What you need to know
- Chrome Canary, the experimental version of Chrome for Android, now supports one-time permissions.
- When you are asked to give permission to a website, like location permissions, "allow this time" joins "allow on every visit" and "don't allow."
- The move comes after users spotted a one-time permission flag in Chrome Canary last month.
After adding one-time permissions as an option for websites in Chrome for Desktop last year, it looks like Google will bring the feature to Chrome for Android. User Leopeva64 shared a video of the new permissions dialog for websites in Chrome Canary via a post on X (formerly Twitter). The latest option comes roughly a month after Chrome Canary users spotted a new flag for one-time permissions available in the app.
It only makes sense that Google would bring the desktop-only option to mobile eventually, and since it's working in Chrome Canary, it could come to all Android users soon. The feature puts Chrome websites on-par with Android apps, which you can give one-time permissions for things like location and microphone use.
The permissions dialog in Chrome Canary now adds Allow this time as an option, joining Allow on every visit and Don't allow. This will likely be well-received by users, as there are plenty of reasons why you might want to give a website temporary access to a device feature. For example, you might want to give a website your location in order to see the weather. However, you probably won't want that site to have access to your location all the time.
Chrome Canary for Android now supports one-time permissions, Google has added the "Allow this time" option to the permissions dialog":https://t.co/Ps67QuuDjb pic.twitter.com/sx5O2HjUYDJanuary 12, 2024
Support for one-time permissions was added to Chrome for Desktop in version 116, which was released last August. Though the flag chrome://flags/#one-time-permission exists in version 122 of the web browser, it's still a work-in-progress in Chrome Canary (via Android Police). With that in mind, it's unclear when one-time permissions will debut on Android. It could appear in the stable release of version 122 of Chrome for Android, expected to come in a few months, but we don't know for sure.
When the feature is used, selecting the Allow this time permission for sites in Chrome Canary will allow access to a given feature during a current web session. After you close out the site, the granted system permission will expire. If you go back to that website, it will need your permission again in order to continue. This is ideal from a privacy standpoint, as it ensures websites aren't using your location or microphone — for example — without your knowledge.
Websites can already send notifications to Android phones, so adding one-time permissions would make sites in Chrome even more similar to Android apps.
