Permission Denial: this requires android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL

Question

I am having an issue with sqlite db in Android. But as I made a quick research on the internet, I suspect that the problem is not related to sqlite but system user. My app is not recognized as authorized user to access db functionalities. I tried to apply possible suggested solutions in stack overflow but none of them made a difference. This is the LogCat I am facing every time I attempt to use db functionality.

12-14 02:35:17.721    2953-3355/? E/DatabaseUtils﹕ Writing exception to parcel
java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: get/set setting for user asks to run as user -2 but is calling from user 0; this requires android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL
at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.handleIncomingUser(ActivityManagerService.java:13082)
at android.app.ActivityManager.handleIncomingUser(ActivityManager.java:2038)
at com.android.providers.settings.SettingsProvider.callFromPackage(SettingsProvider.java:577)
at android.content.ContentProvider$Transport.call(ContentProvider.java:279)
at android.content.ContentProviderNative.onTransact(ContentProviderNative.java:273)
at android.os.Binder.execTransact(Binder.java:388)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.run(Native Method)

I tried to add permission

android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL

but still no sound. The strange thing is when I try to add INTERNET permission Android Studio 0.3 (ide I use) suggests me possible permissions I can choose. But when it comes to INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL permission it behaves like it has no idea about this permission. My test device is Samsung S4 running on 4.3.

I assume that I am not the only one who tries to use db on android. So there is a solution.

How can I really add INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL permission to my application?

Answer 1

According to this answer: android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL is a signature level permission. Your app will not be able to use it until and unless it has the same signature as the system.

Which is not something you can achieve unless you either are the creator or the system build, or collaborating with them such that they are willing to sign your apk with their certificate. In other words, this is off limits for most developers.

Answer 2

I got the error android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL because I had some conflicts in the bin directory of the project. I did some changes to the my app package id and the app-file-1.apk in the bin directory doesn't match with the project.

I did a project > clean and checked that the bin folder was cleared and regenerated, and it works now.