NativeAndroidPath

A Flutter plugin that provides access to various storage paths on Android devices.

Installation

Add this to your package's pubspec.yaml file:

dependencies:
  native_android_path: ^latest_version

dependencies:
  native_android_path: ^0.0.2

Then run:

flutter pub get add native_android_path

Usage

Import the package:

import 'package:native_android_path/native_android_path.dart';

Create an instance of the NativeAndroidPath class:


final nativeAndroidPath = NativeAndroidPath();

android_path

Methods

getPlatformVersion()

Returns the version of the Android platform.

Example:

Future<void> getAndroidVersion() async {
  try {
    String? version = await NativeAndroidPath().getPlatformVersion();
    print('Android version: $version');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting Android version: $e');
  }
}

getAllPaths()

Returns all available storage paths on the device as a map.

Example:

Future<void> showAllPaths() async {
  try {
    Map<String, String?> paths = await NativeAndroidPath().getAllPaths();
    paths.forEach((key, value) {
      print('$key: $value');
    });
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting all paths: $e');
  }
}

getInternalStoragePath()

Returns the path to the internal storage directory.

Example:

Future<void> showInternalStorage() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getInternalStoragePath();
    print('Internal storage path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting internal storage path: $e');
  }
}

getExternalStoragePath()

Returns the path to the external storage directory.

Example:

Future<void> showExternalStorage() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getExternalStoragePath();
    print('External storage path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting external storage path: $e');
  }
}

getInternalCachePath()

Returns the path to the internal cache directory.

Example:

Future<void> showInternalCache() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getInternalCachePath();
    print('Internal cache path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting internal cache path: $e');
  }
}

getExternalCachePath()

Returns the path to the external cache directory.

Example:

Future<void> showExternalCache() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getExternalCachePath();
    print('External cache path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting external cache path: $e');
  }
}

getDownloadPath()

Returns the path to the downloads directory.

Example:

Future<void> showDownloadsFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getDownloadPath();
    print('Downloads path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting downloads path: $e');
  }
}

getDCIMPath()

Returns the path to the DCIM directory (camera photos).

Example:

Future<void> showDCIMFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getDCIMPath();
    print('DCIM path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting DCIM path: $e');
  }
}

getPicturesPath()

Returns the path to the pictures directory.

Example:

Future<void> showPicturesFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getPicturesPath();
    print('Pictures path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting pictures path: $e');
  }
}

getMoviesPath()

Returns the path to the movies directory.

Example:

Future<void> showMoviesFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getMoviesPath();
    print('Movies path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting movies path: $e');
  }
}

getMusicPath()

Returns the path to the music directory.

Example:

Future<void> showMusicFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getMusicPath();
    print('Music path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting music path: $e');
  }
}

getRingtonesPath()

Returns the path to the ringtones directory.

Example:

Future<void> showRingtonesFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getRingtonesPath();
    print('Ringtones path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting ringtones path: $e');
  }
}

getAlarmsPath()

Returns the path to the alarms directory.

Example:

Future<void> showAlarmsFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getAlarmsPath();
    print('Alarms path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting alarms path: $e');
  }
}

getNotificationsPath()

Returns the path to the notifications directory.

Example:

Future<void> showNotificationsFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getNotificationsPath();
    print('Notifications path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting notifications path: $e');
  }
}

getDocumentsPath()

Returns the path to the documents directory.

Example:

Future<void> showDocumentsFolder() async {
  try {
    String? path = await NativeAndroidPath().getDocumentsPath();
    print('Documents path: $path');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting documents path: $e');
  }
}

isExternalStorageWritable()

Checks if external storage is writable.

Example:

Future<void> checkExternalStorageWritable() async {
  try {
    bool isWritable = await NativeAndroidPath().isExternalStorageWritable();
    print('External storage is writable: $isWritable');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error checking if external storage is writable: $e');
  }
}

isExternalStorageReadable()

Checks if external storage is readable.

Example:

Future<void> checkExternalStorageReadable() async {
  try {
    bool isReadable = await NativeAndroidPath().isExternalStorageReadable();
    print('External storage is readable: $isReadable');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error checking if external storage is readable: $e');
  }
}

getExternalStorageDirectories(String type)

Returns a list of external storage directory paths for the specified type.

Example:

Future<void> getSpecificExternalDirectories() async {
  try {
    // Possible types: "music", "pictures", "movies", "documents", etc.
    List<String> paths = await NativeAndroidPath().getExternalStorageDirectories("pictures");
    print('External picture directories:');
    for (String path in paths) {
      print('- $path');
    }
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error getting external directories: $e');
  }
}

Full Example

Here's a complete example showing how to use multiple methods:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:native_android_path/native_android_path.dart';

void main() {
  runApp(MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _MyAppState createState() => _MyAppState();
}

class _MyAppState extends State<MyApp> {
  final NativeAndroidPath _pathPlugin = NativeAndroidPath();
  Map<String, String> _paths = {};
  bool _isLoading = true;

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _loadPaths();
  }

  Future<void> _loadPaths() async {
    try {
      Map<String, String?> allPaths = await _pathPlugin.getAllPaths();
      bool isWritable = await _pathPlugin.isExternalStorageWritable();
      bool isReadable = await _pathPlugin.isExternalStorageReadable();
      
      setState(() {
        _paths = {
          ...allPaths.map((key, value) => MapEntry(key, value ?? 'Not available')),
          'External storage writable': isWritable.toString(),
          'External storage readable': isReadable.toString(),
        };
        _isLoading = false;
      });
    } catch (e) {
      setState(() {
        _paths = {'Error': e.toString()};
        _isLoading = false;
      });
    }
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(
          title: Text('Android Storage Paths'),
        ),
        body: _isLoading
            ? Center(child: CircularProgressIndicator())
            : ListView.builder(
                itemCount: _paths.length,
                itemBuilder: (context, index) {
                  String key = _paths.keys.elementAt(index);
                  String value = _paths[key]!;
                  return ListTile(
                    title: Text(key),
                    subtitle: Text(value),
                  );
                },
              ),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Permissions

For Android 10 (API level 29) and above, you might need to add:

<application
    android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true"
  
>

For Android 11 (API level 30) and above, consider implementing more specific storage access using the Storage Access Framework or Media Store API.

Required Permissions for Android 13

  1. General Permissions:

    • To access external files, you still need the READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE and WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permissions.
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

  2. Specific Permissions for Android 13:

    • In Android 13, access to media files (such as photos, videos, and music) is controlled separately. To access these files, you must use specific permissions:
      • READ_MEDIA_IMAGES: For accessing photos.
      • READ_MEDIA_VIDEO: For accessing videos.
      • READ_MEDIA_AUDIO: For accessing audio files.
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_IMAGES" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_VIDEO" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_AUDIO" />

  3. Requesting Permissions at Runtime:

    • In Android 13, you must request specific permissions at runtime from the user. This is done using ActivityResultContracts.RequestPermission or ActivityResultContracts.RequestMultiplePermissions.

    Example of requesting permission to access photos:

    import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:permission_master/permission_master.dart';

Future<void> requestMediaPermissions() async {
  final permissionMaster = PermissionMaster();
  final status = await permissionMaster.requestStoragePermission();

  if (status == PermissionStatus.granted) {
    print('Media permissions granted');
  } else if (status == PermissionStatus.openSettings) {
    // Permanent denial, suggest opening app settings
    await permissionMaster.openAppSettings();
  } else {
    print('Media permissions denied');
  }
}

AndroidManifest.xml Settings for Android 13

To support Android 13, your AndroidManifest.xml file should look like this:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.yourapp">

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_IMAGES" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_VIDEO" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_AUDIO" />

    <application
        android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true"
        android:label="Your App"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher">
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:exported="true"
            android:launchMode="singleTop"
            android:theme="@style/LaunchTheme">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>
</manifest>

Important Changes for Android 13

  1. Removal of requestLegacyExternalStorage:

    • In Android 11 (API level 30) and above, the requestLegacyExternalStorage attribute was used to maintain compatibility with the old file system. However, in Android 13, this attribute is no longer supported, and you must use specific permissions instead.

  2. Use of MediaStore:

    • To access media files in Android 13, you must use MediaStore. This API allows you to access photo, video, and music files.

Requesting Permissions at Runtime

To request permissions at runtime, you can use the permission_master package. This package helps you request and manage permissions easily.

Setup and Initialization

  1. Import the Package

    import 'package:permission_master/permission_master.dart';

  2. Set BuildContext (Important for Dialogs)

    class _MyAppState extends State<MyApp> {
  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    // Set context for dialog support
    PermissionMaster.setContext(context);
  }
}

Storage Permission Example


Future<void> requestStorageAccess() async {
  final permissionMaster = PermissionMaster();
  final status = await permissionMaster.requestStoragePermission();

  if (status == PermissionStatus.granted) {
    // Read/write files allowed
  } else if (status == PermissionStatus.openSettings) {
    // Permanent denial, suggest opening app settings
    await permissionMaster.openAppSettings();
  } else {
    print('Storage permission not granted');
  }
}

Adding Dependencies

In your pubspec.yaml file, add the package:

dependencies:
  permission_master:
    git:
      url: https://github.com/SwanFlutter/permission_master.git

Note

If you use permission_master, you still need to add the necessary permissions to the AndroidManifest.xml file. Also, the android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true" attribute should still be included in the application tag.

Libraries

native_android_path
native_android_path_method_channel
native_android_path_platform_interface