If your Xbox Series asks you to update permissions again, don’t worry, there’s an explanation

Xbox shows a new permissions notice when logging in: we explain why.

More stories in the category Updates

• Flip out with Jurassic World: Archipelago, the new and mind-blowing DLC for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 review
• Upcoming Battlefield 6 updates: two major patches with these changes
• Silent Hill f receives a new update with a new level of difficulty and major improvements

Upon turning on their console, several players have encountered an unexpected message: the YouTube app requests access to the microphone on Xbox Series. The notice has generated confusion, especially since the voice search feature already existed for years and didn’t require additional permission. But now, after a recent update, it seems that everything has changed.

According to users on social media and forums like Reddit, the message has appeared suddenly, even after reinstalling the app, restarting the console, or manually adjusting system permissions. The key lies in a new privacy management system that Microsoft has started to apply more strictly, affecting third-party apps like YouTube.

The change in Xbox permissions is related to new privacy policies

For months, Microsoft has been strengthening privacy protections across all its services, including Xbox. This means that some applications must explicitly request certain usage permissions, even if they already had them enabled silently in previous versions. In the case of YouTube, microphone access is used for voice search features or interacting with voice commands, among other things.

The good news is that a new update to the YouTube app for Xbox, recently released, already fixes this behavior. Nevertheless, if the message continues to appear, you can review the permissions in the system settings:

• Settings > General > Privacy permissions > Microphone (per profile). You can enable or disable it manually there.

Many players have opted to watch YouTube from the Edge browser on Xbox, which also includes an integrated ad blocker. For those who have had problems with the official app, this can be a more stable alternative, at least while the errors are being completely fixed.