How to delete a folder on Android 11?

Question

I have a doubt, how I can delete a folder on Android 11 (or 10)?

Have much answers here on Stack how to do it, but nothing of worked.

This code worked for me on Android 5:

 public static boolean deleteDir(File dir) {
      if (dir.isDirectory()) {
           String[] children = dir.list();
           for (int i=0; i<children.length; i++) {
                boolean success = deleteDir(new File(dir, children[i]));
                if (!success) {
                     return false;
                }
           }
      }

      // The directory is now empty so delete it
      return dir.delete();
 }

On newest versions of Android it not work. I noticed that there are applications that can to do this, so I imagine it is possible. Any answer about it?

@PeterMmm Nothing more, but the deletion really returns false. — UserOfStackOverFlow, Feb 24 '22 at 17:35
@cmak Ok, I'll read more about this. From what I've just seen, this is something from Android 11, correct? — UserOfStackOverFlow, Feb 24 '22 at 17:41
You should have started telling full path of folder. After that who created that folder and if it contains files. If it contains files then tell also who created them. — blackapps, Feb 24 '22 at 18:27
@Whats91356 Get the document folder https://developer.android.com/training/data-storage/shared/documents-files#open-file then delete it https://stackoverflow.com/a/31755101/11880323 There's no way to do it directly unless your app is granted the access all storage permission, which Play Store only allows to apps that really need it like file managers — cmak, Feb 24 '22 at 19:43
@cmak Thanks cmak, it is a valious information, reading the articles. — UserOfStackOverFlow, Feb 24 '22 at 20:00

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 24 '22 at 18:38

Android has done much to change its permission models around file access since Android 10 and 11. The preferred approach is to use Scoped Storage APIs.

Many of the old file read/write permissions are on life support and will no longer work. If they do continue to work, then must justify to Google why you need them, and then go through a security approval by Google. You will only be granted approval if you app is classified as a file browser application, or the like.

Basically, the new model is to use Android's file browsers to gain access to read/write/update a particular file that the user selects, and defer the rest of the file management to Google's first-party applications. The access you get is based on what the user selected in the first-party file browser. You are then handed a URI back to your application with the proper permissions to perform the intended action, such as read/write/etc...

You may find this video useful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjyYCUW-9tY

Interesting, it seems more secure. I'll check the content, thanks. — UserOfStackOverFlow, Feb 24 '22 at 18:51

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 24 '22 at 22:22

0

Have you tried Context.deleteFile() ?

getApplicationContext().deleteFile(filename);

answered Feb 24 '22 at 22:22

AmirMohamamd

301
3
14

I tested that, not worked. The first answer has a good explanation the why it occurs. Thanks! – UserOfStackOverFlow Feb 25 '22 at 18:57

How to delete a folder on Android 11?

2 Answers2