Google Play detecting new permissions after using Android Studio

Question

I have just switched from Eclipse to Android Studio and when I updated my app, the google play store found three new permissions in my new exported apk. I am quoting the manifest file and the gradle file:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.appsbyusman.simplecolorwallpaper"
android:versionCode="2"
android:versionName="1.1" >

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER" />

<!-- Include required permissions for Google Mobile Ads to run -->
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />

<uses-sdk
    android:minSdkVersion="11"
    android:targetSdkVersion="21" />

<application
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >

    <!-- This meta-data tag is required to use Google Play Services. -->
    <meta-data
        android:name="com.google.android.gms.version"
        android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version" />

    <!-- Include the AdActivity configChanges and theme. -->
    <activity
        android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.AdActivity"
        android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenLayout|uiMode|screenSize|smallestScreenSize"
        android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Translucent" />
    <activity
        android:name="com.appsbyusman.simplecolorwallpaper.MainActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>
</application>

The build.gradle of my module is:

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

android {
compileSdkVersion 21
buildToolsVersion "19.1.0"

defaultConfig {
    applicationId "com.appsbyusman.simplecolorwallpaper"
    minSdkVersion 11
    targetSdkVersion 21
}

buildTypes {
    release {
        minifyEnabled false
        proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.txt'
    }
}
}

dependencies {
compile project(':ambilWarna')
compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:19.1.0'
compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:19.1.0'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:+'
}

As you can see there are three permissions declared in the manifest but the play store detects the following permissions:

android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
android.permission.INTERNET
android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE maxSdkVersion=18
android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE
android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER
android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE maxSdkVersion=18

I am using a color picker module and google ads, I made the project on eclipse and imported in Android Studio.

EDIT: Adding to the same question, I just uploaded another app, this time I removed some permissions and removed some libraries, but this time, I got very strange permissions. Please look at this screenshot I'm attaching.

EDIT 2: Never mind, I found out it was due to my inclusion of play services's whole package instead of merely using Ads package

Answer 1

From the documentation on READ_PHONE_STATE permission:

Allows read only access to phone state.

Note: If both your minSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion values are set to 3 or lower, the system implicitly grants your app this permission. If you don't need this permission, be sure your targetSdkVersion is 4 or higher.

From the documentation on WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission:

Allows an application to write to external storage.

Note: If both your minSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion values are set to 3 or lower, the system implicitly grants your app this permission. If you don't need this permission, be sure your targetSdkVersion is 4 or higher.

From the documentation on READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE , permission:

Allows an application to write to external storage.

Note: If both your minSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion values are set to 3 or lower, the system implicitly grants your app this permission. If you don't need this permission, be sure your targetSdkVersion is 4 or higher.

So, you need to set your targetSdkVersion to 4 or higher. As your targetSdkVersion is set to 21 in both manifest and build.gradle , the only place to look at is ambilWarna module. If is has targetSdkVersion of 3 or less, manifest merger may assume that you have some code here which needs to read/write external storage/phone state and add these permissions to your app during the build.

BTW, you can remove following lines from the manifest because Gradle will use the values specified in build.gradle file (which are the same in your case) instead:

<uses-sdk
    android:minSdkVersion="11"
    android:targetSdkVersion="21" />