How to use custom permissions in Android?

Question

I have two applications.

One is declaring permission and having single Activity:

Part of AndroidManifest.xml

<application
    android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:permission="your.namespace.permission.TEST" >
    <activity
        android:name=".DeclaringPermissionActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name" >

        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>

        <intent-filter> 
         <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" /> 
         <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" /> 
         <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" /> 
         <data android:scheme="myapp"
             android:host="myapp.mycompany.com" /> 
        </intent-filter> 
    </activity>
</application>

The second declares that is uses permission

Part of AndroidManifest.xml

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="10" />
<uses-permission android:name="your.namespace.permission.TEST" />

<application

Part of Activity:

public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.main);

    startActivity(new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("myapp://myapp.mycompany.com/index")));
}

I'm installing the application declaring permission, then I run the second application.

In a result I get security exception:

 01-11 09:46:55.249: E/AndroidRuntime(347): java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{your.namespace2/your.namespace2.UsingPErmissionActivity}: java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: starting Intent { act=android.intent.action.VIEW dat=myapp://myapp.mycompany.com/index cmp=your.namespace/.DeclaringPermissionActivity } from ProcessRecord{407842c0 347:your.namespace2/10082} (pid=347, uid=10082) requires your.namespace.permission.TEST

Answer 1

I created a test code you can use it and test your permissions. There are two applications PermissionTestClient which declares permission and protects its activity with this permission. Here is its manifest file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.testpackage.permissiontestclient"
    android:versionCode="1"
    android:versionName="1.0" >

    <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="10" />
    <permission android:name="com.testpackage.mypermission" android:label="my_permission" android:protectionLevel="dangerous"></permission>

    <application
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name" >
        <activity
            android:permission="com.testpackage.mypermission"
            android:name=".PermissionTestClientActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>

            <intent-filter >
                <action android:name="com.testpackage.permissiontestclient.MyAction" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />                
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

There is nothing special in Activity file so I will not show it here.

PermissionTestServer application calls activity from PermissionTestClient. Here is its manifest file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="10" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.testpackage.mypermission"/>

<application
    android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name" >
    <activity
        android:name=".PermissionTestServerActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>
</application>

</manifest>

And Activity:

package com.testpackage.permissiontestserver;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;

public class PermissionTestServerActivity extends Activity {
    private static final String TAG = "PermissionTestServerActivity";

    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    Button btnTest;
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);

        btnTest = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnTest);
        btnTest.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                Log.d(TAG, "Button pressed!");
                Intent in = new Intent();
                in.setAction("com.testpackage.permissiontestclient.MyAction");
                in.addCategory("android.intent.category.DEFAULT");
                startActivity(in);
            }
        });
    }
}

To test it just remove uses-permission from Server application. You'll get security violation error.