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Briar Rose
(new)
Feb 22, 2015 12:56AM
I recently got an Android phone and I was going to install the Audible app on it. Then I saw that it requires permission to access contacts and microphone. Can someone explain why an audiobook player requires access to my address book? Or needs to use the microphone?
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Grrr! Briar Rose, this is one of my pet peeves. I *hate* it when apps want permission for things they have NO business accessing. I run a custom ROM specifically because it can blocks apps from accessing my contacts. That is the ONLY reason I have downloaded the Goodreads app.
I feel the same way binter! Hopefully Audible staff will be willing to explain this one!
Hi Briar Rose. We apologize for the inconvenience. Our app uses the address book to allow you to share the book you are listening to via text messages with your contacts. The microphone is used for voice commands when listening in "Button Free" mode. This mode is used by our customers during their drives to use voice commands for the book to play, pause, or bookmark your position. I hope this information was helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this post or email us at social-support@audible.com. Thanks!
Speaking as someone who has yet to get an Android phone, but would use it to listen to audiobooks, am I understanding that the Audible player app accesses the 'phone book' of the user? Isn't this a huge possible privacy issue?
Almost every app in existence requests permission to the contact list. I appreciate Audible's response to the question. It makes sense.
Audible.com wrote: "Hi Briar Rose. We apologize for the inconvenience. Our app uses the address book to allow you to share the book you are listening to via text messages with your contacts. The microphone is used for..."Thanks for the reply guys. I'm not sure why we need the option to share an audiobook via text message, but I appreciate the explanation.
Most apps include this as a default and I absolutely hate it. As I said above, I run a custom ROM on my phone which blocks access to my address book. Otherwise, I wouldn't download this app. Your contacts and your social network is valuable information. Don't give it to them. Grrrrr.
binter wrote: "Most apps include this as a default and I absolutely hate it. As I said above, I run a custom ROM on my phone which blocks access to my address book. Otherwise, I wouldn't download this app. You..."Yup, I've done the same thing :)
I don't like that Audible needs permission access to my contacts. They don't need access to my contacts to listen a book. I am getting notifications and emails saying I need to update the app otherwise I may experience interruptions.Audibles explanation is totally wrong. You can share information, like an audiobook via text message, using Androids built in broadcast feature without the need to access someones contacts. This is what you get when you choose to share something in other apps and it asks you what app you'd like to use to share it. I develop an app and this is exactly what I use to share screenshots or send feedback.
I doubt Audibles Android developers are dumb and don't know about this feature, in fact they already use it in the old version of their app. This is why I can't help but think that Audible are being disingenuous and cannot be trusted.
I have asked them directly many times about this and I get the standard reply or am ignored. Again another reason I cannot trust them with my contact details.
Please pass this on to other Audible users and pressure Audible to address this issue. You don't need my contact for me to listen to a book. It is not fair Audible.
If you don't mind me asking what custom rom do you use? I just started rooting so I could make Audible shut down even though they removed the "Quit" button. Not cool.
Hi Jeff, I have a Galaxy s3, and I use a rooted version of that with XPrivacy installed.
Duane wrote: "I don't like that Audible needs permission access to my contacts. They don't need access to my contacts to listen a book. I am getting notifications and emails saying I need to update the app other..."Hey Duane,
Thanks for shedding some light on the matter of permissions for use with our Audible for Android application. You were absolutely correct in saying that the app shouldn't need access to send or share your progress using an available internal channel on the phone, whether it's through text, Facebook, or other social media platforms. Audible, however, has rolled out an in-app initiative known as OneBook, where you can share a listen and even send a personalized recorded message to any of your contacts, whether it's through entering their name, number or email. When using OneBook,
the app accesses your contacts to help populate the recipients you wish to include.
The application will in fact need access to both your contacts and mic. Any invites sent through OneBook are accompanied by an email fulfilled through Audible ( and no other external app or service) to offer the invite and first free book. Unfortunately, at this time there is no set way to delegate permissions access requests for those who have yet to utilize Onebook or gain access to it; it is currently being rolled out in waves. With the next Android OS update, there will be amendments made to only request permissions as the app exercises the access.
You are right in saying that you don't need special access to listen to a book. The Audible application however, offers more than just a listening experience. We hope this explanation has lightened any hesitations or fear you may have had in regard to using our application.
You can access these links to learn more about permissions for the Audible app and Onebook sharing:
http://adbl.co/ContactsandMic
http://adbl.co/OneBook
In regard to the email you received asking you to update, this is due to a newly updated Amazon Security protocol. Please feel free to email us at social-support@audible.com if you require any further explanation, or have any other concerns.
Audible.com wrote: "Duane wrote: "I don't like that Audible needs permission access to my contacts. They don't need access to my contacts to listen a book. I am getting notifications and emails saying I need to update..."I was going to download the app then saw it accesses contacts. I've read Audible's excuse that it's to allow me to share books via text. That's just presumptious on Audible's part and disingenuous because no one really does that. Data privacy laws require a policy on the management of personal information that Audible stores. What is your policy on information that you store when you do not have the individual's permission to have it in the first place?
