Android opening a file with ACTION_GET_CONTENT results into different Uri's

Question

I am trying to open files by using Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT.

Dependent on the Android version/device brand the file browser opens and I get the following results:

Selecting a file from Downloads:

content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/446 

Selecting a file from Fotos:

content://media/external/images/media/309 

Selecting a file from FileCommander:

file:///storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/20141027_132114.jpg 

I can open all these files except when I try to open a file from Downloads,, Audio , Afbeeldingen(Images)

It's likely I can't handle this kind of Uri: content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/446

I have tried the following things:

• Trying to open the file by new File(uri.getPath()). File.exists() returns false.
• Trying to open/reach the file by getContext().getContentResolver().openInputStream(uri). Results into a FileNotFoundException

• Trying to open the file with the following code:

  public static String getRealPathFromURI_API19(Context context, Uri uri) {  Log.i("uri", uri.getPath()); String filePath = ""; if (uri.getScheme().equals("file")) {     return uri.getPath(); } else if (DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {     String wholeID = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);     Log.i("wholeID", wholeID);     // Split at colon, use second item in the array     String[] splits = wholeID.split(":"); if (splits.length == 2) {     String id = splits[1];          String[] column = {MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA};     // where id is equal to         String sel = MediaStore.Images.Media._ID + "=?";         Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI,                 column, sel, new String[]{id}, null);         int columnIndex = cursor.getColumnIndex(column[0]);         if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {             filePath = cursor.getString(columnIndex);         }         cursor.close();     } } else {     filePath = AttachmentUtils.getPath(context, uri); } return filePath; } 

What am I doing wrong?

UPDATE: I have noticed that the files that are listed in the screenshot that they are not physically existing in the storage. The device I am using is a tablet from the company containing rubbish data. My colleague told me that this device once was connected with a different Google account. These files could be the files from the previous account which are not existing/reachable anymore.

My own conclusion about it is that I am encountering some bug in Android. My bug report

Update 6 february 2017:

Android banned the file:// URI. Please consider to think about it.

Ban on file: Uri Scheme The biggest compatibility issue so far with Android 7.0 is that the file: scheme for Uri values is banned, in effect. If you attempt to pass a file: Uri in an Intent that is going to another app — whether via an extra or as the “data” facet of the Intent — you will crash with a FileUriExposedException exception. You will face similar issues with putting file: Uri values on the clipboard in ClipData . This is coming from an updated edition of StrictMode . StrictMode.VmPolicy.Builder has a penaltyDeathOnFileUriExposure() method that triggers the detection of file: Uri values and the resulting FileUriExposedException exceptions. And, it appears that this is pre-configured, much as how StrictMode is pre-configured to apply penaltyDeathOnNetwork() (the source of your NetworkOnMainThreadException crashes).

Answer 1

Use below code.This will work for sure.

public static String getPath(Context context, Uri uri) {      if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {         // DocumentProvider         if (DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {             // ExternalStorageProvider             if (isExternalStorageDocument(uri)) {                 final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);                 final String[] split = docId.split(":");                 final String type = split[0];                  if ("primary".equalsIgnoreCase(type)) {                     return Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + split[1];                 }                 // TODO handle non-primary volumes             }             // DownloadsProvider             else if (isDownloadsDocument(uri)) {                 final String id = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);                 final Uri contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"), Long.valueOf(id));                 return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, null, null);             }             // MediaProvider             else if (isMediaDocument(uri)) {                 final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);                 final String[] split = docId.split(":");                 final String type = split[0];                 Uri contentUri = null;                 if ("image".equals(type)) {                     contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;                 } else if ("video".equals(type)) {                     contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;                 } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {                     contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;                 }                 final String selection = "_id=?";                 final String[] selectionArgs = new String[]{split[1]};                 return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, selection, selectionArgs);             }         }     }     // MediaStore (and general)     else if ("content".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {         // Return the remote address         if (isGooglePhotosUri(uri))             return uri.getLastPathSegment();         return getDataColumn(context, uri, null, null);     }     // File     else if ("file".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {         return uri.getPath();     }     return null; }  public static String getDataColumn(Context context, Uri uri, String selection, String[] selectionArgs) {     Cursor cursor = null;     final String column = "_data";     final String[] projection = {column};     try {         cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(uri, projection, selection, selectionArgs, null);         if (cursor != null && cursor.moveToFirst()) {             final int index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(column);             return cursor.getString(index);         }     } finally {         if (cursor != null)             cursor.close();     }     return null; }  public static boolean isExternalStorageDocument(Uri uri) {     return "com.android.externalstorage.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority()); }  /**  * @param uri The Uri to check.  * @return Whether the Uri authority is DownloadsProvider.  */ public static boolean isDownloadsDocument(Uri uri) {     return "com.android.providers.downloads.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority()); }  /**  * @param uri The Uri to check.  * @return Whether the Uri authority is MediaProvider.  */ public static boolean isMediaDocument(Uri uri) {     return "com.android.providers.media.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority()); }  /**  * @param uri The Uri to check.  * @return Whether the Uri authority is Google Photos.  */ public static boolean isGooglePhotosUri(Uri uri) {     return "com.google.android.apps.photos.content".equals(uri.getAuthority()); } 

Use the below code to browse the file in any format.

public void browseClick() {      Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);     intent.setType("*/*");     intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_OPENABLE);     //intent.putExtra("browseCoa", itemToBrowse);     //Intent chooser = Intent.createChooser(intent, "Select a File to Upload");     try {         //startActivityForResult(chooser, FILE_SELECT_CODE);         startActivityForResult(Intent.createChooser(intent, "Select a File to Upload"),FILE_SELECT_CODE);     } catch (Exception ex) {         System.out.println("browseClick :"+ex);//android.content.ActivityNotFoundException ex     } } 

Then get that file path in the onActivityResult like below.

@Override public void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {     super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);     if (requestCode == FILE_SELECT_CODE) {         if (resultCode == RESULT_OK) {             try {               Uri uri = data.getData();                  if (filesize >= FILE_SIZE_LIMIT) {                     Toast.makeText(this,"The selected file is too large. Selet a new file with size less than 2mb",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();                 } else {                     String mimeType = getContentResolver().getType(uri);                     if (mimeType == null) {                         String path = getPath(this, uri);                         if (path == null) {                             filename = FilenameUtils.getName(uri.toString());                         } else {                             File file = new File(path);                             filename = file.getName();                         }                     } else {                         Uri returnUri = data.getData();                         Cursor returnCursor = getContentResolver().query(returnUri, null, null, null, null);                         int nameIndex = returnCursor.getColumnIndex(OpenableColumns.DISPLAY_NAME);                         int sizeIndex = returnCursor.getColumnIndex(OpenableColumns.SIZE);                         returnCursor.moveToFirst();                         filename = returnCursor.getString(nameIndex);                         String size = Long.toString(returnCursor.getLong(sizeIndex));                     }    File fileSave = getExternalFilesDir(null);     String sourcePath = getExternalFilesDir(null).toString();     try {                         copyFileStream(new File(sourcePath + "/" + filename), uri,this);                      } catch (Exception e) {                         e.printStackTrace();                     }   }             } catch (Exception e) {                 e.printStackTrace();             }         }     } } private void copyFileStream(File dest, Uri uri, Context context)         throws IOException {     InputStream is = null;     OutputStream os = null;     try {         is = context.getContentResolver().openInputStream(uri);         os = new FileOutputStream(dest);         byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];         int length;          while ((length = is.read(buffer)) > 0) {             os.write(buffer, 0, length);          }     } catch (Exception e) {         e.printStackTrace();     } finally {         is.close();         os.close();     } } 

After this you can open this file from your application external storage where you saved the file with appropriate action.

Answer 2

The accepted answer on kotlin

@Suppress("SpellCheckingInspection") object PathCompat {      @WorkerThread     fun getFilePath(context: Context, uri: Uri): String? = context.run {         return try {             when {                 Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT -> getDataColumn(uri, null, null)                 else -> getPathKitkatPlus(uri)             }         } catch (e: Throwable) {             Timber.e(e)             null         }     }      @Suppress("DEPRECATION")     @SuppressLint("NewApi", "DefaultLocale")     private fun Context.getPathKitkatPlus(uri: Uri): String? {         when {             DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(applicationContext, uri) -> {                 val docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri)                 when {                     uri.isExternalStorageDocument -> {                         val parts = docId.split(":")                         if ("primary".equals(parts[0], true)) {                             return "${Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()}/${parts[1]}"                         }                     }                     uri.isDownloadsDocument -> {                         val contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(                             Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"),                             docId.toLong()                         )                         return getDataColumn(contentUri, null, null)                     }                     uri.isMediaDocument -> {                         val parts = docId.split(":")                         val contentUri = when (parts[0].toLowerCase()) {                             "image" -> MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI                             "video" -> MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI                             "audio" -> MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI                             else -> return null                         }                         return getDataColumn(contentUri, "_id=?", arrayOf(parts[1]))                     }                 }             }             "content".equals(uri.scheme, true) -> {                 return if (uri.isGooglePhotosUri) {                     uri.lastPathSegment                 } else {                     getDataColumn(uri, null, null)                 }             }             "file".equals(uri.scheme, true) -> {                 return uri.path             }         }         return null     }      private fun Context.getDataColumn(uri: Uri, selection: String?, args: Array<String>?): String? {         contentResolver?.query(uri, arrayOf("_data"), selection, args, null)?.use {             if (it.moveToFirst()) {                 return it.getString(it.getColumnIndexOrThrow("_data"))             }         }         return null     }      private val Uri.isExternalStorageDocument: Boolean         get() = authority == "com.android.externalstorage.documents"      private val Uri.isDownloadsDocument: Boolean         get() = authority == "com.android.providers.downloads.documents"      private val Uri.isMediaDocument: Boolean         get() = authority == "com.android.providers.media.documents"      private val Uri.isGooglePhotosUri: Boolean         get() = authority == "com.google.android.apps.photos.content" }