[HOLD for payment 2023-05-05] [$500] Android - Downloaded photo is not appearing in the photo album

[mvtglobally]

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Action Performed:

1. Receive couple photos in the chat
2. Navigate to the image
3. Download
4. locate photo in the album

Expected Result:

if user downloads a photo, it should appear in the photos album

Actual Result:

When download an image on Android user is not able to locate it in the local file system. User can't find it in the photos album, and it doesn't appear to be in the files app either.

Workaround:

unknown

Platform:

Where is this issue occurring?

• Android

Version Number: 1.2.0-0
Reproducible in staging?: Y
Reproducible in production?: Y
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers):
Logs: https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4856
Notes/Photos/Videos: Any additional supporting documentation

Expensify/Expensify Issue URL:
Issue reported by: @quinthar
Slack conversation: https://expensify.slack.com/archives/C01GTK53T8Q/p1662808002043359

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[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @thienlnam (Engineering), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4319 for more details.

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @jliexpensify (External), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/8582 for more details.

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @parasharrajat (External)

[melvin-bot]

Current assignee @thienlnam is eligible for the External assigner, not assigning anyone new.

[aimane-chnaif]

Proposal

RCA:

App/src/libs/fileDownload/index.android.js

Lines 34 to 64 in 6f3e0f8

	function handleDownload(url, fileName) {
	return new Promise((resolve) => {
	const dirs = RNFetchBlob.fs.dirs;
	// Android files will download to Download directory
	const path = dirs.DownloadDir;
	const attachmentName = fileName || FileUtils.getAttachmentName(url);
	// Fetching the attachment
	const fetchedAttachment = RNFetchBlob.config({
	fileCache: true,
	path: `${path}/${attachmentName}`,
	addAndroidDownloads: {
	useDownloadManager: true,
	notification: true,
	path: `${path}/Expensify/${attachmentName}`,
	},
	}).fetch('GET', url);
	// Resolving the fetched attachment
	fetchedAttachment.then((attachment) => {
	if (!attachment || !attachment.info()) {
	return;
	}
	FileUtils.showSuccessAlert();
	}).catch(() => {
	FileUtils.showGeneralErrorAlert();
	}).finally(() => resolve());
	});
	}

This code downloads file and save it to internal storage (/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.expensify.chat/files/Download/Expensify/), but not saved in external storage. That's why user cannot see this file anywhere in android device.

Solution:
To export file to external storage, we need to follow https://github.com/RonRadtke/react-native-blob-util#copytomediastore

        // Resolving the fetched attachment
        fetchedAttachment.then((attachment) => {
            if (!attachment || !attachment.info()) {
                return;
            }
+           RNFetchBlob.MediaCollection.copyToMediaStore({
+               name: attachmentName,
+               parentFolder: 'Expensify',
+               mimeType: null,
+           }, 'Download', attachment.path()).then(() => {
+               RNFetchBlob.fs.unlink(attachment.path());
+               FileUtils.showSuccessAlert();
+           }).catch(() => {
+               RNFetchBlob.fs.unlink(attachment.path());
+               FileUtils.showGeneralErrorAlert();
+           });
        }).catch(() => {
            FileUtils.showGeneralErrorAlert();
        }).finally(() => resolve());

This code copies file from internal storage (/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.expensify.chat/files/Download/Expensify/) to external storage (Storage/Download/Expensify)

Demo:

demo.mp4

[parasharrajat]

Question: What is internal or external storage?

[aimane-chnaif]

Question: What is internal or external storage?

Internal Storage is for apps to save sensitive data (i.e. image cache, app preference, local db, etc) to which other apps and users cannot access. This doesn't require permission granted from user.
However, External Storage (i.e. phone primary storage, SD card) is part of built-in storage which can be accessed (for read-write) by the user and other apps but with permissions granted from user. If you check default My Files app in android device, you can see DCIM, Documents, Download, Movies, Music, Pictures default folders. These are in external storage.
In video, it says Internal storage -> Download but this is actually external storage which requires permission to read/write.

reference: https://developer.android.com/training/data-storage