feat: Make all file access permission optional on full builds by Fandroid745 · Pull Request #21046 · ankidroid/Anki-Android

Fandroid745 · 2026-05-15T05:17:11Z

Note

Assisted-by: Gemini 3.1 Pro - Research and Tests

Purpose / Description

AnkiDroid forces the users to grant the "All files access" permission on full builds(fdroid/github) with no way to opt out. The users who sync via AnkiWeb or manage their have no need to grant this permission.

Fixes

Fixes Don't force full (F-Droid/GitHub) releases users to grant the All files access permission #13574

Approach

Added a skip button on the permisssion screen (PermissionStartingAt30Fragment).
When tapped, a dialog appears the tradeoff that the collection will be stored in app-private storage
/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.ichi2.anki.debug/files/AnkiDroid and deleted on uninstall.
If the user confirms Prefs.UsePrivateStorage is set to true and PREF_COLLECTION_PATH is written to the the app private directory.
The selectAnkidroidFolder returns the AppPrivateFolder directly, matching the Play Store build behaviour

How Has This Been Tested?

Tested on Android 15 device (with the build variants fullDebug and fullRelease)

Screenshots

Skip button to skip all files permission

Dialog explaning the trade-offs

The app private storage being used

Checklist

You have a descriptive commit message with a short title (first line, max 50 chars).
You have commented your code, particularly in hard-to-understand areas
You have performed a self-review of your own code
UI changes: include screenshots of all affected screens (in particular showing any new or changed strings)
UI Changes: You have tested your change using the Google Accessibility Scanner

BrayanDSO

Instead of a skip button, simply don't disable the Continue button if the permission hasn't been allowed. If they tap the button, the dialog should be shown

BrayanDSO · 2026-05-15T10:18:58Z

+    <string name="btn_skip_permission">Skip</string>
+    <string name="private_storage_warning_title"> Limited Storage access</string>
+    <string name="private_storage_warning">Without this permission, Your Ankidroid collection will be stored in app\'s private storage and will be permanently deleted if you uninstall Ankidroid.</string>


this file isn't translated, so those strings shouldn't be here

david-allison · 2026-05-15T14:09:59Z

The title shouldn't include "needs"

AnkiDroid works better with these permissions

david-allison

This is one of our really badly wanted fixes, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Initially this looks good to me. This will want a lower priority follow up issue to fix the AnkiDroid directory preference. Please don't fix it in this PR, as that dialog is being rewritten

change the button text to "skip", don't add another button
Fix the title, see my other comment
Use "app private", not "private"

david-allison · 2026-05-15T14:20:55Z

+    <string name="use_private_storage_key">usePrivatestorage</string>
+    <string name="btn_skip_permission">Skip</string>
+    <string name="private_storage_warning_title"> Limited Storage access</string>
+    <string name="private_storage_warning">Without this permission, Your Ankidroid collection will be stored in app\'s private storage and will be permanently deleted if you uninstall Ankidroid.</string>


AnkiDroid

I don't like this warning, the UI should be a selection, rather than showing a user a scary dialog during the onboarding process

I'd block this if it weren't F-Droid only - users there are more understanding of privacy

Add an issue and a TODO to rethink the UI

AnkiDroid

I don't like this warning, the UI should be a selection, rather than showing a user a scary dialog during the onboarding process

I'd block this if it weren't F-Droid only - users there are more understanding of privacy

Add an issue and a TODO to rethink the UI

Will do!
I had created that dialog as it was one of the comments on the issue

Giyutomioka-SS · 2026-05-15T15:36:50Z

+
+                val externalFilesDir =
+                    requireContext().getExternalFilesDir(null) ?: requireContext().filesDir
+                val privateDir = File(externalFilesDir, "AnkiDroid").apply { mkdirs() }


Nit: mkdirs() return value isn't checked. If it fails (disk full/corrupted), the pref gets set to a non existent path.

github-actions · 2026-05-16T13:24:58Z

Important

Maintainers: This PR contains Strings changes

Sync Translations before merging this PR and wait for the action to complete
Review and merge the auto-generated PR in order to sync all user-submitted translations
Sync Translations again and merge the PR so the huge automated string changes caused by merging this PR are by themselves and easy to review

Fandroid745 · 2026-05-16T14:18:17Z

I have addressed the review comments now,
could you please review

david-allison

Please add tests, this is a vital path to get correct

github-actions · 2026-06-05T03:51:51Z

Hello 👋, this PR has had no activity for more than 2 weeks and needs a reply from the author. If you think this is a mistake please comment and ping a maintainer to get this merged ASAP! Thanks for contributing! You have 7 days until this gets closed automatically

Fandroid745 · 2026-06-13T09:10:50Z

@david-allison could you reopen this

david-allison · 2026-06-13T09:15:38Z

Done

github-actions · 2026-06-15T07:23:38Z

Snapshot diff report vs main. Open screenshot-diff for diffs.

AllActivitiesScreenshotTest: 2 changes

All 2 changed screenshots

AllActivitiesScreenshotTest

PermissionsActivity_compare.png
PermissionsActivity_edgeToEdge_compare.png

github-actions · 2026-07-22T09:22:53Z

Hello 👋, this PR has had no activity for more than 2 weeks and needs a reply from the author. If you think this is a mistake please comment and ping a maintainer to get this merged ASAP! Thanks for contributing! You have 7 days until this gets closed automatically

Fandroid745 · 2026-08-14T11:14:10Z

@david-allison could you review this, I have handled the case where the user has given full storage access but revokes permission now

david-allison · 2026-08-15T20:22:59Z

Bug: on a new install, "Skip" loops back to the permission screen (until they grant the permission)

Could you add a regression test for this?

This PR should be using the StorageDecision mechanism (which is now live), rather than directly modifying the collection path. We previously did not have a concept of "path chosen by the user", and StorageDecision was designed for this.

Sorry for the back & forth here, StorageDecision took time to merge, and I've had limited AnkiDroid time

Feel free to delegate a few PRs to me here to get this over the line sooner. This is our most requested feature and I've now got capacity to see it through:

https://github.com/ankidroid/Anki-Android/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20state%3Aopen%20sort%3Areactions-%2B1-desc

Fandroid745 · 2026-08-16T11:10:36Z

Thanks for the help! I have limited time currently, could you get this over the line.

david-allison

Removing this from my review queue. Blocked on

#21540

github-actions Bot added the Needs Review label May 15, 2026

BrayanDSO reviewed May 15, 2026

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Giyutomioka-SS approved these changes May 15, 2026

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Fandroid745 mentioned this pull request May 15, 2026

Decide on the storage selecton UI on onboarding screen for full builds #21049

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Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch from 42bcc35 to 83f9a8b Compare May 16, 2026 13:24

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Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch 2 times, most recently from 51b427b to b73806c Compare May 16, 2026 13:50

Fandroid745 requested review from BrayanDSO, Giyutomioka-SS and david-allison May 16, 2026 14:19

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github-actions Bot removed the Stale label Jun 13, 2026

Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch from b73806c to be365c4 Compare June 15, 2026 07:17

github-actions Bot added the Stale label Jul 22, 2026

Fandroid745 marked this pull request as draft July 26, 2026 03:52

github-actions Bot removed the Stale label Jul 26, 2026

Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch from c9cc684 to 36ff6ee Compare July 27, 2026 14:39

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Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch 4 times, most recently from 1e44f97 to 1f295f1 Compare July 30, 2026 08:20

Fandroid745 marked this pull request as ready for review July 30, 2026 16:49

Fandroid745 requested a review from david-allison July 30, 2026 18:14

Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch from 1f295f1 to 176087a Compare August 2, 2026 11:33

github-actions Bot added the Has Conflicts label Aug 7, 2026

Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch 2 times, most recently from 1aa77b8 to 37210be Compare August 13, 2026 15:42

Fandroid745 marked this pull request as draft August 13, 2026 15:53

github-actions Bot removed the Has Conflicts label Aug 13, 2026

Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch 2 times, most recently from 9b6aadb to 97026bb Compare August 13, 2026 17:11

feat: make all files access permission optional on full builds

d3727bd

Fandroid745 force-pushed the feat/storage-permission-optional branch from 97026bb to d3727bd Compare August 14, 2026 10:19

Fandroid745 marked this pull request as ready for review August 14, 2026 11:13

github-actions Bot added the Has Conflicts label Aug 16, 2026

david-allison mentioned this pull request Aug 16, 2026

refactor: prep for making MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE optional #21540

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