Sharing location fails to even request location if not limited to coarse-grained location

[pelzvieh]

Steps to reproduce

1. In system settings, location, grant location access to Element. Either grant it access to precise location or switch off access to precise location.
2. In any matrix room with write permission...
3. Tap the (+) button, then the location drop

Outcome

What did you expect?

I expected to request precise location and allow to share if found.
I expected to share coarse location if I do not grant access to precise location.

What happened instead?

1. If the Element app is granted access to precise location:
   A map appears zoomed to show the whole world, and a circular delay indication circling.
   The app fails to even issue a location request (no location indicator visible in the status bar, Element not listed under "last access" in the location settings page)
2. If the Element app's grant for fine location access is switched off:
   A dialogue appears asking to grant fine location access.
   If you select "change to precise location", the whole world map is appearing, and after some time the coarse location is determined, and the option to once share this location or to share current location for some time is offered. In both cases, only coarse location information is transmitted.
   If you select "allow this time", the world map is appearing and no location is requested nor found, exactly as if it was granted precise location access right away.
   If you select "remain at coarse location", the app shows an error dialogue and does not allow location to be shared.

Your phone model

Fairphone 5, Sony Xperia

Operating system version

Android 15

Application version and app store

Element 1.6.44 from F-Droid, Element 1.6.44 from Google Play Store

Homeserver

matrix-synapse-py3 1.136.0+trixie1

Will you send logs?

Yes

Are you willing to provide a PR?

No

[pelzvieh]

I believe this was introduced by commit fd67cac

Obviously, it violates the rule that an application should work when user only grants coarse location (sharing a coarse location over time might make sense, who knows...).

More important, I don't see any indication in the Android documentation that an app is granted both coarse and fine location permission. Returning success (true) if any of the permissions is not granted appears definitely a bug.

[JokerGermany]

You mean this?

It's rotating all the Time on the bottem right.

All Permissions are granted.

Tested 4 devices for this and all devices fail...

[baranator]

I can confirm this behavior on a fairphone 6 with stock rom and a pixel 3a on the latest lineageos with Element 1.6.44. Downgrading to the previous release 1.6.42 gets around it on both devices.

[bmarty]

I believe this was introduced by commit fd67cac

Obviously, it violates the rule that an application should work when user only grants coarse location (sharing a coarse location over time might make sense, who knows...).

More important, I don't see any indication in the Android documentation that an app is granted both coarse and fine location permission. Returning success (true) if any of the permissions is not granted appears definitely a bug.

Thanks for the fix. It was not an attempt to violate any rule, I just made a clumsy implementation.

The code I wanted to write anyway would have looked more like:

    fun checkPermission(vararg permissions: String): Boolean {
        return permissions.all { permission ->
            ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(applicationContext, permission) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED
        }
    }

But this is wrong too regarding the location permissions "set".

So I think that your fix is correct, hence the API is a bit risky. But not a big deal since we should not use it for any other usage now: we're not adding new code to this application and the existing usages of the method is fine.