4,152 questions
Android TV Emulator FilePicker does not work
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Oleksii Kovalchuk
70
Reputation points
Hello guys!
I have .NET MAUI application for Android TV that needs a way to open JSON files from a flash drive, connected to the device, using FilePicker. For development purposes I have created Android TV Emulator (Android 9.0 - API 28) x86.
After I prompt and grant StorageRead permission I call this:
var configFile = await FilePicker.Default.PickAsync(new PickOptions { PickerTitle = "please select json file", FileTypes = new(new Dictionary<DevicePlatform, IEnumerable<string>> { { DevicePlatform.Android, new[] { MediaTypeNames.Application.Json } } }) });
But at the bottom of my screen I got notification: No apps can perform this action. and configFile is null.
Apparently that's because my Android TV Emulator is missing file explorer. So I've downloaded Files by Google APK for x86, and installed it using the following command:
adb install "C:\Users\admin\Downloads\com.google.android.apps.nbu.files_1.856.549219070-536268_minAPI21(x86)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk"
I gave Files by Google permissions to read storage so it works like a charm.
But my app is still displaying No apps can perform this action. .
It seems like I have to configure Android to use Files by Google as a default file explorer but I didn't manage to find a way to set that in Settings (that are very limited comparing to a regular Android OS).
Kinda stuck with that.
Thanks!
Developer technologies .NET .NET MAUI
Developer technologies .NET Other
4,103 questions
{count} votes
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Anonymous2023-07-27T07:59:13.5633333+00:00 It is related to Google's designfrom google TV help
GTV is for watching TV first and foremost, not managing files outside of adding or removing services or other apps designed to work with the interface
If you use Android 9.0, you can grand read-external storage permission and read this Json file with code directly.
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Oleksii Kovalchuk 70 Reputation points
2023-07-27T08:42:15.7333333+00:00 Yeah, that's how I implemented it - looking thru mounted USB drives for the file I need with the code.
It's obvious that Android TV is for TV, but I was wondering if it's even possible to configureFiles by Google(or any other Android File explorer app) as a default file explorer in OS, because usually Android is quite flexible.File explorer app work well on Android TV, but as far as I can see - there's no such setting or (most likely) it's hidden and there's no straightforward way of doing that.
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Anonymous
2023-08-01T07:21:50.53+00:00 Did you copy this JSON file to the external public folder? Such as Download folder.
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Oleksii Kovalchuk 70 Reputation points
2023-08-02T15:20:28.0233333+00:00 No, my objective is to bring a file in USB Flash drive and read it from the app.
So I enumerate "/mnt" folder and search for the file I need in a root of every mounted drive. Pretty simple if no fancy file picker UI is available for Android TV
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