Permissions

Access to the camera, location, photos, contacts, microphone or notifications needs the user's consent, asked at runtime. Each permission is first declared in the native config: a usage description in Info.plist on iOS (the app crashes without it) and <uses-permission> in AndroidManifest.xml on Android. A request returns a status; once the user denies it for good (blocked), the app can no longer show the system dialog and can only send the user to the Settings app.

Applies to: React Native 0.88, Expo SDK 58.

Details

iOS vs Android

	iOS	Android
Declared in	`Info.plist`: `NSCameraUsageDescription` and the like, with the text shown in the dialog	`AndroidManifest.xml`
Asked at runtime	Every protected permission	Only "dangerous" ones (camera, location, …); "normal" ones (internet) are granted at install
How often	The system dialog is shown once; after a denial the permission is blocked	Can be asked again; after the second denial it is blocked
Partial access	Limited photo library, approximate location	Approximate location; selected photos (Android 14+)

Android version changes that come up in interviews:

Android 13 (API 33): POST_NOTIFICATIONS became a runtime permission; READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE was split into READ_MEDIA_IMAGES, READ_MEDIA_VIDEO and READ_MEDIA_AUDIO.
Android 14 (API 34): the user can grant access to selected photos only.

Statuses (`react-native-permissions`)

Status	Meaning	What to do
`granted`	Allowed	Use the feature
`limited`	Partly allowed (selected photos)	Use what is available, offer to add more
`denied`	Not asked yet, or denied but can be asked again	Explain why, then `request`
`blocked`	Denied for good, the system dialog will not appear	Explain and offer `openSettings()`
`unavailable`	The device has no such feature	Hide the feature

Libraries

Library	Notes
`PermissionsAndroid` (React Native)	Android only; returns `granted`, `denied` or `never_ask_again`
`react-native-permissions`	One API for both platforms, `check` / `request` / `openSettings`
Expo modules	Each module has its own `requestPermissionsAsync` / `use…Permissions` hook (`expo-camera`, `expo-location`); the old `expo-permissions` package is no longer part of the SDK
`Linking.openSettings()` (React Native)	Opens the app's page in Settings

Best Practices

Ask in context, when the user taps the feature, not at launch.
Show your own explanation before the system dialog: the system one can be shown only once on iOS.
Keep the app usable without the permission, and handle blocked with a link to Settings.
Ask for the least: approximate location instead of precise, selected photos instead of the whole library. Stores reject apps that request permissions they do not need.

Example

import { Alert, Platform } from 'react-native';
import {
  PERMISSIONS,
  RESULTS,
  openSettings,
  request,
} from 'react-native-permissions';

export async function ensureCameraPermission(): Promise<boolean> {
  const permission =
    Platform.OS === 'ios' ? PERMISSIONS.IOS.CAMERA : PERMISSIONS.ANDROID.CAMERA;

  const result = await request(permission);

  if (result === RESULTS.GRANTED || result === RESULTS.LIMITED) return true;

  if (result === RESULTS.BLOCKED) {
    Alert.alert(
      'Camera access is off',
      'Turn it on in Settings to scan codes.',
      [
        { text: 'Cancel', style: 'cancel' },
        { text: 'Open Settings', onPress: () => openSettings() },
      ]
    );
  }
  return false;
}

Follow-up Questions

check or request? check never shows a dialog; call it first to decide whether to explain why the permission is needed. On Android it never returns blocked; only request reveals it.
Where do the iOS permission texts go in an Expo app? In config plugin options in app.json (for example expo-camera's cameraPermission), applied at prebuild.
How do you get location in the background? A separate permission, asked after the foreground one: "Always" on iOS, ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION on Android (on Android 11+ the request opens Settings). The tracking itself is covered in App Lifecycle.
How do you test the blocked state? On iOS, turn it off in Settings; on Android, deny it twice. Reinstall the app to start over.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the Info.plist usage description: the app crashes on iOS at the moment of the request.
Asking for all permissions on the first launch: users deny them, and on iOS they cannot be asked again.
Treating denied and blocked the same: after blocked, request returns immediately without a dialog.

Details​

iOS vs Android​

Statuses (react-native-permissions)​

Libraries​

Best Practices​

Example​

Follow-up Questions​

Common Mistakes​

See Also​