Which apps can read your notifications on Android

Before you change anything

What notification access allows

An app with notification access runs a notification listener. As Android’s developer documentation describes, the system passes it every notification as it is posted and removed, and the app can dismiss notifications too. In practice that means it can:

• read the sender and preview text of messages, emails and social media notifications
• read sign-in and verification codes that arrive as notifications
• see which apps notify you, and when
• dismiss a notification before you see it

A monitoring app with this access can collect message previews from many apps without opening them. That is why it is one of the signals worth checking.

How to check notification access without Applore

Menu names differ between phone makers and Android versions. If a path does not match, search Settings for Notification access.

Note any app you do not recognise, especially one without an icon or one that also has accessibility access or device admin rights. How to keep a record explains what to write down.

Legitimate uses

Apps that commonly need notification access:

• smartwatch and fitness band companion apps, which show your notifications on your wrist
• car systems and driving apps that read messages aloud
• launchers that show notification dots or counts
• apps that bridge notifications to a computer or tablet
• app locks that keep notifications from locked apps private

Applore asks for notification access only for optional features you turn on, such as Private Notifications in Advance Lock (Pro).

The difference between these and an unwanted app is usually easy to spot: you remember pairing the watch or setting up the car, and the app has a name and icon you know. An app on the list with no icon, a name like a system service, or no clear reason to see your notifications is the one to look at more closely.

Other notification settings worth a look

Notification access is not the only way notification content can be seen. While you are in Settings, these are also worth a minute. Menu names vary by phone maker.

• Notifications on the lock screen. Search Settings for Lock screen or Notifications on lock screen. If message content shows on the lock screen, anyone holding the phone can read it without unlocking. You can choose to hide sensitive content there.
• Notification history. On many phones running Android 11 or later, Settings › Notifications › Notification history keeps a list of recent notifications. It is useful for you, and also readable by anyone who can unlock the phone.
• Sign-in codes. If codes for your accounts arrive as notifications, an app with notification access can read them. Where an account offers it, an authenticator app or a security key avoids this.
• Linked devices in messaging apps. A computer or tablet linked to a messaging account can read messages without any notification access on the phone. Safety Check includes WhatsApp linked devices.

How to check with Applore

Known monitoring appHighWorth a lookNot flagged

How Applore’s check works explains each level.

What Applore cannot do

Get support

If you find an app you do not recognise, read this before you remove a suspicious app. The Applore app includes support contacts for India, the United States and the United Kingdom, plus global options. If you live somewhere else, search for a domestic abuse helpline in your country. Support hotlines lists where to start. If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency number.

What Applore reads during the check is in the privacy policy. More guides are on the safety hub.