In a turn of events to warm our withered hearts, Google has offered to restore the permission that was revoked from Nextcloud’s Files app for Android.
Andy Schertzinger, Director of Engineering at Nextcloud, told The Register: “Google has decided to restore the permissions to our Android app so we can bring back the full file syncing functionality.”
Nextcloud expects to release an update to the app shortly, and Schertzinger paid tribute to the broader community for its support.
Nextcloud’s problem was a decision made in late 2024 to revoke its app’s “All files access” permission on Android devices. Because the permission gives apps broad access to files on a device, Google is understandably cautious about granting it, preferring developers to use more privacy-friendly access tools, such as the Storage Access Framework (SAF).
However, for a file synchronization app like Nextcloud’s, the “All files access” permission was required. And it had been granted for years until, quite suddenly, it wasn’t anymore. The result was a crippled app in the Play Store, and Google appeared to ignore repeated requests for an explanation.
Nextcloud went public with its woes earlier this week and in an unexpected turn of events, Google offered to restore the permission it had previously revoked.
In a world where words like “anti-competitive” are frequently thrown around with regard to the tech giants, Google’s action demonstrates that there are still humans in the organization capable of changing course when required. We asked the ad slinger what happened – was the original revocation the result of an automated process gone awry or an overzealous reviewer? We have yet to receive a response.
In the meantime, we can but hope this is a sign that the tech giants are capable of paying attention to users’ needs. That said, anyone hoping for an end to the relentless pushing of AI technologies should probably manage their expectations. ®
