List the files in Download directory of the Android phone

Question

I am using the following code for trying to list the files in Download directory.

I build the apk, install it on my phone and then run it. I have files in both Internal memory/Download folder and External memory/Download folder when I view in File Browser of my phone, but the app does not display the file list. When I debug I find that the listFiles() function returns null.

Please let me know where I am doing wrong. The variable state has value mounted so the issue has nothing to do with the memory not being mounted.

String state = Environment.getExternalStorageState();

private boolean isMediaAvailable() {

    if (Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED.equals(state)) {
        return true;
    } else {
        return false;
    }
}


if (!isMediaAvailable()) {
        Utility.finishWithError(this,"Media Not Available");
    } else {

        String path =Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory().toString()+ File.separator + Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS;



        File file = new File(path);
        mRootPath = file.getAbsoluteFile().getPath();



        mFileNames = new ArrayList<String>();

        File filesInDirectory[] = file.listFiles();


        if (filesInDirectory != null) {
            for (int i = 0; i<filesInDirectory.length;i++) {
                    mFileNames.add(filesInDirectory[i].getName());
            }
        }

    }

Solution 1

Use :

Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS)

to get the downloaded directory,

and use File.list() to get an array with the list of files in the directory.

Solution 2

Add storage permission to your project manifest file:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

and ask the user to grant the permission like this:

int PERMISSION_ALL = 1;
String[] PERMISSIONS = {android.Manifest.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE};

add this method to your code:

public static boolean hasPermissions(Context context, String... permissions) {
    if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M && context != null && permissions != null) {
        for (String permission : permissions) {
            if (ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(context, permission) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
                return false;
            }
        }
    }
    return true;
}

and it is optional to override this:

    @Override
public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, String permissions[], int[] grantResults) {
    switch (requestCode) {
        case 1: {

            // If request is cancelled, the result arrays are empty.
            if (grantResults.length > 0
                    && grantResults[0] == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {

                // permission was granted, yay! Do the
                // contacts-related task you need to do.
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "permission was granted", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

            } else {

                // permission denied, boo! Disable the
                // functionality that depends on this permission.
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Permission denied", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
            return;
        }
    }
}

now you can use the below code to access your application Download directory:

context.getApplicationContext().getExternalFilesDir(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS);

Good Luck :)