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Clueful 1.0.282

Check your Android apps for privacy risks

Rating:
(0)
Operating Systems:
Android
License:
Freeware
Developer:
Bitdefender
Software Cost:
Free
Category
Security
Date Updated:
23 November 2013
Downloads To Date:
734
Languages:
English
Download Size:
1.70 MB

Bitdefender's Clueful is a useful Android tool which checks all your apps and highlights any privacy risks.

Launch Clueful and it examines every app in turn, checking them against Bitdefender's cloud database, and finding out just what they're allowed to do on your PC. Once this first stage is over, you'll be presented with a "Privacy" score for your PC. Don't be surprised if this seems rather low; we started at only 56/100.

Choosing the option to view all your apps reveals more. They're presented in approximate order of privacy risk, with dangerous at the top, safe at the bottom. You'll see that many popular apps - AirDroid, Avira, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and more - are rated as a "moderate risk". And that's because Clueful's privacy score comes mostly from the number and type of permissions each app has been given. Unlike antivirus tools, "file reputation" doesn't play much of a part, so even the most trusted developers may be rated as risky.

The score doesn't really matter, though. What's more important is to browse Clueful's list, and find out more about your apps. If you spot something high on the danger list, and you don't understand why, then tap it and take a look at the app's permission list. Are there any surprises? Does it really need to make phone calls, send or read SMS, read your contacts, access photos, whatever it might be? Use the "Like" or "Dislike" button to tell Clueful what you think of the app. Or, if the risks seem high and you don't need it anyway, tap "Uninstall" and it'll be quickly removed.

If the full list is too lengthy, clicking the Filter icon top-right provides easy ways to highlight apps which "can cost you money", "send data unencrypted", "have access to sensitive data", and more.

And although the privacy score itself may not mean very much, once Clueful is installed it does become a little more useful. It'll be updated every time you add or remove an app, so if you find your score drops drastically in a short period of time then that's a good sign you need to investigate, just to find out why.

Verdict:

Clueful's provides a quick and easy way to view your app permissions. It's "Privacy Score" is less useful, though, and adds little to the app.

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