells you that you must enable accessibility access before it can perform an unrelated task. A simple game, wallpaper app, or utility should not automatically need powerful access to everything happening on your screen.

This is not a reason to avoid accessibility features. Screen readers, magnification tools, and other accessibility functions can be extremely useful. The point is to know which apps have been given elevated permissions and why.

It is also worth reviewing these settings after buying a new phone or transferring your apps from an older device. Permissions can sometimes follow an app to the new device, while your reasons for granting them may no longer apply.

Think of special permissions like giving someone a spare key rather than letting them stand at the front door. You may have had a good reason to provide access at the time. Just make sure you still know who has it.