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Preparing for scoped storage (Android Dev Summit '19)

Android Developers · 84.6K views · 2019-10-24 · 35:43

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Overview

A 2019 Android Dev Summit session on the scoped storage model in Android 10. It gives a plan overview and best practices for apps adapting to the new restrictions.

On Hacker News

Cited as the official explanation of Google's scoped storage changes and its intent to limit broad file access.

Discussed on HN; no positive recommendation is recorded in this export · HN mentions 2020–2025

Topics

Software (other)Operating systems & kernels
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android 10scoped storagepermissionsandroid dev summitfile access

What people said

Ajedi32 · 2025-05 · Reference

I'm guessing it was back ported to Android 4.4, so it probably hasn't been available quite that long. (Update: Nevermind, looks like it was in the initial 4.4 release: [LINK] ) But they've definitely been warning about the pending API change since at least 2019: [VIDEO] The devs in the comments of that video do have some valid complaints about the added complexity of not being able to use the standard Java filesystem APIs anymore with the new permissions model, but still, it has been 6 years.

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daghamm · 2024-12 · Reference

This is a bit surprising in 2024 (well almost 2025). Android has a really nice API for reducing the need for this permission, and most of it has been around sicnce android 10. [VIDEO] Maybe the author is not aware of these? How about opening an issue?

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anderspitman · 2020-06 · Reference

syncthing is an incredible piece of software. It should be noted that: * "Security" changes in recent versions of Android seem designed to kill use cases like syncthing. See links below. * There is no iOS version, as near as I can tell because iOS is already where Android is headed. The crux of the problem is syncthing is a single golang binary, but the only way to manage filesystem permissions on iOS (and now Android) is through tightly controlled OS dialogs, and there is no way to do this from golang. There aren't even NDK APIs for it. The closest thing Android is providing to an escape hatch is "all files access" [5], for which your app has to go through an approval process in order to be put on the play store. If you watch [2], GOOG makes it very clear that they want to minimize the number of apps that obtain this permission. It's unclear to me whether apps installed through FDroid or side-loaded will be able to use that permission at all, or if the APKs must be signed. I'm all for improved security, but never at the cost of controlling what I am ABLE to do with my computer. It's sad that our operating systems are turning into gatekeepers between developers/users and the hardware they "own". [0]: [LINK] [1]: [LINK] [2]: [VIDEO] [3]: [LINK] [4]: [LINK] [5]: [LINK]

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Sources

Video by Android Developers, played through YouTube.

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