Android’s ‘Only this time’ permission, explained

When an Android app asks for your location, camera or microphone, one of the options is Only this time. It sounds simple, but most people are unsure what it really means.

How long does the app keep access? Can it still listen in the background? Why does the same app ask again next time? Each answer below comes from Android's official documentation.

You will also learn when to choose it, how to switch an app to it later, and how to check what apps did with the access you gave them.

What Only this time means

Only this time gives an app temporary, one-time access to a permission. Android's developer documentation calls this a one-time permission.

Access lasts for your current session only. After that, it has to ask you again before it can use it.

The feature arrived in Android 11. Android 10 had already added the choice to allow location only while you use an app, but the one-time option itself started with Android 11.

Which permissions offer it

According to Android's documentation, Only this time appears when an app asks for permissions related to:

• Location
• Microphone
• Camera

How to give an app one-time access

1. Read the request window when the app asks for location, camera or microphone access.
2. Tap Only this time.
3. Use the feature you opened the app for, such as scanning a code or finding a nearby store.

That is all. You do not need to change anything afterwards, because Android withdraws the access for you.

How long is a short period?

Android's documentation does not give an exact number of seconds or minutes for how long access continues after you leave an app. All it promises is a short period.

Some guides quote precise timings, but the official documentation does not promise one, and the exact behavior can depend on the Android version and the app.

If you want access to end immediately, do not wait. Revoke the permission in Settings, and Android closes the app's process straight away.

Why it matters for your privacy

Most privacy problems with apps come from access that lasts far longer than you need. A permission you allowed once for a single task can quietly stay in place for months.

Only this time solves that for the three most sensitive sensors on your phone. The app gets what it needs for the task, then loses it without you having to remember anything.

Combined with the camera and microphone indicators and the privacy dashboard, it gives you both control and a way to check that apps behave.

Location has an extra choice

On Android 12 and later, a location request can also let you choose between precise and approximate location, according to Android's developer documentation.

Android's documentation adds that when you grant approximate location, the app only gets approximate location, whatever it asked for. Apps are expected to keep working with it.

Combining both gives you the most private option for a quick task. Choose approximate location, then tap Only this time.

A weather or store finder app rarely needs your exact position. Your town or neighborhood is usually enough.

When the access ends

Few guides explain this part clearly. Android's documentation describes what happens:

1. While you use the appWhile you are using the app, it can use the permission.
2. When you leave the appWhen you leave the app, it can keep using the permission for a short period of time. Android does not promise that access ends the instant you switch away.
3. If a foreground service runsIf the app was running a foreground service when you left it, it can keep using the permission while that service runs. Android normally makes a foreground service visible with a notification.
4. After thatAfter that, the permission is withdrawn, and the next time the app needs it, it has to ask you again.
5. If you revoke it in SettingsIf you revoke the permission yourself in Settings while the app has it, Android closes the app's process straight away.

What happens if you remove access while an app is open

Sometimes you want to cut access right away instead of waiting for it to expire. Settings lets you do that whenever you like.

Android's documentation explains that when you revoke a one-time permission, the app's process is terminated. The app closes, and the next time you open it, it starts fresh and has to ask again.

That is expected behavior, not a crash. Any unsaved work in that app may be lost, so finish what you are doing first if you can.

Only this time compared with your other choices

How to switch an app to Ask every time

You can give an app the same one-time behavior after the fact, from Settings.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then choose the app.
3. Tap Permissions.
4. Tap Camera, Microphone or Location.
5. Choose Ask every time.

When to use Only this time

Only this time is best for apps you use rarely, or for a single task that needs a sensitive permission once. A few common examples:

• A shopping app that wants your location to find the nearest store.
• A banking or delivery app that needs the camera to scan one document or code.
• A video call with an app you do not normally use.
• A website shortcut or new app you are trying for the first time.

For apps whose main job depends on the permission, such as maps or your camera app, Allow only while using the app avoids being asked every time.

For the full list of which permissions to deny, allow while using or allow once, see our guide to Android app permissions.

Check what apps did with one-time access

Android gives you two ways to see whether apps actually used the access you allowed.

On Android 12 and later, an icon appears in the status bar whenever an app uses the microphone or camera, according to Android's developer documentation. If you see it when you do not expect it, check which app is responsible.

Google's Android Help explains that the privacy dashboard shows which apps are accessing data, which permissions they use, and when. It covers the last 24 hours on Android 12 and the last 7 days on Android 13.

1. Open Settings.
2. Search for privacy dashboard and open it.
3. Pick a permission such as Camera to view which apps used it, and at what time.

Review every app's access in one place

Instead of checking apps one by one, you can see every app that holds camera, microphone or location access from a single screen.

1. Open Settings.
2. Search for permission manager and open it.
3. Tap Camera, Microphone or Location.
4. Tap any app that should not have permanent access.
5. Choose Ask every time or Don't allow.

Common myths about Only this time

Myth: access ends the instant you switch to another app. Android's documentation says the app can keep access for a short period after you leave it, and longer while a foreground service runs.

Myth: every permission offers a one-time choice. It is only offered for location, microphone and camera.

Myth: choosing it will break the app. The feature works normally during your session. The app simply asks again the next time it needs access.

Myth: once you allow something, it stays allowed forever. Android can remove permissions from apps you stop using, and you can change any permission in Settings at any time.

Why the app keeps asking

If the repeated question annoys you and you trust the app, change the permission to Allow only while using the app in Settings.

If you do not see Only this time

There are a few common reasons the option does not appear.

The permission is not location, camera or microphone. Only those three offer it.

Your phone runs a version older than Android 11, where the option did not exist yet.

You are changing the permission in Settings rather than in the request window. In Settings, choose Ask every time instead, which gives the same effect.

Android also cleans up permissions automatically

Android's documentation describes a system that automatically resets the permissions of apps you have not used for a while. Google's Android Help shows how to turn on automatic removal of permissions for unused apps.

Together with Only this time, this keeps old apps from holding access you have forgotten about.

Only this time across Android versions

Android 11: one-time permissions arrive for location, microphone and camera.

Android 12: location requests can offer approximate instead of precise location, an icon appears in the status bar when an app uses the camera or microphone, and the privacy dashboard shows the last 24 hours.

Android 13: the privacy dashboard covers the last 7 days, and denying an app's notifications hides its foreground service notice from the notification drawer.

Android 14: photo requests can be limited to selected photos and videos, which is not one-time access but follows the same idea of sharing less.

If an app stops working after a one-time grant

Open the app again. If it needs the permission, it will ask, and you can choose Only this time again.

If it does not ask, the permission may be set to Don't allow. Open the app's permissions in Settings and choose Ask every time.

If the app still fails, it may need the permission continuously for its main job, such as navigation. For apps like that, Allow only while using the app makes more sense.

On newer Android versions and other phone makers

The core behavior comes from Android itself, so it works the same way on phones from different makers. The wording around it can differ, and menu names vary.

If you cannot find a permission screen, open Settings and search for the app's name or for permission manager.

Quick reference

• Offered for: location, microphone and camera.
• Available from: Android 11.
• Ends: a short period after you leave the app, or when a foreground service stops.
• Ends immediately: when you revoke the permission in Settings.
• Settings equivalent: Ask every time.
• Best for: apps you rarely use and one-off tasks.

A quick checklist

• Choose Only this time for apps you use rarely.
• Pick approximate location when an exact position adds nothing.
• Switch rarely used apps to Ask every time in Settings.
• Check the privacy dashboard now and then.
• Watch for the camera and microphone indicator in the status bar.
• Keep automatic permission removal switched on for apps you stop using.

Frequently asked questions

Can an app with Only this time access listen in the background?

Only briefly after you leave it, or while it runs a foreground service. Once that ends, the access ends.

Is Only this time safer than Allow only while using the app?

For apps you rarely use, yes. It stops an app keeping access you have forgotten about.

Does Only this time work for contacts or photos?

No. It is offered for location, microphone and camera. For photos, newer Android versions let you share selected items instead of your whole library.

Will choosing Only this time break the app?

No. The feature works as normal during your session. The app simply asks again the next time it needs access.

Is Only this time the same as Ask every time?

They have the same effect. Only this time is the choice in the request window, while Ask every time is how Settings describes it afterwards.

What if I tap Don't allow twice?

Google's Android documentation says that tapping Deny for the same permission more than once counts as a permanent denial. The app can no longer show the request window, so change it in Settings if you need it later.

Does Only this time work the same on Android tablets?

Yes. Tablets running Android 11 or later offer the same choice, because it comes from Android itself.

How can I see which apps have one-time access?

In Settings, apps set to one-time access show Ask every time on their camera, microphone or location permission. Permission manager lists them all in one place.

Does Only this time cover Bluetooth or nearby devices?

No. Nearby devices is a separate permission, used for finding and connecting to accessories such as headphones and watches.

Can I use approximate location with Only this time?

Yes, on Android 12 and later. Choose approximate location in the request window, then tap Only this time.

Where can I see which apps used my camera recently?

Open the privacy dashboard in Settings. It shows which apps used each permission and when, for 24 hours on Android 12 and 7 days on Android 13.

Up nextWhich Android app permissions to turn offDeciding how to grant a permission is only half the job. Our guide to which Android app permissions to turn off explains which permissions to deny entirely and which ones apps genuinely need.→