How should I deal with an Android permission who is only useful in my app just to prevent an user from cheating and that looks out of place?

Question

For my app I'm asking for an Android permission that allows to set some things to prevent the user from being able to cheat in some things related to my app.

Problem is that it's a permission that doesn't look to have anything to do with the functionality of the app, but luckily enough, I think it's the least intrusive of the permission that need to be confirmed in Android, or at the very least is one of the least ones.

There's a workaround I could implement so this is not needed, but it's a lot of work for something that in reality is not that important, while with that permission is easy, I'm not to let the user to cheat extremely easily, but it's not like I mind much if some users are able to bypass that protection and cheat in what this permission is needed for.

I don't think it's exactly good to tell the user "I'd need this permission to avoid cheating", first of all user may take it as something personal, and second the user will get a clue of what to do to bypass the protection and cheat.

Anyway, as I'm telling it's a not that big of an intrusive permission, so maybe just telling that I need it would make some users get a little suspicious but and the end the would say: "this looks a bit weird... but well, it's not that anything really malicious can be done, even if I allow it.

Which would be course of action for my question considering all the mentioned limitations? Strictly considering user experience point of view it would be to implement the workaround, but that would be hellish to implement. Guess I could also add something that uses this permission for the app, but anything I think seems too forced.

Answer 1

Make estimation based on your app functionality and audience of how many people reject to use your app requiring such permission? If you decide that saving this potential audience is worth to develope workaround then do it. If size of missing audiens is not critical simply ask for permission and wait for feedback to understand does it matter to users. Your estimation may be wrong but nobody will predict such things exactly.

Also, take into account to ask for permission not at the beginning but when it realy needed. So your user begin to use your app and if it's good for him he will be more loyal to your asking permission.