Real Path Utility class for Android, works for all API

RealPathUtil.java

public class RealPathUtil {

    public static String getRealPath(Context context, Uri fileUri) {
        String realPath;
        // SDK < API11
        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < 11) {
            realPath = RealPathUtil.getRealPathFromURI_BelowAPI11(context, fileUri);
        }
        // SDK >= 11 && SDK < 19
        else if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < 19) {
            realPath = RealPathUtil.getRealPathFromURI_API11to18(context, fileUri);
        }
        // SDK > 19 (Android 4.4) and up
        else {
            realPath = RealPathUtil.getRealPathFromURI_API19(context, fileUri);
        }
        return realPath;
    }


    @SuppressLint("NewApi")
    public static String getRealPathFromURI_API11to18(Context context, Uri contentUri) {
        String[] proj = {MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA};
        String result = null;

        CursorLoader cursorLoader = new CursorLoader(context, contentUri, proj, null, null, null);
        Cursor cursor = cursorLoader.loadInBackground();

        if (cursor != null) {
            int column_index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA);
            cursor.moveToFirst();
            result = cursor.getString(column_index);
            cursor.close();
        }
        return result;
    }

    public static String getRealPathFromURI_BelowAPI11(Context context, Uri contentUri) {
        String[] proj = {MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA};
        Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(contentUri, proj, null, null, null);
        int column_index = 0;
        String result = "";
        if (cursor != null) {
            column_index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA);
            cursor.moveToFirst();
            result = cursor.getString(column_index);
            cursor.close();
            return result;
        }
        return result;
    }

    /**
     * Get a file path from a Uri. This will get the the path for Storage Access
     * Framework Documents, as well as the _data field for the MediaStore and
     * other file-based ContentProviders.
     *
     * @param context The context.
     * @param uri     The Uri to query.
     * @author paulburke
     */
    @SuppressLint("NewApi")
    public static String getRealPathFromURI_API19(final Context context, final Uri uri) {

        final boolean isKitKat = Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT;

        // DocumentProvider
        if (isKitKat && DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {
            // ExternalStorageProvider
            if (isExternalStorageDocument(uri)) {
                final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final String[] split = docId.split(":");
                final String type = split[0];

                if ("primary".equalsIgnoreCase(type)) {
                    return Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + split[1];
                }

                // TODO handle non-primary volumes
            }
            // DownloadsProvider
            else if (isDownloadsDocument(uri)) {

                final String id = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final Uri contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(
                        Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"), Long.valueOf(id));

                return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, null, null);
            }
            // MediaProvider
            else if (isMediaDocument(uri)) {
                final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final String[] split = docId.split(":");
                final String type = split[0];

                Uri contentUri = null;
                if ("image".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("video".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                }

                final String selection = "_id=?";
                final String[] selectionArgs = new String[]{
                        split[1]
                };

                return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, selection, selectionArgs);
            }
        }
        // MediaStore (and general)
        else if ("content".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {

            // Return the remote address
            if (isGooglePhotosUri(uri))
                return uri.getLastPathSegment();

            return getDataColumn(context, uri, null, null);
        }
        // File
        else if ("file".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {
            return uri.getPath();
        }

        return null;
    }

    /**
     * Get the value of the data column for this Uri. This is useful for
     * MediaStore Uris, and other file-based ContentProviders.
     *
     * @param context       The context.
     * @param uri           The Uri to query.
     * @param selection     (Optional) Filter used in the query.
     * @param selectionArgs (Optional) Selection arguments used in the query.
     * @return The value of the _data column, which is typically a file path.
     */
    public static String getDataColumn(Context context, Uri uri, String selection,
                                       String[] selectionArgs) {

        Cursor cursor = null;
        final String column = "_data";
        final String[] projection = {
                column
        };

        try {
            cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(uri, projection, selection, selectionArgs,
                    null);
            if (cursor != null && cursor.moveToFirst()) {
                final int index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(column);
                return cursor.getString(index);
            }
        } finally {
            if (cursor != null)
                cursor.close();
        }
        return null;
    }


    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is ExternalStorageProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isExternalStorageDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.externalstorage.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is DownloadsProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isDownloadsDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.providers.downloads.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is MediaProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isMediaDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.providers.media.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is Google Photos.
     */
    public static boolean isGooglePhotosUri(Uri uri) {
        return "com.google.android.apps.photos.content".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

}

@diwubz
You will not be able to "get" the file path from a Uri that was returned from a /msf provider.

The only way is to make use of the /proc protocol. Have a look at how I implemented it here.

Do not try and use it with all Uri's, it will not work! Only use it when the Uri is from the content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/ provider.

This worked for me for uploading pdf, doc, docx, ppt, pptx, xls, xslx, etc.

Did you try in Android 11? In our case this is not working using Cursor returns null instead on Android 11 @abdulrahmankazi

It doesn't work on my Android 11 device for a pdf file, too.

@diwubz You will not be able to "get" the file path from a Uri that was returned from a /msf provider.

The only way is to make use of the /proc protocol. Have a look at how I implemented it here.

Do not try and use it with all Uri's, it will not work! Only use it when the Uri is from the content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/ provider.

Thank you, sir. Do you mean that querying of Content uri will not work for both DownloadsDocument and MediaDocument on Android 11?

If you are having the following issue's.

• Can't select a file from SDCard
• Can't select a file from the downloads directory
• Or if you want to be able to select Google Drive, Dropbox and One Drive files.

Have a look at this library I've created, it's easy to implement and handles everything for you-
https://github.com/HBiSoft/PickiT

it will not return a path of pdfs and docs file i have tested them you can check this pic it only gives zip file path i have not tested other doc types

I checked this library working fine and thank you so much

https://github.com/HBiSoft/PickiT

Ok Will check.
Thank you so much.

any solution path is null..

For Android 11

It copies selected file to app specific internal storage (com.packagename)

    public static String copyFileToInternal(Context context, Uri fileUri) {
    if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
        Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(fileUri, new String[]{OpenableColumns.DISPLAY_NAME, OpenableColumns.SIZE}, null, null);
        cursor.moveToFirst();

        String displayName = cursor.getString(cursor.getColumnIndex(OpenableColumns.DISPLAY_NAME));
        long size = cursor.getLong(cursor.getColumnIndex(OpenableColumns.SIZE));

        File file = new File(context.getFilesDir() + "/" + displayName);
        try {
            FileOutputStream fileOutputStream = new FileOutputStream(file);
            InputStream inputStream = context.getContentResolver().openInputStream(fileUri);
            byte buffers[] = new byte[1024];
            int read;
            while ((read = inputStream.read(buffers)) != -1) {
                fileOutputStream.write(buffers, 0, read);
            }
            inputStream.close();
            fileOutputStream.close();
            return file.getPath();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
    return null;
}

@abdulrahmankazi Thanks this worked for me.

this fails to work with the uri content://com.android.providers.media.documents/document/document:i232
It hits the media uri code path. but there is no case for "document". I've tried adding this case, but can't find the appropriate path for the cursor. Does anybody know it?

I solved this by adding the else statement at the end of this else if block

       if ("image".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("video".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Files.getContentUri("external");
        }

This catches the case for pdfs and other "document" files.

@joshuatantonflynn Your else part working fine my friend thanks a lot.

Thanks a lot 😁. After 9-10 hour of search I found this code saved my whole time. This is totally working for PDF File without any crash or now I can select pdf or docs file from RECENTS without any crash. In Android 12 ..

@learnwithdeepak Thanks.... Happy to help.

@dhyanvenmarath Most Welcome

thanks, work for me

this fails to work with the uri content://com.android.providers.media.documents/document/document:i232
It hits the media uri code path. but there is no case for "document". I've tried adding this case, but can't find the appropriate path for the cursor. Does anybody know it?

I solved this by adding the else statement at the end of this else if block

       if ("image".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("video".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Files.getContentUri("external");
        }

This catches the case for pdfs and other "document" files.

@joshuatantonflynn Your else part working fine my friend thanks a lot.

Thanks a lot 😁. After 9-10 hour of search I found this code saved my whole time. This is totally working for PDF File without any crash or now I can select pdf or docs file from RECENTS without any crash. In Android 12 ..

Not working with Android 13, tried this but returns empty and not getting any path, wich permissions do you have declared?