Google Almost Killed This App With A Permission Change, But Has Thankfully Backed Off

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Summary

Google restricted Nextcloud app’s full access to files, causing users inconvenience.
Google eventually agreed to restore full file access starting May 15.
Nextcloud criticized Google’s decision as a power move to stifle competition.

Nextcloud’s Android users had been stuck for a while, unable to upload files to its servers, thanks to some long-standing roadblocks. Even after back-and-forth emails and explanations to the Google Play Store team, nothing changed. Nextcloud even suggested that Google was deliberately messing with how the app worked on Android. But now, things have turned around, with Google finally bringing back file access for Nextcloud users.

A man leaning against a smartphone with icons of some cloud storage apps around

The heart of the problem was the “All files access” permission, something apps like Nextcloud need to fully tap into your device’s file system. Most apps get by using options like the Storage Access Framework or MediaStore API. But for apps that need deeper access, that permission is a must. That’s where Google threw a wrench in the works when it pulled that access from the Nextcloud Files app, citing “security concerns.”

The policy tweak messed with how people use one of the top cloud storage apps today. So, Nextcloud pushed out a new version of the app that only let users upload media files. But for those who grabbed the app from F-Droid instead and gave it the right permissions, full file uploads were back on the table.

Persistence paid off

Now, it seems Nextcloud’s persistence finally broke through. In an update to its blog post, the company shared that Google agreed to restore full file access starting May 15 (via TechRadar). The team said it’s rolling out a test version, and if nothing blows up, the full update—with all the features back—should land early next week.

Nextcloud says its app has always had the green light to read and write all types of files. This feature has been baked into Nextcloud since day one back in 2016, and up until now, Google never flagged it as a security issue, the company argued.

However, Nextcloud isn’t buying Google’s excuse. It’s calling this what it looks like: a power play. According to the firm, this isn’t about protecting users—it’s about stomping out competition before Nextcloud’s self-hosted solutions eat into Google’s cloud empire.