If you’re one of those who see an annoying pop-up window in the hero’s image that asks you to give Google Photos permission to delete a file. If you are running Android 11 on a phone that is not Google Pixel, you will see this pop-up window.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
In fact, every time you try to delete a photo in the Google Photos app, you will see this pop-up window. Fortunately, unwanted screenshot backup is not the only problem Android 12 can solve for Google Photos users. New XDA developer documentation suggests that an upcoming version of the operating system will allow photo album applications (such as photos) to modify files without prompting users.
Google Photos (and other gallery apps) on Android 11 require users to allow files to be deleted, but basically, they are not the system gallery app. Okay, this is not the case for Pixel phones where the Photos app is a system gallery app, which is why Pixel users never see this pop-up window.
However, on most devices from Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Asus, and other companies, Google Photos is not a system gallery application (and cannot be set as such). Fortunately, that’s no longer needed on Android 12.
In addition to releasing the first Android 12 beta, Google has also updated its “Features and API Overview” page to include the “media management access” section. As per the Google, applications targeting API level 31 (Android 12) are requested to allow users to modify files, move files in or out of the trash, or delete files without prompting the user for each file operation.
After updating the app to target Android 12, you only have to announce three permissions (MANAGE_MEDIA, READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, and ACCESS_MEDIA_LOCATION) to take advantage of this new feature and show the UI to convince the user that the app why does media need management. And direct the user to the new “Media Management App” screen on Android 12 to allow them.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? However, as it is a brand new API, most gallery apps have not yet been updated to take advantage of it. Yes, this means that to use it you will need to update the Google Photos app as well. Currently, some users are running the Android 12 beta.
Anyway, most users can also run without any problems on the Pixel phone, so there may not be much pressure on Google to immediately update the “Photos” app. They are expected to push for an update before Android 12 starts for the first non-pixel phone in a few months.
