Quarterly location and notification permission review

Choose a review moment

Set a check every few months and repeat after an OS update, phone change, circle change, or new location. This is not a reason to enable every permission.

Ask the person’s consent and explain what you will check: location, notifications, battery, data, and contacts.

Check location and purpose

Identify which feature uses location, when it uses it, and who can receive it. If it is unnecessary, consider revoking access or choosing a less disruptive alternative.

Compare iOS and Android without expecting identical names. Record the actual choice and agreed purpose, not an ideal setting.

Check notifications and channels

Confirm that the needed channel is enabled and its text supports the action. Android channels can have their own settings; iOS uses different paths and options.

Do not equate a visual notification, sound, banner, and reply. A quiet preference changes perception without proving that a signal was read.

Review consent and data

Clarify which data is shared, with which recipients, and for what purpose. Remove contacts or permissions no longer needed and leave the person an informed choice.

Consent is not permanent permission: revisit it after technical or family changes.

Record a light result

An optional table can contain feature, observed permission, device, choice, date, and next review. Store no more than needed.

Record “not checked” or “unavailable” too. An incomplete honest record beats invented certainty.

Test and leave an alternative

Run an announced test with the person: agreed send, expected receipt, and correction path. Do not use public emergency contacts for testing.

If location or notifications fail, agree a call, SMS, or another channel. Repeat after a material update.

Frequently asked questions