With the upcoming Android 17 upgrade, Google is introducing a new feature that many users have been missing for years: much finer control over which contact details apps are actually allowed to access.
The so-called “Contact Picker” is designed to solve a fundamental privacy issue in everyday use. Google highlights this in a developer post on the official Android Developers Blog.
Until now, it has been standard practice on Android for apps to either have full access to the address book or none at all. This means that many apps can view more data than is necessary for their function.
This is exactly where the new Contact Picker comes in. When Android 17 launches later this year, you will be able to specifically select individual contacts that you wish to share with an app. Furthermore, apps will only be able to request specific data fields, such as just phone numbers or email addresses.
In practical terms, this means that if a messaging app like WhatsApp only needs a phone number, you no longer have to share your entire address book.
Android Developers/Googleblog
Access is now only temporary
Another important point: access to the selected contacts is time-limited. Apps are only granted temporary read access via a so-called session authorisation. This makes persistent background access significantly more difficult.
In addition, the new feature supports multiple user profiles. This means you can also select contacts from separate areas, such as a private profile or a work profile on the same device.
Familiar principle expanded
The concept isn’t entirely new. Since Android 13, there has been a similar solution for photos and videos in the form of the ‘Photo Picker’. There, users also decide specifically which content they wish to share.
With Android 17, Google is now extending this principle to contacts – a particularly sensitive area of data.
Response to long-standing criticism
The move is seen as a direct response to criticism of excessive app permissions. In the past, many apps have demanded access to entire contact lists, even though they only required specific pieces of information.
Google therefore expressly recommends that developers only request the data they actually need in future. This is intended not only to enhance security but also to strengthen user trust.
For you as a user, this means, above all, greater transparency. You can see more clearly which data you are sharing – and retain control over it. Especially in everyday life with many apps, this can be a noticeable improvement: instead of blanket permissions, you will in future decide on a case-by-case basis which information is shared.