Google is blocking a popular rival’s file upload capability on Android by changing just one thing, and there’s nothing they can do
- Android users now can’t upload all files to Nextcloud, just because Google revoked a permission
- Nextcloud says Google is punishing smaller competitors while protecting its own apps from restrictions
- Nextcloud users now get a worse app experience, not because of failure, but gatekeeping
The ability to seamlessly upload all types of files from Android to the cloud has become a baseline expectation for modern users, especially those who rely on services like Nextcloud to manage their data.
In a move that has sparked a backlash, Google has blocked full file upload capabilities in the Nextcloud Files Android app, citing “security concerns.”
This single policy change has significantly affected how users interact with one of the leading cloud storage services available today, raising broader questions about fairness, power, and competition in the digital ecosystem.
Nextcloud claims unfair treatment under the guise of security
While users can still upload media files such as photos and videos, a core feature for anyone seeking the best cloud storage for photos, Nextcloud has been forced to disable uploads for all other file types on Android.
According to Nextcloud, the issue stems from Google’s refusal to grant an essential file permission that the app has used since 2011. This is the “All files access” permission, which allows an app to read and write all files on a device’s shared storage, not just media files.
“To make it crystal clear: All of you as users have a worse Nextcloud Files client because Google wanted that. We understand and share your frustration, but there is nothing we can do,” the company said in a press release.
Nextcloud argues that this is not merely a technical issue but a strategic one. The company claims it is being boxed out, not for security reasons, but because it poses a competitive threat to Google’s own cloud ecosystem.
“Google owning the platform means they can – and are – giving themselves preferential treatment,” the company states, noting that Google’s own apps, as well as those from other Big Tech players, continue to enjoy the same permissions that Nextcloud has now been denied.
Google’s recommendation to use alternative frameworks like the MediaStore API or SAF has not solved the issue. Nextcloud explains that these options don’t meet its requirements, and reviewers have misunderstood their functionality.
The situation echoes Microsoft’s past tactics in limiting WordPerfect’s access to Windows APIs, a historical parallel that Nextcloud readily invokes.
Under the guise of user safety, Nextcloud claims, Google is making it harder to compete, particularly for smaller developers offering privacy-focused cloud backup solutions.
While regulators are tasked with addressing such concerns, Nextcloud notes that progress is slow. A collective complaint filed in 2021 alongside 40 other organizations for a similar issue has yet to receive a response.
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