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Top 5 Tools to Detect App Permissions & Privacy Issues

Permission over-requests and inaccurate privacy declarations are two of the most common submission rejection reasons. These are the tools that catch them before the stores do.

Mar 20, 2026·5 min read·AppTester.co Team
01

AppTester.co Health Check

Free

Automated scanner (APK, AAB, IPA)

Scans your release binary for permission over-requests, missing iOS PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy, cleartext traffic configuration, and Data Safety form alignment issues. Returns a severity-ranked report with specific fixes.

Best for: Pre-submission check covering all major permission and privacy issues in one scan. Fastest option: 30 seconds.
Try AppTester.co Health Check →
02

Exodus Privacy

Free

Web tool (Android APK analysis)

Analyses Android APKs to list every tracker SDK embedded in the app and every permission declared in the manifest. Identifies advertising SDKs, analytics SDKs, and social media trackers that may be collecting data you haven't disclosed.

Best for: Auditing third-party SDK data collection for your Google Play Data Safety form. Essential for any Android app using multiple SDKs.
03

Xcode Privacy Report

Free

Built into Xcode (iOS only)

Xcode 15+ generates a Privacy Report for your iOS project, listing all APIs your app and its dependencies access that require privacy manifest declarations. Found at: Product → Archive → Generate Privacy Report.

Best for: iOS developers verifying their PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy is complete and covers all required reason APIs used by both their own code and all included SDKs.
04

Google Play SDK Console

Free

Web tool (Google Play Console)

Google's official tool to identify which SDKs in your APK have known data collection behaviours. Cross-references your declared Data Safety section against known SDK data collection to identify gaps.

Best for: Developers submitting to Google Play who want to verify their Data Safety form is accurate relative to the SDKs they're using.
05

MobSF (Mobile Security Framework)

Free

Self-hosted security scanner (APK + IPA)

Open-source security analysis framework that performs static and dynamic analysis of mobile apps. Identifies hardcoded secrets, insecure storage, dangerous permissions, and privacy violations alongside broader security issues.

Best for: Development teams who want deep security and privacy analysis as part of their build pipeline. More technical than the other tools: requires self-hosting.

Recommended workflow

1

Run AppTester Health Check first: catches the most common issues in one scan

2

For Android: run Exodus Privacy to audit third-party SDK data collection

3

For iOS: generate a Xcode Privacy Report to verify PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy completeness

4

Cross-reference findings with your privacy policy: make sure everything disclosed in the tools is disclosed in your policy

5

Update your App Store Privacy Labels / Google Play Data Safety form to match what the tools found

Start with the free Health Check

Upload your APK, AAB, or IPA. Get a permissions and privacy audit in 30 seconds before your submission.

Free Health CheckSecurity & Privacy Guide