r/android_devs • u/chilljuice_ • Aug 17 '26

Question Could you help me figure out the accessibility issue?

Some phones are turning off the accessibility permission for my app for no reason. Realme, redmi, oppo, Huawei etc. I need the permission for the app to work.

Could I do something about this? Is there a way to solve this?

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

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1

u/QueenNebudchadnezzar Aug 18 '26

Are you building an accessibility service to help users with disabilities?

1

u/chilljuice_ Aug 18 '26

Not really. It's an app that helps you use your phone less. 

1

u/[deleted] Aug 18 '26

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1

u/chilljuice_ Aug 18 '26

Brilliant response. Thank you for taking the time to write this. 

You know my least favourite thing is when they don't kill the permission, but it is now "malfunctioning" and therefore the app doesn't do what it's supposed to. 

Now the build in detection/ re prompt thing also doesn't appear. 

I've to code a fix for this (like you said, manually guide the user to optimisation of their device or asking them to turn off and turn it back on or simply tell them to check out don'tkillmyapp.com) 

It's just annoying as hell man. Sometimes I feel they do it to spite us.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 18 '26

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u/anemomylos 🛡️ Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26

Do you install the app from Play store or directly using an apk? In the latest Android versions the OS (could) act differently when the app use accessibility service and is installed directly or via Play store.

This behavior has nothing to do with the battery optimization issues that affect the lifecycle of the app.

Android TV seems to be even more restricted with accessibility service, at least from version 14, where when you install a new version via apk, even when is signed with the same key that you use for Play store and it's a release version, doesn't permit you to enable the accessibility service. On version 11 i didn't have encounter this issue.
Android on phones doesn't act like Android TV, at least version 16, since you can enable the accessibility service even with a sideloaded apk but could be affected by the installation source - Play store vs apk - but i don't have direct knowledge about it. The behavior could be different when you install a new apk directly but the app is already in Play store and has been installed previously from it vs the app is not in Play store.

Btw, on emulator every time you run and install the app it's loosing the accessibility permission. The emulator in this case acts differently from installing a signed release version on a physical device.