I think we should have a feature in all OS/UI where we can give permission for Specific Contacts.
The things we can do with "Photos and Videos permission".
As we all know,
Today we have multiple Apps installed in our phones. And we also have hundreds of Phone numbers (/ contacts) saved in the phone.
But, not all apps should have access to those hundreds of Phone numbers!
As example:
Let's Say I have Installed WhatsApp as my Personal Chatting app for my Friends and Families. But, as the phone has Contacts of my Business partners as well as Friends and Families. The WhatsApp will have all the Contacts too. As a result, The business partners will also be able to watch my WhatsApp status, About, Etc etc.
[I know, WhatsApp have options to hide those status but, We why give the access in the first place?! Why giving my contacts to a app which shouldn't have that!?]
I suggest this feature:
Demo
✨AI summary
Core Proposal: Introduce granular, selective contact permissions across mobile operating systems, mirroring the existing limited-access model used for photos and videos.
- The Problem: Contact access is currently an "all-or-nothing" permission. If an app needs contact access for personal use (such as WhatsApp for family and friends), it is forced to ingest the entire address book—including business partners or acquaintances—exposing unrelated phone numbers and personal status updates unnecessarily.
- The Solution: A three-tiered permission system:
- Always allow all: Grants access to the full contact list.
- Allow limited access: Lets the user manually select and edit a specific subset of contacts that the app is allowed to see.
- Don't allow: Blocks contact access entirely.