After updating to Android 15, every app is asking for access to photos, documents, and contacts. Is this normal or did something go wrong? I'm tired of clicking through these notifications.
Just grant permissions once to the apps that actually need them, and then the system remembers them - it won't ask again. This is actually a new feature in version 15, where Google broke down access more granularly so apps can't just grab everything at once.
I noticed the same thing after the update - at first it seemed like the system went haywire, but once I allowed the necessary apps access to photos and documents, the notifications stopped. Some apps I just denied, and they work fine without those permissions. If some app keeps pestering you even though you've already granted it access, you should update it in the Play Market or reinstall it.
That's normal - Google tightened up file access permissions in Android 15, so apps now need to ask for permission for each category separately (photos, documents, contacts, and so on). Before, a single general permission to access storage was enough. Don't stress about it - just allow it only to apps that actually need it, and feel free to deny the rest, nothing will break.
if the system keeps asking for permissions even after you've already granted them, you should check your settings - sometimes the app cache or the system itself glitches. try going to settings → apps → select the specific app → storage → clear cache, and then restart. i had something similar happen and it fixed it. but if these are brand new apps from the Play Store, they might just not be optimized for version 15 yet - sometimes developers are lazy about updating right away.
I had the same thing after the update - it's annoying when the system keeps bugging you with requests. But I noticed that the frequent prompts often come from apps that haven't been updated in a while and are still built for older system versions. Try going to Play Market, find the apps in your installed list that bug you the most, and update them - the update brings compatibility with the new access permissions in Android 15, and the requests usually become more reasonable after that. If it still doesn't help, it might be a glitch in the system itself - then it makes sense to clear the cache for system apps (Settings → Apps → All apps, switch to system apps → find something like Google Play Services or Permissions Manager and tap on clear cache).
And at first I was annoyed too. But then I figured it out - there are two things mixed up here. Yes, Google really did tighten permissions in the 15th version, that's a fact. But the constant requests often happen not because the system forgets permissions, but because apps request them incorrectly or just work weirdly with the new access logic.
The main thing you need to do is not just hand out permissions to everything left and right, but keep track of who's actually asking for them. Different things helped in different cases: first, I checked for updates in the Play Store - older apps can have compatibility issues with the new system version, they request access incorrectly. Second, here's what actually helped - I went to Settings → Apps → found the ones that kept pestering me with requests, and in their permissions I set the needed one once in "Allow all the time" mode, if the app allows that. Some apps need a cache clear, then they stop asking for permissions again.
If even after granting permissions the system keeps bugging you with the same app - try just uninstalling it, clearing the cache for the "System apps" system application, and reinstalling it. Usually that quiets it down. Just wait a bit after each permission - the system's a little slow updating the status.
Check if you have the "Approximate location" option enabled or some experimental privacy settings in Developer Options - sometimes this makes the system re-request permissions even after you've already granted them. And yeah, the folks above are right about the stricter permissions, but if the system keeps asking the same app ten times a day, that's not normal :) try updating the problematic apps or clearing their cache separately.
Google really did change their approach to permissions, but there's a catch here. Yes, in Android 15 access rights to specific file categories (photos, videos, audio, documents) are separated - you've noticed that correctly 🙂 However, constant requests after you've already granted everything - that's not quite normal and might indicate that apps are conflicting with the new system.
Try clearing the cache of system apps first: go to settings → apps → show system apps → find something like "Permission Manager" or "Google Apps" and clear their cache. Sometimes a phone restart after the update helps - the system will reindex files and permissions will fall into place.
If that doesn't work, check which specific apps are asking for access. Old apps that developers haven't updated often conflict with the new permissions - they request access using the old algorithm, the system converts them to the new one, and the cycle repeats. For those you can just deny permission or reinstall the app if you need it.
Granting permissions once and having them remembered doesn't actually work that way in Android 15. The system has tightened the rules, but constant repeated requests usually point to specific issues, not the norm. If an app asks again after you've granted access to your photos, that's a hint something's off.
First thing to check: are the requests coming from new apps you just installed? They really should ask for permissions on first launch. Second - some older apps that haven't been updated for Android 15 might get confused by the new permission system and ask again. Try updating the apps that are bothering you the most through Google Play.
If it keeps happening anyway, go into app settings, pick the ones asking for permissions, and clear their cache and storage. Sometimes data piles up in there and makes the system forget about granted permissions. And yeah, check your security settings to make sure everything's fine with permissions there - maybe something got reset? Which specific apps are asking most often?
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