Description: The permission ‘Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE’ is an authorization that allows applications to write data to external storage on devices. This external storage can include SD cards and other forms of storage that are accessible to users and other applications. This permission is crucial for applications that need to save or modify files, such as documents, images, videos, and other types of data. Without this permission, applications are limited to writing only in their own internal storage, which restricts their functionality and ability to interact with other files on the device. Starting from Android 10, Google introduced significant changes in permission management, making this permission more restrictive and implementing new privacy practices. Therefore, developers must explicitly request this permission and provide clear justifications to users about why it is needed. This not only enhances user security but also promotes greater transparency in the use of personal data and storage.
History: The ‘WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE’ permission was introduced in the early versions of Android, allowing applications to access and modify external storage. Over time, as concerns about privacy and data security increased, Google began implementing changes in permission management. In Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), a runtime permission model was introduced, requiring applications to request permissions explicitly during use. Subsequently, in Android 10, access policies to external storage became more restrictive, promoting the use of ‘Scoped Storage’, which limits access to specific files and directories.
Uses: This permission is primarily used in applications that need to save or modify files in external storage, such as photo editing apps, file managers, music players, and backup applications. It allows users to store multimedia content, documents, and other types of files that can be shared or used by other applications.
Examples: An example of using ‘WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE’ is a gallery app that allows users to save edited images to external storage. Another example is a file manager that enables users to move or copy files between the device’s internal and external storage.
