The recently lost file upload feature in the Nextcloud app for Android

Antitrust, DMA, and Platform Power

• Many see this as a textbook example of why the EU’s Digital Markets Act exists: platform owner (Google) restricting a class of capability (full file access) that competitors need while the OS itself retains privileged backup APIs.
• Others argue DMA only requires Google not to give its own apps extra permissions like MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE; since Google Drive also doesn’t have that permission, they see no clear DMA violation.
• Several commenters stress broader pattern: Google historically creating first‑party‑only APIs or flows, making life harder for independent apps even when technically “same permissions” apply.

Security vs User Control

• Strong camp: broad storage permissions were “rampantly abused” (games, social apps, predatory loan apps harvesting photos, contacts, documents). Removing MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE is framed as necessary hardening, not self‑dealing.
• Opposing view: users should be allowed to explicitly grant “dangerous” capabilities with strong warnings or an “I’m an adult” mode, especially for backup/sync tools.
• Some worry about a paternalistic trend: users increasingly blocked from full control of their own devices and data “for security,” similar concerns raised about browsers (e.g., Manifest V3).

Technical Debate: SAF and Performance

• Several Android‑savvy commenters state Nextcloud technically can use the Storage Access Framework (SAF): user chooses a directory; app gets long‑lived URI access; background sync is possible.
• Others counter that SAF is architecturally awkward and severely slower due to Binder/ContentProvider overhead, especially for scanning large trees; links are shared claiming orders‑of‑magnitude slower directory enumeration.
• SAF’s incompatibility with straightforward native code and cross‑platform designs is highlighted (e.g., past issues with Syncthing’s Android client).

Comparison with Google and iOS

• Google Drive reportedly uses SAF‑style pickers and doesn’t hold MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, but system‑level Android backup has deeper access not available to third parties.
• iOS is described as using File Provider and backup hooks rather than broad filesystem access; some prefer Apple’s clearer “tool, not hobby project” posture, others see both ecosystems as vendor‑controlled prisons.

Alternatives, Workarounds, and Impact

• Suggestions include using F‑Droid builds (outside Play policy), alternative ROMs (e.g., /e/OS, GrapheneOS) or Linux phones, with trade‑offs in security, stability, and usability.
• Users relying on automatic Nextcloud sync fear silent breakage if permissions must be re‑granted per folder; the risk is unnoticed backup failure and data loss.
• A final note mentions Google has contacted Nextcloud and offered to restore the permission, but the reasons (technical vs regulatory/PR pressure) are viewed as unclear.