java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: not allowed to send broadcast android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED on KitKat only

Question

I am using the DownloadManager to download images off our server and I am placing the files in the externalFilesDir.

I am send out a broadcast intent because I don't want these downloaded images to appear in the gallery.

sendBroadcast(new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MEDIA_MOUNTED, Uri.parse("file://" + context.getExternalFilesDir(null))));

I only tested this on my Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean 4.3 prior and it was working, but when I tested it on KitKat 4.4 it crashes the app.

Is there a better way to not have the files downloaded from the DownloadManager not appear in the phone gallery?

Stack Trace

06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410): Process: com.walintukai.lfdate, PID: 15410
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410): java.lang.RuntimeException: Error receiving broadcast Intent { act=android.intent.action.DOWNLOAD_COMPLETE flg=0x10 pkg=com.walintukai.lfdate (has extras) } in com.walintukai.lfdate.SocketIOService$1@42359f40
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.app.LoadedApk$ReceiverDispatcher$Args.run(LoadedApk.java:778)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:733)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5057)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:789)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:605)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410): Caused by: java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: not allowed to send broadcast android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED from pid=15410, uid=10135
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1465)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1419)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.app.ActivityManagerProxy.broadcastIntent(ActivityManagerNative.java:2390)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.app.ContextImpl.sendBroadcast(ContextImpl.java:1127)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.content.ContextWrapper.sendBroadcast(ContextWrapper.java:365)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at com.walintukai.lfdate.SocketIOService$1.onReceive(SocketIOService.java:111)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    at android.app.LoadedApk$ReceiverDispatcher$Args.run(LoadedApk.java:768)
06-05 17:34:41.940: E/AndroidRuntime(15410):    ... 9 more

Answer 1

It seems that google is trying to prevent this from KITKAT.
Looking at core/rest/AndroidManifest.xml you will notice that broadcast android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED is protected now. Which means it is a broadcast that only the system can send.

<protected-broadcast android:name="android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED" />

The following should work for all versions:

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
    final Intent scanIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE);
    final Uri contentUri = Uri.fromFile(outputFile); 
    scanIntent.setData(contentUri);
    sendBroadcast(scanIntent);
} else {
    final Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MEDIA_MOUNTED, Uri.parse("file://" + Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()));
    sendBroadcast(intent);
}

---

If the above is not working try the following:

According to this post you need another way to fix it.
Like using MediaScannerConnection or ACTION_MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE.

MediaScannerConnection.scanFile(this, new String[] {

file.getAbsolutePath()},

null, new MediaScannerConnection.OnScanCompletedListener() {

public void onScanCompleted(String path, Uri uri)

{


}

});