The permissions gestures need, and why

Most gestures in Zenith open your own apps, and those ask for nothing. A few reach past the launcher to touch the phone itself — lock the screen, pull down the notification shade, float over other apps. Android guards those, so Zenith has to ask before a gesture can do them. Every one of these is optional, and the launcher runs without any of them.

#System actions need "Zenith actions"

Some gestures do system things: lock, the notification shade, recents, quick tiles, screenshot, and the power menu. These go through zenith actions — the accessibility helper that lets gestures do system things. Android only lets an app perform them through an accessibility service, so binding a corner to "lock" does nothing until you turn that helper on.

The helper is deliberately plain. It reads nothing on your screen and watches nothing you do — it exists only as a handle Android will let the launcher use to run those system actions. You turn it on in the phone's accessibility settings, not inside Zenith. When a gesture needs it and it's off, Zenith points you to the right screen with a note.

#Quick Ring needs to draw over other apps

The floating ✦ bubble sits on top of whatever app you're in, so it needs the "display over other apps" permission. Without it, the bubble doesn't appear. See Quick Ring over any app.

#Comets need notification access

Comets are notifications you catch on the sky, so Zenith has to be allowed to see your notifications first. See Comets & notifications.

#The honest part

None of this is required to use Zenith, and none of it sends anything off your phone on its own. Each permission unlocks one specific set of gestures and nothing more. When a gesture won't fire, an unmet permission is usually the reason.

See also. Accessibility & motion · Quick Ring over any app · Comets & notifications