Android opening a file with ACTION_GET_CONTENT res

I am trying to open files by using Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT.

Dependent on the Android version/device brand the file browser opens and I get the following results:

Selecting a file from Downloads:

content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/446

Selecting a file from Fotos:

content://media/external/images/media/309

Selecting a file from FileCommander:

file:///storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/20141027_132114.jpg

I can open all these files except when I try to open a file from Downloads,, Audio , Afbeeldingen(Images)

It's likely I can't handle this kind of Uri: content://com.android.providers.downloads.documents/document/446

I have tried the following things:

Trying to open the file by new File(uri.getPath()). File.exists() returns false.
Trying to open/reach the file by getContext().getContentResolver().openInputStream(uri). Results into a FileNotFoundException

Trying to open the file with the following code:

public static String getRealPathFromURI_API19(Context context, Uri uri) {

Log.i("uri", uri.getPath());
String filePath = "";
if (uri.getScheme().equals("file")) {
    return uri.getPath();
} else if (DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {
    String wholeID = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
    Log.i("wholeID", wholeID);
    // Split at colon, use second item in the array
    String[] splits = wholeID.split(":");
if (splits.length == 2) {
    String id = splits[1];

        String[] column = {MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA};
    // where id is equal to
        String sel = MediaStore.Images.Media._ID + "=?";
        Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI,
                column, sel, new String[]{id}, null);
        int columnIndex = cursor.getColumnIndex(column[0]);
        if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {
            filePath = cursor.getString(columnIndex);
        }
        cursor.close();
    }
} else {
    filePath = AttachmentUtils.getPath(context, uri);
}
return filePath;
}

What am I doing wrong?

UPDATE: I have noticed that the files that are listed in the screenshot that they are not physically existing in the storage. The device I am using is a tablet from the company containing rubbish data. My colleague told me that this device once was connected with a different Google account. These files could be the files from the previous account which are not existing/reachable anymore.

My own conclusion about it is that I am encountering some bug in Android. My bug report

Update 6 february 2017:

Android banned the file:// URI. Please consider to think about it.

Ban on file: Uri Scheme The biggest compatibility issue so far with Android 7.0 is that the file: scheme for Uri values is banned, in effect. If you attempt to pass a file: Uri in an Intent that is going to another app — whether via an extra or as the “data” facet of the Intent — you will crash with a FileUriExposedException exception. You will face similar issues with putting file: Uri values on the clipboard in ClipData . This is coming from an updated edition of StrictMode . StrictMode.VmPolicy.Builder has a penaltyDeathOnFileUriExposure() method that triggers the detection of file: Uri values and the resulting FileUriExposedException exceptions. And, it appears that this is pre-configured, much as how StrictMode is pre-configured to apply penaltyDeathOnNetwork() (the source of your NetworkOnMainThreadException crashes).

Use below code.This will work for sure.

public static String getPath(Context context, Uri uri) {
    final boolean isKitKat = Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT;

    // DocumentProvider
    if (isKitKat && DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {
        // ExternalStorageProvider
        if (isExternalStorageDocument(uri)) {
            final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
            final String[] split = docId.split(":");
            final String type = split[0];

            if ("primary".equalsIgnoreCase(type)) {
                return Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + split[1];
            }
            // TODO handle non-primary volumes
        }
        // DownloadsProvider
        else if (isDownloadsDocument(uri)) {
            final String id = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
            final Uri contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"), Long.valueOf(id));
            return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, null, null);
        }
        // MediaProvider
        else
        if (isMediaDocument(uri)) {
            final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
            final String[] split = docId.split(":");
            final String type = split[0];
            Uri contentUri = null;
            if ("image".equals(type)) {
                contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
            } else if ("video".equals(type)) {
                contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
            } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {
                contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
            }
            final String selection = "_id=?";
            final String[] selectionArgs = new String[] {split[1]};
            return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, selection, selectionArgs);
        }
    }
    // MediaStore (and general)
    else if ("content".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {
        // Return the remote address
        if (isGooglePhotosUri(uri))
            return uri.getLastPathSegment();
        return getDataColumn(context, uri, null, null);
    }
    // File
    else if ("file".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {
        return uri.getPath();
    }
    return null;
}

public static String getDataColumn(Context context, Uri uri, String selection, String[] selectionArgs) {
    Cursor cursor = null;
    final String column = "_data";
    final String[] projection = { column };
    try {
        cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(uri, projection, selection, selectionArgs, null);
        if (cursor != null && cursor.moveToFirst()) {
            final int index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(column);
            return cursor.getString(index);
        }
    } finally {
        if (cursor != null)
            cursor.close();
    }
    return null;
}

public static boolean isExternalStorageDocument(Uri uri) {
    return "com.android.externalstorage.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
}

/**
 * @param uri The Uri to check.
 * @return Whether the Uri authority is DownloadsProvider.
 */
public static boolean isDownloadsDocument(Uri uri) {
    return "com.android.providers.downloads.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
}

/**
 * @param uri The Uri to check.
 * @return Whether the Uri authority is MediaProvider.
 */
public static boolean isMediaDocument(Uri uri) {
    return "com.android.providers.media.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
}

/**
 * @param uri The Uri to check.
 * @return Whether the Uri authority is Google Photos.
 */
public static boolean isGooglePhotosUri(Uri uri) {
    return "com.google.android.apps.photos.content".equals(uri.getAuthority());
}

Use the below code to browse the file in any format.

public void browseClick() {

    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);
    intent.setType("*/*");
    intent.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_OPENABLE);
    //intent.putExtra("browseCoa", itemToBrowse);
    //Intent chooser = Intent.createChooser(intent, "Select a File to Upload");
    try {
        //startActivityForResult(chooser, FILE_SELECT_CODE);
        startActivityForResult(Intent.createChooser(intent, "Select a File to Upload"),FILE_SELECT_CODE);
    } catch (Exception ex) {
        System.out.println("browseClick :"+ex);//android.content.ActivityNotFoundException ex
    }
}

Then get that file path in the onActivityResult like below.

@Override
public void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
    super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);
    if (requestCode == FILE_SELECT_CODE) {
        if (resultCode == RESULT_OK) {
            try {
              Uri uri = data.getData();

                if (filesize >= FILE_SIZE_LIMIT) {
                    Toast.makeText(this,"The selected file is too large. Selet a new file with size less than 2mb",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else {
                    String mimeType = getContentResolver().getType(uri);
                    if (mimeType == null) {
                        String path = getPath(this, uri);
                        if (path == null) {
                            filename = FilenameUtils.getName(uri.toString());
                        } else {
                            File file = new File(path);
                            filename = file.getName();
                        }
                    } else {
                        Uri returnUri = data.getData();
                        Cursor returnCursor = getContentResolver().query(returnUri, null, null, null, null);
                        int nameIndex = returnCursor.getColumnIndex(OpenableColumns.DISPLAY_NAME);
                        int sizeIndex = returnCursor.getColumnIndex(OpenableColumns.SIZE);
                        returnCursor.moveToFirst();
                        filename = returnCursor.getString(nameIndex);
                        String size = Long.toString(returnCursor.getLong(sizeIndex));
                    }
   File fileSave = getExternalFilesDir(null);
    String sourcePath = getExternalFilesDir(null).toString();
    try {
                        copyFileStream(new File(sourcePath + "/" + filename), uri,this);

                    } catch (Exception e) {
                        e.printStackTrace();
                    }
  }
            } catch (Exception e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
}
private void copyFileStream(File dest, Uri uri, Context context)
        throws IOException {
    InputStream is = null;
    OutputStream os = null;
    try {
        is = context.getContentResolver().openInputStream(uri);
        os = new FileOutputStream(dest);
        byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
        int length;

        while ((length = is.read(buffer)) > 0) {
            os.write(buffer, 0, length);

        }
    } catch (Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } finally {
        is.close();
        os.close();
    }
}

After this you can open this file from your application external storage where you saved the file with appropriate action.