Missing android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS meta-data

Question

I am trying to open the pdf file which I downloaded & saved in external storage. But When I open my app its gets crashed and showing following error;

08-31 00:58:31.304 1807-1807/? E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: medimanage.corporate.mobile, PID: 1807
    java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to get provider android.support.v4.content.FileProvider: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Missing android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS meta-data
    at android.app.ActivityThread.installProvider(ActivityThread.java:5856)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.installContentProviders(ActivityThread.java:5445)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(ActivityThread.java:5384)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap2(ActivityThread.java)
    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1545)
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:154)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6119)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:886)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:776)
      Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Missing android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS meta-data
    at android.support.v4.content.FileProvider.parsePathStrategy(FileProvider.java:586)
    at android.support.v4.content.FileProvider.getPathStrategy(FileProvider.java:557)
    at android.support.v4.content.FileProvider.attachInfo(FileProvider.java:375)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.installProvider(ActivityThread.java:5853)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.installContentProviders(ActivityThread.java:5445) 
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(ActivityThread.java:5384) 
    at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap2(ActivityThread.java) 
    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1545) 
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102) 
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:154) 
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6119) 
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method) 
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:886) 
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:776) 

Following is my async task where I download that pdf file & trying to open it.

package myPackageName.common.postData;    
public class DownloadFileFromURL extends AsyncTask<String, String, String> {

        private ProgressDialog Dialog;
        private Context mContext;
        private String folder_main; //= "TermCondition";
        private String fileName;//= "termCondition.pdf";
        String urlString;

        public DownloadFileFromURL(Context mContext, String folderName) {
            this.mContext = mContext;
            this.folder_main = folderName;
            Dialog = new ProgressDialog(this.mContext);
        }

        @Override
        protected String doInBackground(String... f_url) {
            try {
                urlString = f_url[0];
                URL url = new URL(f_url[0]);
                File folder = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory(), this.folder_main);
                if (folder.exists()) {
                    folder.mkdirs();
                } 
                HttpURLConnection urlConnection = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
                urlConnection.connect();
                InputStream inputStream = urlConnection.getInputStream();
                FileOutputStream fileOutputStream = new FileOutputStream(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + "default.pdf");
                int totalSize = urlConnection.getContentLength();
                byte[] buffer = new byte[AccessibilityNodeInfoCompat.ACTION_DISMISS];
                while (true) {
                    int bufferLength = inputStream.read(buffer);
                    if (bufferLength <= 0) {
                        break;
                    }
                    fileOutputStream.write(buffer, 0, bufferLength);
                }
                fileOutputStream.close();
            } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
                FileLog.e(mContext.getClass().getName(), e);
            } catch (MalformedURLException e2) {
                FileLog.e(mContext.getClass().getName(), e2);
            } catch (IOException e3) {
                FileLog.e(mContext.getClass().getName(), e3);
            }
            return null;
        }

        public void showPdf() {
            try {

                File file = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + "default.pdf");

                try {
                    Intent intent = new Intent();
                    intent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
                    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.N) {
                        intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_GRANT_READ_URI_PERMISSION);
                        Uri contentUri = FileProvider.getUriForFile(mContext, "medimanage.corporate.mobile.fileprovider", file);
                        intent.setDataAndType(contentUri, "application/pdf");
                    } else {
                        intent.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(file), "application/pdf");
                    }
                    mContext.startActivity(intent);
                } catch (ActivityNotFoundException anfe) {
                    Toast.makeText(mContext, "No activity found to open this attachment.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                }

            } catch (Exception e) {
                FileLog.e(mContext.getClass().getName(), e);
            }
        }

        @Override
        protected void onPreExecute() {
            Dialog.setMessage("Downloading...");
            Dialog.setCancelable(false);
            Dialog.setCanceledOnTouchOutside(false);
            Dialog.show();
        }

        @Override
        protected void onPostExecute(String s) {
            this.Dialog.dismiss();
            showPdf();
            super.onPostExecute(s);
        }

    }

Following is AndroidManifest.xml

<application
...>
  <provider
      android:name="android.support.v4.content.FileProvider"
      android:authorities="myPackageName.fileprovider"
      android:exported="false"
      android:grantUriPermissions="true">
          <meta-data
             android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDE_PATHS"
             android:resource="@xml/provider_paths" />
  </provider>
</application>

And provider_paths.xml having following code;

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<paths>
    <external-path path="Android/data/" name="files_root" />
    <external-path path="." name="external_storage_root" />
</paths>

I am trying to run above code in API 19 & API 25, but in both devices its gets crash. I am not able to find out where I am going wrong.

I have referred this question & also this link too but not able to find a solution to my issue.

Answer 1

In your AndroidManifest file, you have a slight typo in the metadata:

<meta-data
    android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS" <-- HERE!!!
    android:resource="@xml/provider_paths" />

You need to use FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS instead of FILE_PROVIDE_PATHS.

Answer 2

Seems like something is set wrong, The compiler doesn't find android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS , thus, it throws this error, check if everything is set correctly in your gradle file, if you change the package of the android.support this exception might arise.

After fixing, do a clean, rebuild, or clean and invalidate cache in Android studio.

Answer 3

Please do invalidate caches and restart function in android studio, most probably that will do.

After that rebuild and run your app. In my case it worked perfectly fine.

Answer 4

this is often caused by a typo, where you might use android:value instead of android:resource in the meta-data tag specifying the file_paths.xml file. For example you might have:

android:value="@xml/file_paths"

instead of

android:resource="@xml/file_paths"

Answer 5

Android: Convert value + resource=@xml/file_paths"

Answer 6

I recently faced the same issue. and no other solution worked for me. I closed the project from Android Studio and then manually deleted the .gradle and .idea files and it worked like a charm :) . And earlier i had an issue with the authorities - point it to the fileprovider you use with your applicationId . Hope this helps someone.

Answer 7

I had this problem,just delete all .gradle and and build folder and then rebuild app worked for me

Answer 8

Provider in AndroidManifest.xml, if you using AndroidX library.

  <provider
        android:name="androidx.core.content.FileProvider"
        android:authorities="com.yourdomain.fileprovider"
        android:exported="false"
        android:grantUriPermissions="true">
        <meta-data
            android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
            android:resource="@xml/file_paths" />
    </provider>

Answer 9

There was no problem when using before (same test machine), but suddenly this problem appeared, I do not know what the reason is.I looked up some references, changed the suffix, and the problem was solved

Previous code

android:authorities="${applicationId}.provider"

The modified code

android:authorities="${applicationId}.fileprovider"

Answer 10

Sometimes everything with your code is just fine, but you switch branches and the old build intermediates are reused and this happens. For me, just removing the build/intermediates dir, and then building and running the app again worked. This is almost equivalent (but faster) to cleaning and rebuilding your project.

Answer 11

Old post but I had the same issue.

If you have a line that looks something like this:

FileProvider.getUriForFile(activity,"${BuildConfig.APPLICATION_ID}.fileProvider", tmpFile)

Just make sure that the fileProvider string matches exactly what is declared in your manifest:

<provider
    android:name="androidx.core.content.FileProvider"
    android:authorities="${applicationId}.fileProvider" //<--MATCH THIS!!
    android:exported="false"
    android:grantUriPermissions="true">
    <meta-data
        android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
        android:resource="@xml/provider_paths"/>
</provider>

And note that is is case sensitive.

That solved it for me, anyway.