Android 8: Cleartext HTTP traffic not permitted

Question

I had reports from users with Android 8 that my app (that uses back-end feed) does not show content. After investigation I found following Exception happening on Android 8:

08-29 12:03:11.246 11285-11285/ E/: [12:03:11.245, main]: Exception: IOException java.io.IOException: Cleartext HTTP traffic to * not permitted
at com.android.okhttp.HttpHandler$CleartextURLFilter.checkURLPermitted(HttpHandler.java:115)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.huc.HttpURLConnectionImpl.execute(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:458)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.huc.HttpURLConnectionImpl.connect(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:127)
at com.deiw.android.generic.tasks.AbstractHttpAsyncTask.doConnection(AbstractHttpAsyncTask.java:207)
at com.deiw.android.generic.tasks.AbstractHttpAsyncTask.extendedDoInBackground(AbstractHttpAsyncTask.java:102)
at com.deiw.android.generic.tasks.AbstractAsyncTask.doInBackground(AbstractAsyncTask.java:88)
at android.os.AsyncTask$2.call(AsyncTask.java:333)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
at android.os.AsyncTask$SerialExecutor$1.run(AsyncTask.java:245)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1162)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:636)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:764)

(I've removed package name, URL and other possible identifiers)

On Android 7 and lower everything works, I do not set android:usesCleartextTraffic in Manifest (and setting it to true does not help, that is the default value anyway), neither do I use Network Security Information. If I call NetworkSecurityPolicy.getInstance().isCleartextTrafficPermitted(), it returns false for Android 8, true for older version, using the same apk file. I tried to find some mention of this on Google info about Android O, but without success.

Answer 1

According to Network security configuration -

Starting with Android 9 (API level 28), cleartext support is disabled by default.

Also have a look at - https://koz.io/android-m-and-the-war-on-cleartext-traffic/

Codelabs explanation - https://codelabs.developers.google.com/codelabs/android-network-security-config/index.html

Option 1 -

First try hitting the URL with "https://" instead of "http://"

Option 2 -

Create file res/xml/network_security_config.xml -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<network-security-config>
    <domain-config cleartextTrafficPermitted="true">
        <domain includeSubdomains="true">api.example.com(to be adjusted)</domain>
    </domain-config>
</network-security-config>

AndroidManifest.xml -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest ...>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
    <application
        ...
        android:networkSecurityConfig="@xml/network_security_config"
        ...>
        ...
    </application>
</manifest>

Option 3 -

android:usesCleartextTraffic Doc

AndroidManifest.xml -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest ...>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
    <application
        ...
        android:usesCleartextTraffic="true"
        ...>
        ...
    </application>
</manifest>

Also as @david.s' answer pointed out android:targetSandboxVersion can be a problem too -

According to Manifest Docs -

android:targetSandboxVersion

The target sandbox for this app to use. The higher the sandbox version number, the higher the level of security. Its default value is 1; you can also set it to 2. Setting this attribute to 2 switches the app to a different SELinux sandbox. The following restrictions apply to a level 2 sandbox:

• The default value of usesCleartextTraffic in the Network Security Config is false.
• Uid sharing is not permitted.

So Option 4 -

If you have android:targetSandboxVersion in <manifest> then reduce it to 1

AndroidManifest.xml -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest android:targetSandboxVersion="1">
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
    ...
</manifest>