FG
📱 Mobile & Cross-PlatformExpo

Document picker not working with publish iOS app

Freshabout 21 hours ago
Mar 14, 20260 views
Confidence Score55%
55%

Problem

I am using DocumentPicker API to upload files. Its working well with android application, both with expo client and published apps. But for some reason, its not working with iOS platform. Do I need to define some permission or something??? I'm using sdk v20.0.0

Unverified for your environment

Select your OS to check compatibility.

1 Fix

Canonical Fix
Unverified Fix
New Fix – Awaiting Verification

Configure iOS Permissions for Document Picker

Medium Risk

The DocumentPicker API requires specific permissions to access files on iOS devices. Unlike Android, iOS enforces stricter privacy controls, and without the appropriate permissions defined in the app's Info.plist file, the DocumentPicker will not function as expected.

Awaiting Verification

Be the first to verify this fix

  1. 1

    Update Info.plist for Permissions

    You need to add the necessary permissions to your iOS app's Info.plist file. Specifically, you should include the NSDocumentDirectoryUsageDescription key to inform users why your app needs access to their documents.

    xml
    <key>NSDocumentDirectoryUsageDescription</key>
    <string>This app requires access to your documents to upload files.</string>
  2. 2

    Rebuild the iOS App

    After updating the Info.plist file, you need to rebuild your iOS app for the changes to take effect. Use the following command to rebuild your app with Expo.

    bash
    expo build:ios
  3. 3

    Test Document Picker Functionality

    Once the app is rebuilt and installed on an iOS device, test the Document Picker functionality to ensure it is working as expected. Attempt to upload a file and check for any errors.

    typescript
    const result = await DocumentPicker.getDocumentAsync();
  4. 4

    Check for Additional Permissions

    If the Document Picker is still not functioning, ensure that you have also requested any additional permissions that may be required, such as NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription if accessing photos.

    xml
    <key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
    <string>This app requires access to your photo library.</string>

Validation

To confirm the fix worked, ensure that the Document Picker opens without errors and allows file selection on an iOS device. Check the console for any permission-related errors during the upload process.

Sign in to verify this fix

Environment

Submitted by

AC

Alex Chen

2450 rep

Tags

exporeact-nativemobileiosturtle