Select File from file manager via Intent

Question

What I wanna do:

I wanna get the path as a String of a file, which I choose via an Android File Manager.

What I have:

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);
intent.setType("*/*");
startActivityForResult(Intent.createChooser(intent, "Open with ..."), FILE_SELECT_CODE);

This code, works nearly fine for me, but there is one problem. I can only select my file with the following apps:

My Question:

Does anyone have a working code for choosing any file via the Android File Manager?

"but there is one problem: I can only select my file with the following apps" -- why is that a problem? "Does anyone have a working code for choosing any file via the Android File Manager?" -- Android does not *have* a file manager. The closest thing is [the Storage Access Framework](http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/document-provider.html), available on API Level 19+. — CommonsWare, Sep 29 '15 at 22:10
Its a problem, 'cause I also wanna send .pdf or something like this, so I need to pic my file with a File Manager, not with the Gallery — Pixel_95, Sep 29 '15 at 22:14

score 22 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 13 '20 at 14:08

22

You can use this:

Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_OPEN_DOCUMENT);
intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_OPENABLE);
intent.setType("*/*"); 
startActivityForResult(intent, REQUEST_CODE);

For samsung devices to open file manager use this:

Intent intent = new Intent("com.sec.android.app.myfiles.PICK_DATA");
intent.putExtra("CONTENT_TYPE", "*/*");
intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_DEFAULT);

For more reference checkout http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/document-provider.html

edited Dec 13 '20 at 14:08

phrogg

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answered Sep 29 '15 at 22:13

Aakash

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have you added intent.setType("*/*"); ? – Aakash Sep 29 '15 at 22:24
1

have you given write & read external storage permissions in your manifest, if problem still exists please post your logcat – Aakash Sep 29 '15 at 22:27
oh shit I'm sry, now it doesn't crash, but there is still no possibility to choose a file via my file manager, I'm using usually – Pixel_95 Sep 29 '15 at 22:30
what is the problem now? – Aakash Sep 29 '15 at 22:32
I wanna choose my file not with the galery or something like that, but with my file explorer, cause i also wanna choose pdf and so on ... but I cannot choose my file explorer in the Intent. Look here: http://i.imgur.com/yFW6weD.png – Pixel_95 Sep 29 '15 at 22:34
try setting intent.setType("file/*"); – Aakash Sep 29 '15 at 22:43
With intent.setType("file/*"); only 3 apps appear :// – Pixel_95 Sep 29 '15 at 22:46
which device are you using? – Aakash Sep 29 '15 at 22:50
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo – Pixel_95 Sep 29 '15 at 22:51

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 29 '15 at 23:19

2

So for my Samsung device this worked:

Intent intent = new Intent("com.sec.android.app.myfiles.PICK_DATA");
intent.putExtra("CONTENT_TYPE", "*/*");
intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_DEFAULT);
startActivityForResult(intent, FILE_SELECT_CODE);

answered Sep 29 '15 at 23:19

Pixel_95

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Select File from file manager via Intent

2 Answers2

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