Cannot get real path of some images on Android API 33

Question

I have a strange situation and not sure how to debug further. I need to get the real path of a selected image from the gallery so I can upload it to a server via an API. It works perfectly that I can tell on a virtual Pixel 6 API 25, but fails on my real device, a Samsung Galaxy S20 with API 33. But it only fails on some photos. From what I can tell they are ones that were taken outside of the app. If I use the camera to take a photo, it get the real path. If I later select the same image it will get the real path. Most all the images that where not taken in the app fail. Seems to be some disconnect with the path maybe?

I am using this code to get the real path: gist.Github

I have narrowed it down to this code:

println("DEBUG: Getting uri IS Media:" + uri.path)
val docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri)
val split = docId.split(":").toTypedArray()
val type = split[0]
var contentUri: Uri? = null
if ("image" == type) {
    contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI
} else if ("video" == type) {
    contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI
} else if ("audio" == type) {
    contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI
}

val selection = "_id=?"
val selectionArgs = arrayOf(
    split[1]
)
println("DEBUG: getDataColumn:" + contentUri.toString()+" , " + selection + " , " + split[1])
val path = getDataColumn(context, contentUri, selection, selectionArgs)
println("DEBUG: getDataColumn Returned: " + path)
return path

When uploading a valid image my log has:

DEBUG: Getting uri IS Media:/document/image:1000000891

DEBUG: getDataColumn:content://media/external/images/media , _id=? , 1000000891

DEBUG: getDataColumn Returned: /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/1672900608138.jpg

On an existing image I get:

DEBUG: Getting uri IS Media:/document/image:1000000660

DEBUG: getDataColumn:content://media/external/images/media , _id=? , 1000000660

DEBUG: getDataColumn Returned: null

Any clue what might be happening here?

Answer 1

So I have found the solution for this. API 33+ they added new permissions which are required to read files that where not added by your app:

Images and photos: READ_MEDIA_IMAGES

Videos: READ_MEDIA_VIDEO

Audio files: READ_MEDIA_AUDIO

See here for reference: Android Behavior changes