How to Request Permissions in Android Application?
Last Updated : 09 Apr, 2025
Starting from Android 6.0 (API 23), users are not asked for permissions at the time of installation rather developers need to request the permissions at the run time. Only the permissions that are defined in the manifest file can be requested at run time.
Types of Permissions
1. Install-Time Permissions: If the Android 5.1.1 (API 22) or lower, the permission is requested at the installation time at the Google Play Store.
If the user Accepts the permissions, the app is installed. Else the app installation is canceled.
2. Run-Time Permissions: If the Android 6 (API 23) or higher, the permission is requested at the run time during the running of the app.
If the user Accepts the permissions, then that feature of the app can be used. Else to use the feature, the app requests permission again.
So, now the permissions are requested at runtime. In this article, we will discuss how to request permissions in an Android Application at run time.
Steps for Requesting permissions at run time
Step 1: Declare the permission in the Android Manifest file
In Android, permissions are declared in the AndroidManifest.xml file using the uses-permission tag.
<uses-permission android:name=”android.permission.PERMISSION_NAME”/>
Here we are declaring storage and camera permission.
XML <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" android:required="false" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION"/> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"/> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA"/> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
Step 2: Modify activity_main.xml file
Add a button to request permission on button click. Permission will be checked and requested on button click. Open the activity_main.xml file and add two buttons to it.
activity_main.xml:
XML <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto" xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent" android:gravity="center" tools:context=".MainActivity"> <Button android:id="@+id/button" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Request Permissions"/> </LinearLayout>
Step 3: Working with MainActivity file
Check whether permission is already granted or not. If permission isn't already granted, request the user for the permission: In order to use any service or feature, the permissions are required. Hence we have to ensure that the permissions are given for that. If not, then the permissions are requested.
- Check for permissions: Beginning with Android 6.0 (API level 23), the user has the right to revoke permissions from any app at any time, even if the app targets a lower API level. So to use the service, the app needs to check for permissions every time.
- Request Permissions: When PERMISSION_DENIED is returned from the checkSelfPermission() method in the above syntax, we need to prompt the user for that permission. Android provides several methods that can be used to request permission, such as requestPermissions().
- Override onRequestPermissionsResult() method: onRequestPermissionsResult() is called when user grant or decline the permission. RequestCode is one of the parameters of this function which is used to check user action for the corresponding requests. Here a toast message is shown indicating the permission and user action.
MainActivity.java package org.geeksforgeeks.demo; import android.Manifest; import android.content.pm.PackageManager; import android.os.Bundle; import android.widget.Button; import android.widget.Toast; import androidx.annotation.NonNull; import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity; import androidx.core.app.ActivityCompat; import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat; import java.util.ArrayList; import java.util.List; public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity { // Unique request code for permission request private static final int PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE = 123; @Override protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); setContentView(R.layout.activity_main); // Find the button in the layout and set a click listener Button button = findViewById(R.id.button); button.setOnClickListener(v -> requestPermissions()); } // Function to check and request necessary permissions private void requestPermissions() { // List of permissions the app may need String[] permissions = { Manifest.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, Manifest.permission.CAMERA, Manifest.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE }; List<String> permissionsToRequest = new ArrayList<>(); // Filter out the permissions that are not yet granted for (String permission : permissions) { if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, permission) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) { permissionsToRequest.add(permission); } } // If there are permissions that need to // be requested, ask the user for them if (!permissionsToRequest.isEmpty()) { ActivityCompat.requestPermissions( this, permissionsToRequest.toArray(new String[0]), // Convert list to array PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE // Pass the request code ); } else { // All permissions are already granted Toast.makeText(this, "All permissions already granted", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show(); } } // Callback function that handles the // result of the permission request @Override public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, @NonNull String[] permissions, @NonNull int[] grantResults) { super.onRequestPermissionsResult(requestCode, permissions, grantResults); if (requestCode == PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE) { List<String> deniedPermissions = new ArrayList<>(); // Check which permissions were denied for (int i = 0; i < permissions.length; i++) { if (grantResults[i] != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) { deniedPermissions.add(permissions[i]); } } if (deniedPermissions.isEmpty()) { // All permissions granted Toast.makeText(this, "All permissions granted", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show(); } else { // Some permissions were denied, show them in a Toast Toast.makeText(this, "Permissions denied: " + deniedPermissions, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show(); } } } } package org.geeksforgeeks.demo import android.os.Bundle import android.widget.Button import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity import android.Manifest import android.content.pm.PackageManager import android.widget.Toast import androidx.core.app.ActivityCompat import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() { companion object { // Unique request code for permission request private const val PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE = 123 } override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState) setContentView(R.layout.activity_main) // Find the button in the layout and set a click listener val button = findViewById<Button>(R.id.button) button.setOnClickListener { // Call the function to request permissions // when the button is clicked requestPermissions() } } // Function to check and request necessary permissions private fun requestPermissions() { // List of permissions the app may need val permissions = arrayOf( Manifest.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, Manifest.permission.CAMERA, Manifest.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE ) // Filter out the permissions that are not yet granted val permissionsToRequest = permissions.filter { permission -> ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, permission) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED } // If there are permissions that need to be requested, ask the user for them if (permissionsToRequest.isNotEmpty()) { ActivityCompat.requestPermissions( this, permissionsToRequest.toTypedArray(), // Convert list to array PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE // Pass the request code ) } else { // All permissions are already granted Toast.makeText(this, "All permissions already granted", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show() } } // Callback function that handles the result of the permission request override fun onRequestPermissionsResult( requestCode: Int, permissions: Array<out String>, grantResults: IntArray ) { super.onRequestPermissionsResult(requestCode, permissions, grantResults) if (requestCode == PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE) { // Combine permissions with their corresponding grant results val deniedPermissions = permissions.zip(grantResults.toTypedArray()) .filter { it.second != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED } // Filter out the denied ones .map { it.first } // Get the permission names if (deniedPermissions.isEmpty()) { // All permissions granted Toast.makeText(this, "All permissions granted", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show() } else { // Some permissions were denied, show them in a Toast Toast.makeText(this, "Permissions denied: $deniedPermissions", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show() } } } }
Output: