An approach is provided for controlling a first application's access of a second application of a mobile device. Attributes are assigned to a graphical element displayed by the mobile device. Manipulations of first and second icons representing first and second applications, respectively, are detected as placing the first and second icons into the graphical element. One of the assigned attributes specifying an exchange of information permitted between the first and second applications is obtained. If access control settings of the first application are automatically configurable, the access control settings are automatically configured based on the obtained attribute; otherwise, the obtained attribute is applied to the first application by utilizing resource controls of the mobile device operating system. Based on the configured access control settings or the attribute applied to the first application, an access of the second application by the first application is controlled.