Unity Bug Fix - Problem (Android 6) - Urgent

Hi,

So I downloaded the latest 4.6.9p2 release to take advantage of a few iOS fixes as always
(Don't expect much from Android)

Changes

• Android: Android 6.0 - Limit targetSdk to 22 because of permission handling issues for Marshmallow (case 739831, 732504).

So now I need to update my application on the Google Play store with a bug fix for customers, this is the error I get:

This configuration cannot be published for the following reason(s):

• It is forbidden to downgrade devices which previously used M permissions (target SDK 23 and above) to APKs which use old style permissions (target SDK 22 and below). This occurs in the change from version 21 (target SDK 23) to version 23 (target SDK 22).

So how does Unity plan to help with this issue and existing customers who wish to update Apps?
This fix is not ideal, please developer respond.

EDIT: As I thought downgrading to 4.6.9 fixed the issue, but I wish for proper solution as there are Android 6 bugs within 4.6.9 and you still need support 4.6.9 for another month!

 

Juste released our game and...Using targetSdkVersion 23...Just great...Watching for some informations from Unity and/or Google on this point...

 

I think the issue is not for new releases as this be okay, just if someone has a existing release and then they upgrade there App in the future, this problem I had...I definitely looking for some kind of explanation to this..

 

Humm, you may be right but i can't be sure if everything is managed correctly "by default" if the fresh installation is on target 23 SDK.

Or maybe i have misunderstood something. I completely understand your point of view, correct me if i'm right, but you are concerned about user, using a previous version of the app with targetSDK 22 and then upgrading to targetSDK 23, which has a complete different system of permission.

But even for fresh install on targetSDK 23, is everything about the permissions, managed correctly "by the time" of use ? Does Unity need to implement something to "Ask acccess" to a permission to the user, as it may have revoked a previous granted permission by denying it explicitly or just by not using the application, as i have read that there is a sort of process like this now.

I want to avoid problems of users like "Ho my save game just disappear!" because internally the system revoked the "WRITE EXTERNAL STORAGE PERMISSION", and that Unity may not have managed to Re-ASK for this permission.

Of course theses changes only affect Android 6.0 but...I think that "Something must be done" about it, and maybe on Unity side, but i can't be sure.

 

As our game has been released with targetSDKVersion 23, using Unity 4.6.9p1, i think we don't have many choice for Android 6.0, as we can't re-upload an new Build with a lower SDK, isn't it ?

However, i will take a look and test on your code, if we can manage the worst scenarios with this.

 

I think I understand, Just so we are clear, on Unity 4.6.9 final release I have set my game to Minimum API level 15, reason for this was so I can target more devices and customers.

Now when I load the same project in Unity 4.6.9p2 not changing anything but fixing a bug for the game, I get the error from Google play. So you telling me this expected?

If I target SDK23 minim API, then I lose hell lot customers, or I got this completely wrong and noob mistake?

 

Correct me if i'm wrong, but you will never have any problem if your customer is on previous Android version, as older API Level will be used internally. You may just have some issue on Marshmallow (Android 6.0 / API Level 23) if you use some critical permissions that can be disabled by the user or by time inactivity (not totally sure about this).

The good thing in my opinion is:

- set minimum SDK as low as you can: On my project its "API Level 9" actually.
- set targetSDK to the newest, as you have already published your game on "API Level 23".
- Add the Java code that check permissions for Android 6.0. It only have to be checked on this SDK level, because older SDK grant permissions always at install time, and permissions cannot be revoked manually.

Actually, i'm developping a Unity Plugin thanks to Bitter code snippet, that check and ask permissions if required, and call a success callback or fail callback in C#, this way you can manage Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) behavior the way you prefer. Older SDK version will so always return success.

I plan to set the plugin compatible from API Level 9 minimum (Android 2.3.1), thanks to the Android Support V4 Library, and i will share it as a free asset.

 

Thanks for the detailed reply, where do I set the targetSDK, so somehow between 4.6.9 and 4.6.9p2 Unity changes the settings for this?

 

You can't change it by the Unity Editor GUI (but you can change the Minimum via the GUI). I always set targetSDK with the AndroidManifest.xml file from my Unity Project.

But in my opinion, there is no need to go on Unity 4.6.9p2 if you only target Android.
From my own side, i have Unity 4.6.9p1 for Android, and Unity 4.6.9p2 on my Mac Mini for iOS.

However, 4.6.9p1 or 4.6.9p2, the problem is still the same, if you have send on Google Play a targetSDK 23, you will have to manage theses possible dynamic permissions for Android.

Still working on my plugin, cause i have some issue.

 

I understand, but im just getting confused i have not changed anything between the 4.6.9
Build and the patch 2 build.. So why has google play thrown this error to me - so its something Unity is doing.. Maybe im not getting something.hence my first posting.. I think there two things being discussed in the thread..

 

Yes maybe Unity is capping the targetSDK. To be sure, after any APK build, you can go to Temp/StagingArea folder and look what is the targetSDK setted in the final AndroidManifest.xml...Or if you want to be 100% sure, take a look at the metadata of your apk file with aapt -d badging "yourapk.apk" .

 

Perfect, thank you, will do some further tests tommorow and compare the .apks created in the different versions of Unity..

 

Still working on my plugin. It seem that something go wrong, and it seem that the "catch" code is called, however, its very difficult to debug a Android Module from Unity as you can't!

So i will try to test the module behavior with a real Android Test App with Android Studio...So i still have to do some test...

 

In wich form do you think this will be managed on Unity 4 ? Automatically at app start, or will i need to register a callback in the App to take my own decision of "What to do then" if permission granted or not ?

 

Ah I see, for some reason was not aware of this..Think the minimum API confused me with target SDK. In this case I think I be able solve my issues : Cheers for all the feedback.

 

Hi,

I'm facing exactly same issue as MrEsquire.
Do you have any update about this case ?
Does the sample code provide by bitter a right way to target sdk 23 with p2 ?
I really need to make en update relatively quickly.

Thanks

 

Nice !

 

I see in the newest 4.6.9 patch release that:

"Android: Added support for Marshmallow runtime permissions."

How does that work? Do we need to do anything? Are there docs?

Or does the new patch release now auto build to target 23 and it auto asks permissions?

 

Good to know, thanks!

 

What is happening if the user dismiss the authorization or disable it in the settings.
For exemple, we are using SQLite, and writing the file in the SDCard, but if the user doesn't accept to let us use his SDCard, how can we know if it's authorized or not?

 

I do see a change in permissions( testing on Nexus 9 Android 6), but its abit worrying, the first thing the users sees a popup:
Game would like to manage your phone calls, deny or accept
then Game would like to manage your media/photos, deny or accept.

Not sure whats going on here and if this is expected behavior as the game has nothing to do with phone and media?

 

I think MrEsquire is saying that it asks for all the permissions at once. Maybe it could ask for the permission only when it needs it. We got a Nexus 6P yesterday and it asks for the permissions only when it needs it. Would it be possible to do that?

 

Would WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE be asked for permission from the user if install location is set to "automatic" in the player settings? (in Unity 4.6.9p3) (After all automatic does mean "sometimes to the external")

We did a test, and our app asks for access to Photos/Media etc, which we don't think we need. Is there any way for the permissions prompt to not appear?

(does the OBB downloader need it? our app is pretty big and is split to apk+obb)

 

I understand this but when the user downloads the app and uses it fist time he gets a default google permissions popup. This new one is not same and two promps appear. Imagine the shock when users starts game and it says the game wants to manage your phone calls! Huum I still think few things need bit tweaking..please check 4.6 before it dies out.

 

For those of us that are stuck* with 4.6.x for our mobile projects for quite a bit more time, leaving 4.6 in a state where things that are out NOW don't work properly is really not ok.

*personally we could be unstuck if enlighten was on par with beast as far as baked lightmaps go. But it has a long way to go. I'm not sure even 5.4 will do it.

 

In the end I reverted to 4.6.9 final again, I appreciate the developer making a hack for this issue and it does work.
It just not professional solution and its a horrible user experience and knowing Android users paranoid and confused.

 

Hi @bitter,

Any update or timeline on implementing runtime permissions for Marshmallow in 5.2 / 5.3?
I couldn't find any info on that outside of this thread and I am wondering if it's better to wait or should I dive into writing my own plugin (which obviously I'd rather not).

Thanks,
nnm

 

It's great to know that it exists, but could you tell us more about this special metadata field?

Having the permission request popping up right at the start with no explanation is really not a great solution. I can't imagine anyone saying yes to that prompt...

 

I'm seeing a problem with an app built with 4.6.9f1 (before the permissions patches) and 6.0 when installed via the Google Play Store.

Manual installation of the .apk and .obb works, but Store download, access to the .obb fails. Amusingly if I then nuke the obb directory and recreate it, and reinstall the .obb it works fine.

It *sounds* like this might be a WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission issue, which is still in the manifest for that build. I force-strip it postprocess it in a current build and all seems well on manual installation (but haven't tested Google Play install), which is what I expected since the app only accesses data/obb directories for its own bundle identifier.

But, that makes me wonder:

* Does Unity actually *need* WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permissions on 6.0 to be able to access the .obb? It seems like it shouldn't.

The publisher wants WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE requirement to go away, which makes sense. They also want targetSdk to be 23 (6.0), which also makes sense. But I can't tell if I should try testing a build without WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE specified via Google Play installation on 6.0, or if I need it to be put back and republish with 4.7 so it will request the permission...

 

What is the "special" metadata property in the manifest to disable the auto permissions dialogue?

 

Hi Yury,

I have couple of questions:

1) Can we rely on SkipPermissionsDialog meta-data for future use or is this some kind of a temporary solution?
2) Unity asks dangerous permission at start on black screen, when this issue will be resolved?
3) Are you guys planning to introduce a runtime permission management system where we can query current allowed/denied permissions?

Thank you in advance

 

Does this happen with SkipPermissionDisalog enabled?

Now that 4.7 is officially out and no more support for 4x, I'm worried we are left with a ugly permissions issue for Android 6 devices. My main problem is I have a nice game finished in 4.6 series and updating to Unity 5 is not a possibility as it involve much work and lots of redesign (Although for all new projects moved onto Unity 5.3).

Technically the last 4.6 patch was may I say a JOKE.. I know you guys don't wish to work on old stuff anymore, but really you left Android in a unfinished state, should have checked with Unity QA for existing graphic related problems and android related issues before discounting the support. (Oh yeh forgot Unity QA disappeared).

Cheers

 

Nope. SkipPermissionsDialog meta-tag works as expected. However I feel too uncomfortable due to lack of documentation about current state of permissions issue on Unity 4.7. It is definitely not resolved.

By the way I have discovered a horrifying truth last night, you may want to hear that. Assume you are building your application with Android API 23 and you have external storage permission (WRITE_EXTERNAL) defined in your manifest file. An Android 5 device installs your app (accepts all permissions on install) from store without any problem. When that device updates its OS to Android 6, the storage permission gets automatically revoked from the user by the OS! First I thought this was a bug about SkipPermissionsDialog, however I have realized that all other applications built with API 23 experience this situation. Please be aware.

 

Thank you for the feedback, much appreciated.
I understand how you feel, because there been so many threads and postings that the whole issue is some what been confused into multiple issue. I thank Unity for the SkipPermission fix as this was needed for sure.

I think these issues where not raised before but with Android 6 coming out more people started seeing problems with permissions. I like to be a fair person, but honestly Unity had heads up, there number of threads where I ask if Unity will support new Android and the response was nothing. Hence I knew from day one there would be issues.

Think with the release of 5.3 its a wake up call.