Android studio getting error IOException: Operation not permitted while creating file

Question

I am trying to create a file. (testipfs folder already exists)

File imagesFolder = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory(), "testipfs");
File photo= new File(imagesFolder, "desktopWallpaper.jpg");
System.out.println("Saving file in "+photo.getAbsolutePath());
if (!photo.exists()) {
   try {
      photo.createNewFile();
   } catch (IOException e) {
      System.out.println("Failed to create photo");
      e.printStackTrace();
   }
}

But getting error Operation not permitted.

I/System.out: Saving file in /storage/emulated/0/testipfs/desktopWallpaper.jpg
I/System.out: Failed to create photo
W/System.err: java.io.IOException: Operation not permitted
W/System.err:     at java.io.UnixFileSystem.createFileExclusively0(Native Method)
        at java.io.UnixFileSystem.createFileExclusively(UnixFileSystem.java:317)
        at java.io.File.createNewFile(File.java:1008)
        at com.example.ipfs.MainActivity.SavePhotoTask(MainActivity.java:49)
        at com.example.ipfs.MainActivity.onCreate(MainActivity.java:112)

I have added permission in my manifest file as bellow

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

How do i solve this problem?

Firstly if you didn't check the permission in runtime use this: `public boolean isExternalStorageWritable(){ String state= Environment.getExternalStorageState(); if(Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED.equals(state)){ return true; } return false; }` It might be about permissions or maybe that file is created and you overwrite it. — Ahmet Korkmaz, Mar 28 '21 at 11:03
@AhmetKorkmaz this method returns true. So i do have permission. The file does not exists, i am not overwriting it, i am trying to create. Even if so why i can not overwrite it? — mahfuj asif, Mar 29 '21 at 04:11

score 10 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 30 '21 at 12:18

10

I am expecting you are testing your application in android 11, In Android 11 things changed ... You have to ask for this permission

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>

and in you MainActivity

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 30){
        if (!Environment.isExternalStorageManager()){
            Intent getpermission = new Intent();
            getpermission.setAction(Settings.ACTION_MANAGE_ALL_FILES_ACCESS_PERMISSION);
            startActivity(getpermission);
        }
    }

Basically this is just an intent which will take user to setting to give us Permission, and this is necessary in android 11 , If you just asking for READ nd WRITE permission then you application is having just a read-only access to files in the device

answered Aug 30 '21 at 12:18

Wagonwolf

124
1
2

1

I wonder why this don't have upvote. This worked for me. – kuro Jan 12 '22 at 06:54
2

Google has restrictions on this and your app should fall on the allowed use case to have this, https://developer.android.com/training/data-storage/manage-all-files#all-files-access-google-play – iadcialim24 May 10 '22 at 03:45
Man/Woman you saved me :) – Sebi Jun 29 '23 at 07:22

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 20 '21 at 06:15

5

Try to add requestLegacyExternalStorage in Manifest.xml file, if you are using Android 10 or later versions.

<application
    ...
    android:requestLegacyExternalStorage="true">

answered Jun 20 '21 at 06:15

Codemaker2015

12,190
6
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Thanks @kirill-karmazin for your valuable response – Codemaker2015 Jul 22 '21 at 15:44

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 19 '21 at 14:12

1

Use this

File imagesFolder = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(
     Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS), "testipfs");

File photo = new File(imagesFolder, "desktopWallpaper.jpg");

edited Jun 19 '21 at 14:12

Sven Eberth

3,057
12
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answered Jun 19 '21 at 07:30

Neeraj Yadav

11
1

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Jun 25 '21 at 02:37

Declaring permissions in the Manifest file is not enough if you are using Android Marshmallow and above, before you write or read any external files you need to request the appropriate permissions explicitly.

storage-permission-error-in-marshmallow

Documentation

If this doesn't work try setting your targetSdkVersion to 28 or less.

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 27 '23 at 12:04

1

I had special characters in my directory name (specifically ":"). Removing this allowed me to save the file

answered Jan 27 '23 at 12:04

Fletch

769
1
12
33

Android studio getting error IOException: Operation not permitted while creating file

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