Hi @Wendy Tromp 

To remove the READ_MEDIA_IMAGES and READ_MEDIA_VIDEO permissions from your OutSystems mobile app, follow these steps:

1) Check Your Manifest File:

• Go to your Mobile App Settings in OutSystems and inspect the Android Manifest. 
• If these permissions are hardcoded, check whether they are explicitly declared in your custom plugins or any system components that your app might be using.

2) Override Manifest Permissions in MABS:

• OutSystems Mobile Apps (MABS) automatically generates a manifest file. To override specific permissions, you can use the Extensibility Configurations.
• Add the following to the Extensibility Configurations to explicitly remove the permissions:

<config-file parent="/manifest" target="AndroidManifest.xml"> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_IMAGES" tools:node="remove" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_VIDEO" tools:node="remove" /> </config-file>

This will ensure that these permissions are removed when the APK is generated.

3) Check Plugins:

• Some plugins may include permissions for media access. Review the plugins in your application for any that require media-related permissions and see if they provide configuration options to exclude them.

4) Verify and Rebuild:

• Once you’ve made the necessary changes, rebuild your mobile app using MABS.
• Test the build to ensure that the permissions have been removed and the app functions correctly without them.

By following these steps, you should be able to remove the unwanted permissions before the Google deadline. Let me know if you need more detailed guidance on any of the steps.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Abhinav

Thanks for the quick reply! 

My Extensibility Configuration is JSON though, I doubt XML will be accepted as an addition. 

Can you point me to the documentation that explains all this or did you figure it out yourself?

Hi Abhinav,

I'm facing the same issue and I have tried to convert your code to JSON and add it tho the Extenisbility Configurations of my app.

It did not change the permissions :(

Could you explain how to implent your solution?

I have tried the following JSON:

{
    "config-file": {
        "$": {
            "parent": "/manifest",
            "target": "AndroidManifest.xml"
        },
        "uses-permission": [
            {
                "$": {
                    "android:name": "android.permission.CAMERA",
                    "tools:node": "remove"
                }
            },
            {
                "$": {
                    "android:name": "android.permission.READ_MEDIA_IMAGES",
                    "tools:node": "remove"
                }
            },
            {
                "$": {
                    "android:name": "android.permission.READ_MEDIA_AUDIO",
                    "tools:node": "remove"
                }
            },
            {
                "$": {
                    "android:name": "android.permission.READ_MEDIA_VIDEO",
                    "tools:node": "remove"
                }
            }
        ]
    }
}

Hello @Abhinav Shilwant  and Wendy,

We actually have a property documented specifically for this. See in the documentation:

https://success.outsystems.com/documentation/11/deploying_apps/mobile_apps_packaging_and_delivery/customize_your_mobile_app/extensibility_configurations_json_schema/

It should be added into your extensibility configurations as per the example below:

{

   "preferences":{

      "global":[

         {

            "name":"AddUploadWidgetPermissions",

            "value":"false"

         }

      ]

   }

}

I hope this helps to sort out your issue. If anyone is having errors about removing the READ_MEDIA_IMAGES and READ_MEDIA_VIDEO as the standard permissioning in your manifest, the property above should be enough to fix it as per Google's new policies.

Thank you!

For the Camera plugin the 7.7.0 version no longer has the permissions. So I think you don't need to do anything, just update the plugin.

In your screenshot I see something about screen orientation, is that the plugin you are talking about? Which plugin is that?

Hi everyone,

I’ve tried implementing all the suggested solutions to remove the READ_MEDIA_IMAGES and READ_MEDIA_VIDEO permissions from our app. However, when checking the manifest, these permissions are still present.

Another point I want to clarify is that the app is not a gallery app, but it requires permissions to use plugins like the camera plugin and barcode plugin to capture evidence.

Do I really need to implement these permission removals, or should I just justify the use of the plugins in the Google Play Console? I’ve also been informed that removing these permissions might block access to the plugins—can anyone confirm if this is true?

Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

facing the same issue

tried to add the suggested solution, but seems not worked