Changes

From the perspective of the user, the Storage Access Framework provides an easy to use user interface that allows the user to browse, select, delete and create files hosted by storage services (also referred to as document providers) from within Android applications. Using this browsing interface (also referred to as the picker), users can, for example, browse through the files (such as documents, audio, images and videos) hosted by their chosen document providers. Figure 4245-1, for example, shows the picker user interface in action displaying a collection of files hosted by a document provider service:

Figure 4245-1

In terms of document providers, these can range from cloud-based services to local document providers running on the same device as the client application. At the time of writing, the most prominent document providers compatible with the Storage Access Framework are Box and, unsurprisingly, Google Drive. It is highly likely that other cloud storage providers and application developers will soon also provide services that conform to the Android Storage Access Framework. Figure 4245-2, for example, illustrates some document provider options listed by the picker interface:

Figure 4245-2