The CleanBrowsing Android application makes use of the Android Accessibility API. This API allows the app to streamline the configuration for users. We use this API so that we can read the contents of the screen and perform inputs on your behalf. Unfortunately, bad actors make use of this API to abuse Android devices.
To combat this, Google has released changes in Android 13 that prevent apps not found on the Play Store from using the Accessibility API without explicit permission. Because our app is not in the Play Store we fall into this bucket.
This means you might see something like this when you try to install our app:
Disable Restricted Settings for CleanBrowsing
To address this, you will need to make a change via your Android Settings to allow our app to work.
To disable the restriction, and allow our app to run, we need you to do the following on your device:
- Open your smartphone settings
- Go to the Apps section
- Select the app you want to remove access restrictions for
- In the upper right corner, tap on the three dots icon
- Select Allow restricted settings