Personal Digital Life

Look after your own phone and accounts: app permissions, storage, account recovery, a lost phone and your rights under UU PDP.

Personal Digital Life

Where Your Phone's Data Lives

Your phone's data lives across three distinct layers: local device storage, your synced Google Account, and remote application servers maintained by individual software companies.

L3App Server LayerChat history, store orders, banking recordsL2Google Account LayerContacts, Drive backup, emailsL1Phone Hardware LayerLocal storage, photos, downloads
L3App Server LayerChat history, store orders, banking recordsL2Google Account LayerContacts, Drive backup, emailsL1Phone Hardware LayerLocal storage, photos, downloads

On the phone: local files, camera photos, cached records, and offline app settings sit physically inside your handset hardware storage.

Backing Up an Android Phone with Google

Check and Change App Permissions on Your Android PhoneEach Android app asks for permissions such as location, camera and microphone, and you can change them at any time. The privacy dashboard shows which apps used a permission and when.1Settings, AppsSee all apps2PermissionsAllowed or denied3Allow or Don't allowAllow only while usingthe app, Ask every time4Pause app activity ifunusedUnused app settings5Privacy dashboardSecurity and Privacy6The apps that used itThe last 7 days onAndroid 13
Check and Change App Permissions on Your Android PhoneEach Android app asks for permissions such as location, camera and microphone, and you can change them at any time. The privacy dashboard shows which apps used a permission and when.1Settings, AppsSee all apps2PermissionsAllowed or denied3Allow or Don'tallowAllow only whileusing the app, Askevery time4Pause app activityif unusedUnused app settings5Privacy dashboardSecurity and Privacy6The apps that useditThe last 7 days onAndroid 13
  1. Open Settings, tap Apps, and select the app. If you do not see it, tap "See all apps" first.
  2. Tap Permissions. The ones you already allowed or denied are listed here.
  3. Tap a permission, then choose Allow or Don't allow. For location, camera and microphone you can also choose "Allow only while using the app" or "Ask every time." "All the time" is offered for location only.
  4. To pause apps you do not use, open the app's settings and turn on "Pause app activity if unused" under Unused app settings. On Pixel phones, some of these steps work only on Android 11 and up.
  5. To see which apps used a permission, open Settings, tap Security and Privacy or Privacy, then tap Privacy dashboard.
  6. Select a permission, such as camera or microphone, to see the apps that used it. Tap an app in the list to change its permission. The dashboard covers the last 7 days on Android 13 or 24 hours on Android 12.

Checking an App before You Install It

Under Indonesia's Personal Data Protection Law (UU PDP), businesses must safeguard customer data they collect and maintain clear privacy boundaries.

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