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Location Permissions on Android

Why do Sphero Android Apps Ask for Location Permissions?

Some Android Sphero apps request Location Permissions to scan for nearby BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) enabled Sphero robots. These permissions are required by Google for BLE scanning; Sphero does not collect, store, or share your location information.

Apps That Require Location Permissions

  • Sphero Play

  • Sphero Edu Jr

  • Specdrums Mix

Apps That Do Not Require Location Permissions

  • Sphero Edu (version 6.3.3 or newer)

    • Uses a companion pairing process, which removes the technical need for Location Permissions.

Why Location Permissions Are Needed

Google introduced changes in Android 6+ requiring apps that scan BLE devices to declare either ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION or ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION permissions.

  • Android 10+: ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION is required for BLE scanning.

  • Android 12+: ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION is still required, but users can choose Precise or Approximate location. Scanning for Sphero robots requires selecting Precise.

Summary

  • Location permissions allow Sphero apps to scan for nearby BLE robots.

  • Sphero does not use your location data for any other purpose.

  • On Android 12+, you must select Precise Location to connect to robots.

For more information about our data collection and usage, see our Privacy Policies.