Universal way to write to external SD card on Android

Vektor88 :

In my application, I need to store lots of images in the device storage. Such files tend to fulfill the device storage, and I want to allow users to be able to choose external SD card as the destination folder.

I read everywhere that Android doesn't allow users to write to external SD card, by SD card I mean the external and mountable SD card and not the external storage, but file manager applications manage to write to External SD on all Android versions.

What is the better way to grant read/write access to external SD card on different API levels (Pre-KitKat, KitKat, Lollipop+)?

Update 1

I tried Method 1 from Doomknight's answer, with no avail: As you can see I'm checking for permissions at runtime before attempting to write on SD:

HashSet<String> extDirs = getStorageDirectories();
for(String dir: extDirs) {
    Log.e("SD",dir);
    File f = new File(new File(dir),"TEST.TXT");
    try {
        if(ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this,Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE)==PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            f.createNewFile();
        }
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}

But I get an access error, tried on two different devices: HTC10 and Shield K1.

10-22 14:52:57.329 30280-30280/? E/SD: /mnt/media_rw/F38E-14F8
10-22 14:52:57.329 30280-30280/? W/System.err: java.io.IOException: open failed: EACCES (Permission denied)
10-22 14:52:57.329 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at java.io.File.createNewFile(File.java:939)
10-22 14:52:57.329 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at com.myapp.activities.TestActivity.onResume(TestActivity.java:167)
10-22 14:52:57.329 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnResume(Instrumentation.java:1326)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.app.Activity.performResume(Activity.java:6338)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.app.ActivityThread.performResumeActivity(ActivityThread.java:3336)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.app.ActivityThread.handleResumeActivity(ActivityThread.java:3384)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2574)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.app.ActivityThread.access$900(ActivityThread.java:150)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1399)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:168)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5885)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:819)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:709)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err: Caused by: android.system.ErrnoException: open failed: EACCES (Permission denied)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at libcore.io.Posix.open(Native Method)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at libcore.io.BlockGuardOs.open(BlockGuardOs.java:186)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:     at java.io.File.createNewFile(File.java:932)
10-22 14:52:57.330 30280-30280/? W/System.err:  ... 14 more

albodelu :

Summary

You can grant read/write access to external SD card on the different api levels (API23+ at run time).

Since KitKat, permissions are not necessary if you use app-specific directories, required otherwise.

Universal way:

The history says that there is not universal way to write to external SD card but continues...

This fact is demostrated by these examples of external storage configurations for devices.

API-based way:

Prior to KitKat try to use Doomsknight method 1, method 2 otherwise.

Request permissions in manifest (Api < 23) and at run time (Api >= 23).

Recommended way:

ContextCompat.getExternalFilesDirs solves the access error when you don't need to share files.

The secure way of sharing it is to use a content provider or the new Storage Access Framework.

Privacy-aware way:

As of Android Q Beta 4, apps that target Android 9 (API level 28) or lower see no change, by default.

Apps targeting Android Q by default (or opting into it) are given a filtered view into external storage.

1. Initial answer.

Universal way to write to external SD card on Android

There is no universal way to write to external SD card on Android due to continuous changes:

Pre-KitKat: official Android platform has not supported SD cards at all except for exceptions.
KitKat: introduced APIs that let apps access files in app-specific directories on SD cards.
Lollipop: added APIs to allow apps to request access to folders owned by other providers.
Nougat: provided a simplified API to access common external storage directories.
... Android Q privacy change: App-scoped and media-scoped storage

What is the better way to grant read/write access to external SD card on different API levels

Based on Doomsknight's answer and mine, and Dave Smith and Mark Murphy blog posts: 1, 2, 3:

Ideally, use the Storage Access Framework and DocumentFile as Jared Rummler pointed. Or:
Use your app specific path/storage/extSdCard/Android/data/com.myapp.example/files.
Add read/write permission to manifest for pre-KitKat, no permission required later for this path.
Try to use your App path and Doomsknight's methods considering KitKat and Samsung case.
Filter and use getStorageDirectories, your App path and read/write permissions prior to KitKat.
ContextCompat.getExternalFilesDirs since KitKat. Considering devices that return internal first.

2. Updated answer.

Update 1. I tried Method 1 from Doomknight's answer, with no avail:

As you can see I'm checking for permissions at runtime before attempting to write on SD...

I would use application-specific directories to avoid the issue of your updated question and ContextCompat.getExternalFilesDirs() using getExternalFilesDir documentation as reference.

Improve the heuristics to determine what represents removable media based on the different api levels like android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT

... But I get an access error, tried on two different devices: HTC10 and Shield K1.

Remember that Android 6.0 supports portable storage devices and third-party apps must go through the Storage Access Framework. Your devices HTC10 and Shield K1 are probably API 23.

Your log shows a permission denied exception accessing /mnt/media_rw, like this fix for API 19+:

<permission name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" >
<group gid="sdcard_r" />
<group gid="sdcard_rw" />
<group gid="media_rw" /> // this line is added via root in the link to fix it.
</permission>

I never tried it so I can not share code but I would avoid the for trying to write on all the returned directories and look for the best available storage directory to write into based on remaining space.

Perhaps Gizm0's alternative to your getStorageDirectories() method it's a good starting point.

ContextCompat.getExternalFilesDirs solves the issue if you don't need access to other folders.

3. Android 1.0 .. Pre-KitKat.

Prior to KitKat try to use Doomsknight method 1 or read this response by Gnathonic.

public static HashSet<String> getExternalMounts() {
    final HashSet<String> out = new HashSet<String>();
    String reg = "(?i).*vold.*(vfat|ntfs|exfat|fat32|ext3|ext4).*rw.*";
    String s = "";
    try {
        final Process process = new ProcessBuilder().command("mount")
                .redirectErrorStream(true).start();
        process.waitFor();
        final InputStream is = process.getInputStream();
        final byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
        while (is.read(buffer) != -1) {
            s = s + new String(buffer);
        }
        is.close();
    } catch (final Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

    // parse output
    final String[] lines = s.split("\n");
    for (String line : lines) {
        if (!line.toLowerCase(Locale.US).contains("asec")) {
            if (line.matches(reg)) {
                String[] parts = line.split(" ");
                for (String part : parts) {
                    if (part.startsWith("/"))
                        if (!part.toLowerCase(Locale.US).contains("vold"))
                            out.add(part);
                }
            }
        }
    }
    return out;
}

Add the next code to your AndroidManifest.xml and read Getting access to external storage

Access to external storage is protected by various Android permissions.

Starting in Android 1.0, write access is protected with the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission.

Starting in Android 4.1, read access is protected with the READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission.

In order to ... write files on the external storage, your app must acquire ... system permissions:
<manifest ...>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
</manifest> 
If you need to both..., you need to request only the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission.

Read Mark Murphy's explanation and recommended Dianne Hackborn and Dave Smith posts

Until Android 4.4, there was no official support for removable media in Android, Starting in KitKat, the concept of “primary” and “secondary” external storage emerges in the FMW API.

Prior apps are just relying on MediaStore indexing, ship with the hardware or examine mount points and apply some heuristics to determine what represents removable media.

4. Android 4.4 KitKat introduces the Storage Access Framework (SAF).

Ignore the next note due to bugs, but try to use ContextCompat.getExternalFilesDirs():

Since Android 4.2, there has been a request from Google for device manufacturers to lock down removable media for security (multi-user support) and new tests were added in 4.4.

Since KitKat getExternalFilesDirs() and other methods were added to return a usable path on all available storage volumes (The first item returned is the primary volume).

The table below indicates what a developer might try to do and how KitKat will respond:

Note: Beginning with Android 4.4, these permissions are not required if you're reading or writing only files that are private to your app. For more info..., see saving files that are app-private.
<manifest ...>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"
                     android:maxSdkVersion="18" />
</manifest>

Also read Paolo Rovelli's explanation and try to use Jeff Sharkey's solution since KitKat:

In KitKat there's now a public API for interacting with these secondary shared storage devices.

The new Context.getExternalFilesDirs() and Context.getExternalCacheDirs() methods can return multiple paths, including both primary and secondary devices.

You can then iterate over them and check Environment.getStorageState() and File.getFreeSpace() to determine the best place to store your files.

These methods are also available on ContextCompat in the support-v4 library.

Starting in Android 4.4, the owner, group and modes of files on external storage devices are now synthesized based on directory structure. This enables apps to manage their package-specific directories on external storage without requiring they hold the broad WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission. For example, the app with package name com.example.foo can now freely access Android/data/com.example.foo/ on external storage devices with no permissions. These synthesized permissions are accomplished by wrapping raw storage devices in a FUSE daemon.

With KitKat your chances for a "complete solution" without rooting are pretty much zero:

The Android project has definitely screwed up here. No apps get full access to external SD cards:

file managers: you cannot use them to manage your external SD card. In most areas, they can only read but not write.

media apps: you cannot retag/re-organize your media collection any longer, as those apps cannot write to it.

office apps: pretty much the same

The only place 3^rd party apps are allowed to write on your external card are "their own directories" (i.e. /sdcard/Android/data/<package_name_of_the_app>).

The only ways to really fix that require either the manufacturer (some of them fixed it, e.g. Huawei with their Kitkat update for the P6) – or root... (Izzy's explanation continues here)

5. Android 5.0 introduced changes and the DocumentFile helper class.

getStorageState Added in API 19, deprecated in API 21, use getExternalStorageState(File)

Here's a great tutorial for interacting with the Storage Access Framework in KitKat.

Interacting with the new APIs in Lollipop is very similar (Jeff Sharkey's explanation).

6. Android 6.0 Marshmallow introduces a new runtime permissions model.

Request permissions at runtime if API level 23+ and read Requesting Permissions at Run Time

Beginning in Android 6.0 (API level 23), users grant permissions to apps while the app is running, not when they install the app ... or update the app ... user can revoke the permissions.
// Assume thisActivity is the current activity
int permissionCheck = ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(thisActivity,
        Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE);
Android 6.0 introduces a new runtime permissions model where apps request capabilities when needed at runtime. Because the new model includes the READ/WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permissions, the platform needs to dynamically grant storage access without killing or restarting already-running apps. It does this by maintaining three distinct views of all mounted storage devices:

/mnt/runtime/default is shown to apps with no special storage permissions...

/mnt/runtime/read is shown to apps with READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

/mnt/runtime/write is shown to apps with WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

7. Android 7.0 provides a simplified API to access external storage dirs.

Scoped Directory Access In Android 7.0, apps can use new APIs to request access to specific external storage directories, including directories on removable media such as SD cards...

For more information, see the Scoped Directory Access training.

Read Mark Murphy posts: Be Careful with Scoped Directory Access. It was deprecated in Android Q:

Note that the scoped directory access added in 7.0 is deprecated in Android Q.

Specifically, the createAccessIntent() method on StorageVolume is deprecated.

They added a createOpenDocumentTreeIntent() that can be used as an alternative.

8. Android 8.0 Oreo .. Android Q Beta changes.

Starting in Android O, the Storage Access Framework allows custom documents providers to create seekable file descriptors for files residing in a remote data source...

Permissions, prior to Android O, if an app requested a permission at runtime and the permission was granted, the system also incorrectly granted the app the rest of the permissions that belonged to the same permission group, and that were registered in the manifest.

For apps targeting Android O, this behavior has been corrected. The app is granted only the permissions it has explicitly requested. However, once the user grants a permission to the app, all subsequent requests for permissions in that permission group are automatically granted.

For example, READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE and WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE...

Update: An Android Q earlier beta release temporarily replaced the READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE and WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permissions with more fine-grained, media-specific permissions.

Note: Google introduced roles on Beta 1 and removed them from the documentation before Beta 2...

Note: The permissions specific to media collections that were introduced in earlier beta releases—READ_MEDIA_IMAGES, READ_MEDIA_AUDIO, and READ_MEDIA_VIDEO—are now obsolete. More info:

Q Beta 4 (final APIs) review by Mark Murphy: The Death of External Storage: The End of the Saga(?)