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Expo Permissions

Expo Permissions is a deprecated centralized permissions API for React Native and Expo applications. It provides a unified interface to request and check various device permissions including camera, media library, location, notifications, contacts, calendar, audio recording, and motion sensors across iOS, Android, and web platforms.

⚠️ Deprecation Notice: This package has been deprecated in favor of requesting permissions directly from individual Expo modules (like expo-camera, expo-location) that use these permissions.

Package Information

  • Package Name: expo-permissions
  • Package Type: npm
  • Language: TypeScript
  • Installation: npm install expo-permissions
  • Peer Dependency: Requires expo as peer dependency

Core Imports

import { getAsync, askAsync, usePermissions, CAMERA, MEDIA_LIBRARY, LOCATION_FOREGROUND } from "expo-permissions";

For CommonJS:

const { getAsync, askAsync, usePermissions, CAMERA, MEDIA_LIBRARY, LOCATION_FOREGROUND } = require("expo-permissions");

Basic Usage

import { getAsync, askAsync, CAMERA, MEDIA_LIBRARY } from "expo-permissions";

// Check permission status
const cameraPermission = await getAsync(CAMERA);
console.log(cameraPermission.granted); // boolean

// Request permissions from user
const permissions = await askAsync(CAMERA, MEDIA_LIBRARY);
if (permissions.granted) {
  // All requested permissions granted
  console.log("All permissions granted");
} else {
  // Some permissions denied or undetermined
  console.log("Permissions status:", permissions.status);
}

Architecture

Expo Permissions is built around several key components:

  • Permission Request Functions: Core async functions (getAsync, askAsync) for checking and requesting permissions
  • React Integration: usePermissions hook for declarative permission management in React components
  • Permission Constants: Predefined constants for all supported permission types
  • Type System: Complete TypeScript definitions with permission status, response types, and platform-specific details
  • Permission Coalescing: Logic to combine multiple permission requests into unified responses
  • Platform Abstraction: Unified API that handles iOS, Android, and web platform differences internally

Capabilities

Permission Management

Core functions for checking and requesting device permissions with unified cross-platform API and deprecation warnings.

function getAsync(...types: PermissionType[]): Promise<PermissionResponse>;
function askAsync(...types: PermissionType[]): Promise<PermissionResponse>;

Permission Management

React Hooks Integration

React hook for declarative permission management with automatic status fetching and lifecycle handling.

function usePermissions(
  type: PermissionType | PermissionType[],
  options?: PermissionsOptions
): [PermissionResponse | undefined, () => Promise<void>, () => Promise<void>];

interface PermissionsOptions {
  ask?: boolean;
  get?: boolean;
}

React Hooks

Permission Types

type PermissionType =
  | 'camera'
  | 'mediaLibrary'
  | 'mediaLibraryWriteOnly'
  | 'audioRecording'
  | 'locationForeground'
  | 'locationBackground'
  | 'userFacingNotifications'
  | 'notifications'
  | 'contacts'
  | 'calendar'
  | 'reminders'
  | 'motion'
  | 'systemBrightness'
  | 'location'  // deprecated
  | 'cameraRoll'; // deprecated

Permission Constants

// Active constants
const CAMERA = "camera";
const MEDIA_LIBRARY = "mediaLibrary";
const MEDIA_LIBRARY_WRITE_ONLY = "mediaLibraryWriteOnly";
const AUDIO_RECORDING = "audioRecording";
const LOCATION_FOREGROUND = "locationForeground";
const LOCATION_BACKGROUND = "locationBackground";
const USER_FACING_NOTIFICATIONS = "userFacingNotifications";
const NOTIFICATIONS = "notifications";
const CONTACTS = "contacts";
const CALENDAR = "calendar";
const REMINDERS = "reminders";
const SYSTEM_BRIGHTNESS = "systemBrightness";
const MOTION = "motion";

// Deprecated constants
const CAMERA_ROLL = MEDIA_LIBRARY; // @deprecated Use MEDIA_LIBRARY or MEDIA_LIBRARY_WRITE_ONLY
const LOCATION = "location"; // @deprecated Use LOCATION_FOREGROUND or LOCATION_BACKGROUND

Core Types

interface PermissionResponse {
  status: PermissionStatus;
  expires: PermissionExpiration;
  granted: boolean;
  canAskAgain: boolean;
  permissions: PermissionMap;
}

interface PermissionMap {
  [permissionType: string]: PermissionInfo;
}

interface PermissionInfo {
  status: PermissionStatus;
  expires: PermissionExpiration;
  granted: boolean;
  canAskAgain: boolean;
  accessPrivileges?: 'all' | 'limited' | 'none'; // iOS only - Media Library
  scope?: 'whenInUse' | 'always' | 'none';
  android?: PermissionDetailsLocationAndroid;
}

interface PermissionDetailsLocationAndroid {
  accuracy: 'fine' | 'coarse' | 'none';
}

// The following types are imported from 'expo-modules-core':

enum PermissionStatus {
  /** User has granted the permission. */
  GRANTED = 'granted',
  /** User hasn't granted or denied the permission yet. */
  UNDETERMINED = 'undetermined',
  /** User has denied the permission. */
  DENIED = 'denied',
}

/** Permission expiration time. Currently, all permissions are granted permanently. */
type PermissionExpiration = 'never' | number;