Downloading Clueful
Clueful can be downloaded to your Android device through the Google Play Store.
This free app is updated frequently by Bitdefender as it gathers more information on apps.
Monitoring app permissions with Clueful
The first time you start Clueful, it will scan all your apps to give you an overall Privacy Score.
This score ranges from 1 to 100 and can be an indicator of the privacy risk on your device. If you click the “Three Dots” at the top of the app, you can learn more on the Privacy Score and opt to get more protection from Bitdefender.
All apps are classified as High Risk (red), Moderate Risk (orange) or Low Risk (green) apps. When you click on a risk type, you’ll be given a list of the apps Clueful deems risky.
After clicking on a particular app, you can see more details from Clueful regarding the privacy risk.
You can go through each risk factor and determine whether or not it’s worth having that app on your phone or tablet. Clueful will even give you a breakdown of why the app could be a potential risk. You can see things such as what it links to, where it sends your location data and even the IP address where it sends your Device ID. Clueful will also give you the opportunity to “Dislike” the app or “Uninstall” it. Clueful will not evaluate every app.
You will see a note at the top of the app if that’s the case. Clueful will give you suggestions on this type of app based on its permissions listed in the Google Play Store. When you view an app that Clueful deems low risk or safe, you’ll still be given a brief rundown of what permissions it uses.
Clueful will let you “Like” the app to let others know it’s free of privacy concerns. If you click the “Filter” at the top of the app, you can filter the types of apps you see based on your concerns.
This can be a quick way to eliminate apps that may be problematic for you. Any time you update an app on your Android device, Clueful will re-analyze it to give you the most up-to-date recommendation on whether or not it’s safe.
If permissions have changed and Clueful believes an app now invades your privacy, it will alert you in the Notifications Bar.
Conclusion
Clueful is a powerful app that can help you stay on top of the privacy risk on your Android device. The only addition it needs is a white list option so you can ignore apps you know are safe. If you’re looking for a way to track privacy changes as you install and update apps, this app is an effective way to go about it. Let us know in the comments area below if you have another way to identity privacy risks.
