An app that worked perfectly last month suddenly cannot access the camera or storage, and nothing obvious changed. This surprises a lot of Android users, but it is not a bug. Modern Android deliberately takes rajaong permissions back from apps it considers dormant, and once you know that, the behaviour becomes predictable and manageable.
What Is Likely Causing It
- Android automatically resets permissions for apps that have not been opened for several months, a privacy protection enabled by default.
- The same system also puts unused apps into a hibernated state, stopping their background work entirely.
- Some vendor skins add their own aggressive app management on top of the standard behaviour, shortening the window before revocation.
- An app updated to target a newer Android version may need to request permission again under stricter new rules.
First Steps to Try
- Open the app and let it re-request whatever it needs. For most apps this is the whole fix.
- Go to Settings, Apps, select the app, then Permissions, and grant what it legitimately requires.
- In the same app entry look for an unused app settings section and turn off the option to remove permissions if you want the app exempted.
- Check Settings, Apps, then the three-dot menu, for a list of hibernated apps.
If the Problem Persists
- For a vendor skin with extra battery management, find the battery optimisation list and set the app to unrestricted if it must run in the background.
- Verify autostart permission on brands that include one, since it is separate from standard Android permissions.
- If an app you rely on rarely still needs constant access, add a calendar reminder to open it occasionally rather than disabling the protection globally.
- Reinstall the app if permissions refuse to stick even after being granted manually.
Safety and Data Warnings
Resist the temptation to disable automatic permission removal for every app at once. The feature exists because dormant apps holding location and microphone access are a real privacy exposure. Exempt individually and only where there is a clear reason, such as a security camera app or a medical reminder.
Conclusion
Permission revocation after disuse is a feature, not a failure. Open the app, regrant what it needs, and exempt only the handful of apps that genuinely must keep working while sitting idle. The rest are better off losing access until you actually open them again.
