Android and iOS-like app permissions coming to Windows 10 apps

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is due on October 17th. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft is bringing app permissions for improved privacy and security with UWP (Windows Store) applications. Admins of the Enterprise Edition have an option to reduce the diagnostic data collected to be reduced to the minimum needed for administration by company IT departments.

Craig Ward, Published 09/13/2017

In Android 6.0 ‘Marshmallow’ and iOS 9.0 Google and Apple added a system for handling individual application permissions, allowing users to deny selected permissions based on their preferences. This feature gave consumers a bit more control over their privacy and security by making them the one deciding whether that calculator app needed access to the camera or whether Spotify should have access to your photos, contacts, and phone sensor data (at one point it did ask for those permissions).

Now this feature is coming to Windows via the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. This change, which only applies to UWP (Windows Store) applications, prompts users to allow access to things such as the camera or contacts when requested, helping to avoid opening weak points if a bug was to compromise that software.

Earlier this year Microsoft halved the amount of telemetry data collected on the ‘basic’ setting, and the Fall Creators Update will allow administrators to further reduce the diagnostic data collected. Unfortunately, this change is only available for Enterprise Edition software.

Windows 10 Fall Creators update is expected to be released to the general public on 17th October after a several week test period with Windows Insiders.

Source(s)

on MSFT

Apple is contemplating on an unified app development model similar to Microsoft's UWP. (Source: Microsoft)

Apple mulling at unified app development a la Microsoft's UWP 12/21/2017

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Windows 10's included password manager can pose a security risk 12/18/2017

An example of three Android Instant Apps. (Source: Google)

Android Instant Apps gives the Play Store a 'Try Now' button to test and use apps without installing 10/24/2017

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is all set to roll out starting October 17

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will officially roll out starting October 17 along with a slew of Windows Mixed Reality headsets 09/01/2017

71 percent of Windows 10 Creators Update users send Microsoft their full telemetry data 08/10/2017

Users running desktop apps traditionally had to sign out and sign back in to apply new DPI settings. (Source: Liliiputing)

Enhanced DPI scaling coming to Windows 10 in the Fall Creators Update 07/09/2017

Windows Timeline will debut on Insider builds shortly after release of the Fall Creators Update. (Source: Microsoft)

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Microsoft reveals some of the upcoming enterprise security features in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update 06/28/2017

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Craig Ward - Tech Writer - 397 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2017

I grew up in a family surrounded by technology, starting with my father loading up games for me on a Commodore 64, and later on a 486. In the late 90's and early 00's I started learning how to tinker with Windows, while also playing around with Linux distributions, both of which gave me an interest for learning how to make software do what you want it to do, and modifying settings that aren't normally user accessible. After this I started building my own computers, and tearing laptops apart, which gave me an insight into hardware and how it works in a complete system. Now keeping up with the latest in hardware and software news is a passion of mine.

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