getExternalStoragePublicDirectory deprecated in Android Q

As getExternalStoragePublicDirectory has been deprecated in Android Q, and the recommendation is to use other means. then how can we specify that we want to store the generated photos from a camera app into the DCIM folder, or a custom sub-folder within the DCIM?

The documentation states that the next 3 options are the new preferred alternatives:

1. Context#getExternalFilesDir(String)


2. MediaStore


3. Intent#ACTION_OPEN_DOCUMENT

Option 1 is out of the questions as it would mean that the photos get deleted if the app gets uninstalled.

Option 3 is also not a choice, as it would require the user to pick the location through the SAF file explorer.

We are left with option 2, the MediaStore; but there is no documentation on how to use it as a replacement for getExternalStoragePublicDirectory in Android Q.

Answer

Based on the docs, use DCIM/... for the RELATIVE_PATH, where ... is whatever your custom subdirectory would be. So, you would wind up with something like this:

      val resolver = context.contentResolver
      val contentValues = ContentValues().apply {
        put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.DISPLAY_NAME, "CuteKitten001")

        put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.MIME_TYPE, "image/jpeg")
        put(MediaStore.MediaColumns.RELATIVE_PATH, "DCIM/PerracoLabs")
      }

      val uri = resolver.insert(MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, contentValues)

      resolver.openOutputStream(uri).use {
        // TODO something with the stream
      }

Note that since RELATIVE_PATH is new to API Level 29, you would need to use this approach on newer devices and use getExternalStoragePublicDirectory() on older ones.