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Media permissions on Android: what a player should and should not ask for

Video players are among the most permission-hungry apps on Android — and most of them do not need to be. Here is how the permissions work since Android 13, and how to tell an honest request from an excessive one.

By the PurePlay editorial teamUpdated 14 November 2026

The three levels of file access on Android

  1. Nothing. The app can only play a file you explicitly hand it from another app (share/open with). It cannot list your library.
  2. Media access. The app can read the videos and audio that Android's media database knows about. This is what a player needs.
  3. All-files access (MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE). The app can read every file on shared storage — documents, downloads, other apps' folders, backups. Almost no media player needs this, and Google Play restricts it heavily.

What changed in Android 13

Android 13 split the old storage permission into separate media permissions: READ_MEDIA_VIDEO, READ_MEDIA_AUDIO and READ_MEDIA_IMAGES. A player should ask for the first two — and only if it actually lists videos and music. An app that asks for images as well is asking for your photo gallery, which a video player has no use for.

Android 14 went further with "Selected photos access", letting you grant access to individual items. For a media player that is less useful than full library access, but it exists.

What a player legitimately needs

  • Read video — to list and play videos.
  • Read audio — to list and play music, if it has a music feature.
  • Notifications (optional) — playback controls on the lock screen.
  • Foreground service — keeps playback alive when you switch apps, with a visible notification.

That is the complete list for a local player. Network access is only meaningful for streaming; a local-only player should not need it at all.

Red flags

  • Asks for all-files access to play videos — no.
  • Asks for photos/images — irrelevant for video.
  • Asks for location, contacts or SMS.
  • Contains advertising SDKs that collect identifiers (check the Play listing's Data safety section and the app's privacy policy).
  • Requires an account for a local player.
  • Uploads a library index to a server "for backup" without asking.

How to audit an app you already installed

  1. Open Settings → Apps → [app] → Permissions and read what it holds.
  2. Open Settings → Privacy → Permission manager to see which apps can read Files and media.
  3. Check the Play Store listing's Data safety section — it must disclose data collection and sharing.
  4. For authoritative detail, scan the APK with a tool like apkanalyzer or a reputable on-device scanner to see declared permissions and bundled SDKs.

How PurePlay does it

PurePlay asks for READ_MEDIA_VIDEO and READ_MEDIA_AUDIO (or the single legacy storage permission on Android 12 and older), plus optional notifications. It does not request all-files access, images, location, contacts or anything else. There is no account, no analytics SDK and no ad SDK. The privacy policy spells this out, and the app's manifest can be checked with any APK inspector.

What happens if you deny access

A well-behaved player still works: you can open individual files from your file manager or another app. You just do not get a library view. Android will only offer the permission dialog a limited number of times; after that, you have to grant it from system settings.

Bottom line

A local media player needs two media permissions and, optionally, notifications. If an app asks for more than that, ask why — and expect the answer in its privacy policy, not in a marketing page.

Written by the PurePlay editorial team · Checked against the PurePlay manifest and an installed release build · Corrections: contact page.
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