HELP WITH ESIM INSTALLED AND PERMISSIONS

Dboy

Hi there,

I have just installed an eSIM in a Pixel 9a. Automatically, the sim app from the carrier has been installed. This app has all the permissions you can imagine (camera, sensors, location... All!) and, unfortunately, these permissions are always able.

The app can not be disabled nor archived.

So here is my question:

If I leave this app on the owner profile but use the phone, SMS and everything else on another profile activating calls and SMS, would these permissions still working?

The phone is for my 81/years old father

Thank you

leafnose

Dboy
Are you talking about the SIM Toolkit app?
If that’s the case, see the last comment here: https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/9132-removing-sim-toolkit-app/25

Upstate1618

Why not just uninstall it

FNGAgain

ESims have always been available to apply via QR Code that are either sent or emailed when setting up a phone. The only requirement should be that you are on the Main (owner) profile as it controls the cellular radio (cellular, esim, etc) and that the phone has wifi (at least initially until cellular is up and running).

I have NEVER used an app nor would I trust that... (source: activated many Iphones and Pixels working at an Cell Phone Retailer)

Dboy

Hi to all,

Thanks for the replies.

My phone is not in English. The app is called "name of the carrier" SIM services. When you open it, nothing is shown. When you enter in the app details, you can see all these horrible permissions which are not removable.

The app... Or Sim Toolkit, I guess, only appears when the eSIM is activated. If you turn it off, it does not appear.

So yes... it seems I am talking about the SIM toolkit. I saw on the links that it is a Graphene app.

However, those permissions make me uncomfortable. So, if I use the phone and the SMS in another profile (not the owner one), these permissions will still being active? Because if that is the case, I will change the configuration of the device.

Thanks again

wizoatk

Dboy So yes... it seems I am talking about the SIM toolkit.

The SIM Toolkit on my phone only has the Notifications and Sensors permissions displayed. Your "carrier" SIM services is something else.

de0u

Dboy It might be easier for people to help if more detail were provided, such as the name of the carrier, or some screenshots, or the package name of the carrier app.

userofgos

Dboy permissions make me uncomfortable
Dboy

See GrapheneOS project accounts comments here: https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/14183-what-are-those-hidden-permissions-about-view-all-permissions/2

That's not a list of granted permissions but rather the list of low-level requested permissions. You're misinterpreting it as being what's granted to the app but it isn't. You control what's granted to the app via the standard disabled by default permission toggles, special access permission toggles, power optimization toggles, etc. Those low-level permissions are divided up into these standard toggles, and the sensitive ones are disabled by default. Many of the low-level permissions use a case-by-case access granting system instead of having persistent toggles at all. The user interface for showing the full list of low-level requested permissions is highly flawed, but at least it's not as bad as it used to be since they're sorted into groups for the main standard permission toggles. They aren't sorted into groups for special access permissions or marked as requiring case-by-case consent so it's still very misleading info. Suggest that you simply stop looking at this highly misleading low-level info which shows what apps can request, not what they request in practice and definitely not what they are granted.

Sensors and Network are added toggles in GrapheneOS so they're enabled by default but Network is shown as a prompt at install time and Sensors can be set as disabled by default for newly installed apps with a toggle. Sensors and Network enabled by default to avoid making using the OS harder to use than Android for new users because apps would be broken without them with users not knowing why, although we do make a notification about Sensors access when it's disabled which we can't do for Network.

de0u

leafnose I have the exact same list of allowed permissions for my SIM Toolkit, that is [...]

That is not the same list as reported by wizoatk, so it appears that (as the Android documentation would suggest) different SIM cards enable different permissions. And it seems clear that some SIMs don't activate SIM Toolkit at all.

Dboy

de0u How can I upload a picture?. When I type the picture symbol on the menu, a line appears...

Sorry for my lack of knowledge... and for repeating...

Dboy

de0u the name of the carrier is Orange (Europe)

Dboy

de0u

https://i.imgur.com/14v5vQN.png https://i.imgur.com/1BaPPUC.png https://i.imgur.com/Hxy7kfS.png https://i.imgur.com/mKLlcJu.png https://i.imgur.com/5BkyfnO.png https://i.imgur.com/YzBf5fm.png https://i.imgur.com/hsSBo6v.png https://i.imgur.com/k39ASn8.png https://i.imgur.com/dbY2WV8.png https://i.imgur.com/I3Lrnwr.png https://i.imgur.com/xqDk4M2.png https://i.imgur.com/fuynNYv.png https://i.imgur.com/UthPGJN.png https://i.imgur.com/Bmbz0xI.png

Dboy

de0u @leafnose @thmf @NetRunner88

Well, today I have tried the following: As indicated when opening this thread, I would like to know if permissions are still running when the phone (I mean phone calls) are made from another profile.

I have just tried: the SIM Toolkit appears on the Owner Profile but does NOT appear in the secondary profile. However, calls and SMS are perfectly operative.

Does this mean that all SIM toolkit permissions are not running when calling and texting (SMS) from a secondary profile?

Thanks

Dboy

How can I upload a picture?... sorry for my lack of knowledge

userofgos

Dboy How can I upload a picture?

Upload it to a image hosting site (imgur, Flickr, etc.) or personal cloud storage (Nextcloud, Proton Drive, etc.) Just me mindful to remove any Personal Identifying Information

Dboy

userofgos Thank you!

xxx

Dboy https://i.imgur.com/Bmbz0xI.png

It is the SIM-Toolkit.
Some Cards have it some don't. There is nothing that can be done. As far as I know there is no harm at all.

Dboy

userofgos Thank you. Yes: I have posted the low-level permissions but also the "normal ones" which are all activated: nearby devices, location, sensors, phone, SMS, camera... Etc...

Wizoatk has precised (as well as the article you mentioned) that only sensors and network are enabled. This is not my case despite we are talking about the SIM Toolkit.

So, what's happening???

de0u

Dboy At the bottom of the "Informácion de la app" screen there is a package name, maybe starting with "com". What is the package name?

Dboy

de0u

version 16
com.android.stk
versionCode 36

targetSdk 36
minSdk 36

Installed: January, 6, 2026, 17.10 pm

Do you mean this?

de0u

Dboy com.android.stk

Then it's definitely SIM Toolkit.

Here is information about how SIM cards can cause the SIM Toolkit app to gain elevated privileges: https://source.android.com/docs/core/connect/uicc

Not all SIMs cause the SIM Toolkit app to be activated (my SIM does not), and apparently not all SIMs cause SIM Toolkit to gain the same privileges. Thus, if the permissions obtained by SIM Toolkit when an Orange SIM is in use are of concern, one option might be using a different SIM (while perhaps complaining to Orange).

leafnose

de0u
But is this supposed to be a cause of concern?
I have the exact same list of allowed permissions for my SIM Toolkit, that is:
• Call logs
• Camera
• Contacts and accounts
• Locations
• Microphone
• Nearby devices
• Network
• Notifications
• Phone
• Sensors
• SMS
My SIM card is from Wingo (‘cheap’ brand from Swisscom).
What are the implications of permissions like Camera, Nearby devices, and Contact and accounts, for instance? Am I supposed to use the system-wide Camera and Microphone toggles because of their respective permissions for the SIM Toolkit? I’ve a hard time to believe the operator could technically spy on me through the camera and the microphone.
From this thread:

Either a SIM or eSIM is very well isolated from the OS and not privileged.

I’m not sure now…

Dboy

de0u Thank you very much. I will open a new thread regarding carriers in Europe and their SIM permissions.

Thanks to everyone.

de0u

leafnose What are the implications of permissions like Camera, Nearby devices, and Contact and accounts, for instance?

Probably 15 years ago I observed that inserting a SIM card into an old "dumb phone" caused contact entries for the carrier's customer support to appear, and also, I think, contact entries for some government services (police/ambulance/fire); something like that might explain the Contacts permission.

I suspect there is some rationale for each of the observed behaviors. Obviously, some people might not agree with some of those rationales. Complaining to a carrier might potentially be useful (especially if a lot of people did it); switching carriers might also be useful.

leafnose

de0u Same list as OP.