ANDROID 17 introduces a Contact Picker that lets users grant apps access to specific contacts rather than the entire list, a change Google is implementing to curb broad data access. Previously, apps needing a single phone number could request the READ_CONTACTS permission, which effectively exposed every name, email, and number in a user’s address book.
From 21 April 2026, Android 17 will require apps to use the Contact Picker or the Android Sharesheet for contact access, with READ_CONTACTS reserved for cases where an app cannot function without it. The update aims to prevent apps from harvesting whole contact lists and potentially sharing data with data brokers or advertisers.
Location permissions are also becoming more granular under Android 17, with a new model allowing location requests to be tied to a specific action and a persistent indicator for when an app uses location. According to Google, tighter permissions management is a key privacy enhancement, while Google’s Ad Safety report notes billions of policy-violating ads were blocked in 2025.