Saving files in Android 11 to external storage(SDK 30)

Question

I am writing a new Application on Android 11 (SDK Version 30) and I simply cannot find an example on how to save a file to the external storage.

I read their documentation and now know that they basicly ignore Manifest Permissions (READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE and WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE). They also ignore the android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true" in the manifest.xml application tag.

In their documentation https://developer.android.com/about/versions/11/privacy/storage they write you need to enable the DEFAULT_SCOPED_STORAGE and FORCE_ENABLE_SCOPED_STORAGE flags to enable scoped storage in your app.

Where do I have to enable those? And when I've done that how and when do I get the actual permission to write to the external storage? Can someone provide working code?
I want to save .gif, .png and .mp3 files. So I don't want to write to the gallery.

Thanks in advance.

Solution 1

You can save files to the public directories on external storage.

Like Documents, Download, DCIM, Pictures and so on.

In the usual way like before version 10.

Solution 2

Corresponding To All Api, included Api 30, Android 11 :

public static File commonDocumentDirPath(String FolderName)
{
    File dir = null;
    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R)
    {
        dir = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOCUMENTS) + "/" + FolderName);
    }
    else
    {
        dir = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + FolderName);
    }

    // Make sure the path directory exists.
    if (!dir.exists())
    {
        // Make it, if it doesn't exit
        boolean success = dir.mkdirs();
        if (!success)
        {
            dir = null;
        }
    }
    return dir;
}

Now, use this commonDocumentDirPath for saving file.

A side note from comments, getExternalStoragePublicDirectory with certain scopes are now working with Api 30, Android 11. Cheers! Thanks to CommonsWare hints.

Solution 3

**Simplest Answer and Tested ( Java ) **

private void createFile(String title) {
        Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_CREATE_DOCUMENT);
        intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_OPENABLE);
        intent.setType("text/html");
        intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TITLE, title);

    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
        intent.putExtra(DocumentsContract.EXTRA_INITIAL_URI, Uri.parse("/Documents"));
    }
    createInvoiceActivityResultLauncher.launch(intent);
}

private void createInvoice(Uri uri) {
    try {
        ParcelFileDescriptor pfd = getContentResolver().
                openFileDescriptor(uri, "w");
        if (pfd != null) {
            FileOutputStream fileOutputStream = new FileOutputStream(pfd.getFileDescriptor());
            fileOutputStream.write(invoice_html.getBytes());
            fileOutputStream.close();
            pfd.close();
        }
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// You can do the assignment inside onAttach or onCreate, i.e, before the activity is displayed


    String invoice_html;
    ActivityResultLauncher<Intent> createInvoiceActivityResultLauncher;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {

       invoice_html = "<h1>Just for testing received...</h1>";
       createInvoiceActivityResultLauncher = registerForActivityResult(
                new ActivityResultContracts.StartActivityForResult(),
                result -> {
                    if (result.getResultCode() == Activity.RESULT_OK) {
                        // There are no request codes
                        Uri uri = null;
                        if (result.getData() != null) {
                            uri = result.getData().getData();
                            createInvoice(uri);
                            // Perform operations on the document using its URI.
                        }
                    }
                });

Solution 4

I'm using this method and it really worked for me I hope I can help you. Feel free to ask me if something is not clear to you

   Bitmap imageBitmap;

   OutputStream outputStream ;
    
            if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.Q)
            {
                ContentResolver resolver = context.getContentResolver();
                ContentValues contentValues = new ContentValues();
                contentValues.put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.DISPLAY_NAME,"Image_"+".jpg");
                contentValues.put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.MIME_TYPE,"image/jpeg");
                contentValues.put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.RELATIVE_PATH,Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES + File.separator+"TestFolder");
                Uri imageUri = resolver.insert(MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI,contentValues);
                try {
                    outputStream =  resolver.openOutputStream(Objects.requireNonNull(imageUri) );
                    imageBitmap.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.JPEG,100,outputStream);
                    Objects.requireNonNull(outputStream);
                    Toast.makeText(context, "Image Saved", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                    
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    Toast.makeText(context, "Image Not Not  Saved: \n "+e, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
    
            }

manifest file (Add Permission)

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

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