1212830 - (runtime-permissions) [meta] Android 6.0: Support for runtime permissions

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox for Android Graveyard :: General, defect)

Description

[Sebastian Kaspari (:sebastian; :pocmo)]

This meta bug tracks the work needed to support runtime permissions (>= Android 6.0).

System permissions are divided into two categories, normal and dangerous:

* Normal: The system grants the permission automatically (No risk for user's privacy)
* Dangerous permissions: The user has to explicitly give approval.

Currently Firefox needs 5 dangerous permissions:
* Camera
* Contacts
* Location
* Microphone
* Storage

Comment 1

[:Margaret Leibovic]

We should make an Aha card for this.

Comment 2

[Barbara Bermes [:barbara] - NI please!]

can this be covered under this Aha card (https://mozilla.aha.io/features/FENN-239) or do you think we need a separate one?

Comment 3

[Sebastian Kaspari (:sebastian; :pocmo)]

(In reply to Barbara Bermes [:barbara] from comment #2)
> can this be covered under this Aha card
> (https://mozilla.aha.io/features/FENN-239) or do you think we need a
> separate one?

I think we should create a separate one. The linked meta bug has a lot of different things attached to it. This here is a somewhat isolated big task. We might want to tackle the different Android M issues in different releases but there's only one that introduces "runtime support" for all permissions.

Comment 4

[:Margaret Leibovic]

I don't see that a new card was ever created...

Comment 5

[Barbara Bermes [:barbara] - NI please!]

Sorry for the delay, it has been created now and put into the prioritized list to further discuss.

Comment 6

[Gian-Carlo Pascutto [:gcp]]

Release Note Request (optional, but appreciated)
[Why is this notable]: Significant feature addition especially for paranoid users.
[Suggested wording]: Firefox installations on Android 6.0 and later will delay asking for some permissions until they are needed.
[Links (documentation, blog post, etc)]:

Comment 7

[Liz Henry (:lizzard) (relman/hg->git project)]

Is this ready to note for 46 aurora? Is there anything we can link to (if not now, we should have something for when 46 gets to beta and release)

Comment 8

[Liz Henry (:lizzard) (relman/hg->git project)]

In the draft of release notes now for 46 as "Request camera, location, microphone, and storage permissions at runtime".

Comment 9

[Sebastian Kaspari (:sebastian; :pocmo)]

We should somehow mention that this is about the runtime permissions of Android 6+ and not website permissions. Maybe something like: "Added support for Android 6.0 runtime permissions: Users can grant permissions like Camera, Location, Microphone and Storage to Firefox when needed, not when they install the app".

Comment 10

[Liz Henry (:lizzard) (relman/hg->git project)]

Margaret had suggested not mentioning the specific permissions, and we went with:

On Android 6.0+, Firefox will ask for permissions while the app is running, not when it is installed

Comment 11

[:Margaret Leibovic]

(In reply to Liz Henry (:lizzard) (needinfo? me) from comment #10)
> Margaret had suggested not mentioning the specific permissions, and we went
> with:
> 
> On Android 6.0+, Firefox will ask for permissions while the app is running,
> not when it is installed

Yeah, I think this makes the most sense, since we're not actually changing the permissions that Firefox is asking for, just changing the moment when it asks.

Comment 12

[Paul [pwd]]

It's probably worth mentioning that most apps simply say something like "Android 6/Marshmallow Compatibility" and leave it at that since the more savvy users will know that means runtime permissions and the less savvy really won't care.

Comment 13

[Sebastian Kaspari (:sebastian; :pocmo)]

All bugs are closed. Bugs to improve the permission handling are tracked in bug 1239284.