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Android path · Beyond the screen · Topic 10 of 12

The permissions model

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Every permission you use is declared in the manifest, but declaring is only half of it. **Normal** permissions, which carry little risk (internet, vibration), are granted at install. **Dangerous** (runtime) permissions, which touch private data or hardware (camera, microphone, location, contacts, notifications), are granted by the user, at run time, one group at a time, and can be revoked whenever they like.

Why it matters: Users can deny, revoke or grant 'only this time', and Android keeps narrowing what an app can see. A feature that assumes a permission breaks; one that asks in context and degrades gracefully keeps working.

  1. 1Install-time vs runtime

    Normal permissions (like INTERNET) are granted on install. Dangerous ones (camera, location, contacts, notifications) need a runtime prompt.

  2. 2Two denials mean never

    From Android 11, denying the same permission twice stops the dialog appearing; only Settings can grant it after that.

  3. 3Prefer no permission at all

    The photo picker, the document picker and scoped storage let you reach the user's files without broad storage permissions.

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How it works

The explanation, with examples you can run.

The request flow

@Composablefun ScanButton(onScan: () -> Unit) {    val context = LocalContext.current    val launcher = rememberLauncherForActivityResult(ActivityResultContracts.RequestPermission()) { granted ->        if (granted) onScan() else showWhyWeNeedTheCamera()    }    Button(onClick = {        if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(context, Manifest.permission.CAMERA) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {            onScan()        } else {            launcher.launch(Manifest.permission.CAMERA)        }    }) { Text("Scan") }}

Good practice, in short: ask when the user starts the feature that needs it (not on first launch), check first, show an explanation when shouldShowRequestPermissionRationale() returns true, and keep the rest of the app working if the answer is no.

Things that changed across versions:

  • Android 11 (API 30): denying a permission twice counts as "don't ask again". Location, microphone and camera offer "Only this time". Unused apps have their runtime permissions reset after a few months.
  • Android 12 (API 31): the user can grant approximate instead of precise location; request both and handle either.
  • Android 13 (API 33): POST_NOTIFICATIONS is a runtime permission, and broad storage reads split into READ_MEDIA_IMAGES, READ_MEDIA_VIDEO and READ_MEDIA_AUDIO.
  • Android 14 (API 34): for photos and videos, users can grant access to selected items only (READ_MEDIA_VISUAL_USER_SELECTED); your app must cope with seeing part of the library.

Background location is a separate, second request, and Play reviews apps that use it.

Scoped storage

From Android 10, and enforced for apps targeting Android 11+, apps see their own app-specific directories without any permission, and reach shared storage only through MediaStore (their own media freely, others' media with a media permission) or the system pickers. MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE exists for file managers and backup apps and is restricted on Play.

val pick = rememberLauncherForActivityResult(ActivityResultContracts.PickVisualMedia()) { uri ->    uri?.let(onPicked)                     // no storage permission required}pick.launch(PickVisualMediaRequest(ActivityResultContracts.PickVisualMedia.ImageOnly))

Notifications on Android 13+

For apps targeting 13 or higher, you decide when the notification prompt appears, so tie it to a moment that explains the value ("Tell me when my order ships"). If the app targets 12L or lower, the system asks on its own when the app creates its first notification channel. Check NotificationManagerCompat.areNotificationsEnabled() before relying on pushes being seen.

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Check yourself

3 questions. Get them all right to finish this topic.

  1. 1.Your app targets Android 13 and wants to show notifications. What is needed?
  2. 2.The user has tapped Deny twice for the camera permission. What happens when you call launch(Manifest.permission.CAMERA) again?
  3. 3.The app lets users choose a profile picture. Which approach needs no storage permission?

0 of 3 right so far. Get all three to finish this topic.

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