The Android 10 beta 2 launched earlier this yr revealed that Google was planning to restrict the best way during which whereby apps can entry your cellphone’s inside storage. For this aim, Google launched one issue often called Scoped Storage. Nonetheless, as a consequence of backlash from numerous builders, the corporate wanted to backtrack on its implementation. The corporate allowed apps that don’t nevertheless goal Android 10 to work as they used to and gave builders time till November 1st, 2020 to alternate their apps to cope with Android 10.
Apps that already goal Android 10 by default can solely see information of their app-specific itemizing. So as to entry information that fully completely different apps have created, akin to photographs, footage, movement photos, and audio, the apps nonetheless must request the READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission, however getting this permission now not provides entry to the whole /information/media partition. Instead, they solely see information all through the well-defined places offered by the MediaStore API. Whereas this implementation works for apps that require entry to media information, it doesn’t work for file supervisor apps.
File managers want broad entry to the surface storage as a strategy to work and within the occasion that they intention Android 10, the one strategy to get broad file entry is to make the most of the Storage Entry Framework (SAF) API. Regardless that SAF has been spherical since Android 5.zero Lollipop, builders are susceptible to not use it, on account of it has a tough and poorly documented API, a poor consumer expertise, poor effectivity, and poor reliability. Now, Google goals to deal with these elements with Android 11.
Based on a gift converse titled “Preparing for Scoped Storage” launched by Googlers Roxanna Aliabadi, Zimuzo Ezeozue, and Yacine Rezgui, Google is planning on granting “special app access for select use cases.” As a part of the converse, they degree out that this “special app access” is simply given to apps that current a “clear need” for full entry to shared storage, “submit a declaration form” to Google, and don’t entry “external app directories”.
Which signifies that file managers ought to ask Google for permission to entry the surface storage, much like how apps requesting SMS/Title Log permissions must ask Google. Thus, there could also be arbitrary enforcement elements, much like we’ve seen thus far with Google Play’s picks. Lastly, one completely different potential subject is the truth that file managers will not have entry to exterior app directories. Subsequently, factors like mods for video video video games gained’t work anymore.
Present: YouTube
