[Android 16] CRITICAL: Image Access/Cropping Failure - Major Blocker for Library Migration and Production Release

[Mr-Nld]

🛑 Critical Blocker Statement

We are currently in the process of upgrading our core library dependencies to ensure long-term stability. However, this specific issue with Android 16 is a complete blocker. We cannot proceed with the library migration or the next production release as long as image handling is broken for the latest Android version. Our roadmap is currently stagnant due to this bug.

Description

On devices running the Android 16 (Developer Preview/Beta), the image picker fails to retrieve any valid image data or file path immediately after the cropping operation is confirmed. While the picker works as expected on Android 15 and below, the new security scoped-storage and Photo Picker permission model in Android 16 seem to conflict with the library's internal file handling.

Technical Details

• Error Code: E_NO_IMAGE_DATA_FOUND or E_PERMISSION_DENIED
• Device Environment: Google Pixel 7, 8, and 7a 8a series.
• Library Version: [Insert Version, e.g., v0.42.1]
• Target SDK: [e.g., 35/36]

Steps to Reproduce

1. Initialize the picker with cropping: true and mediaType: 'photo'.
2. Select an image from the system gallery.
3. The crop UI opens; perform the crop and tap "Done" or "Confirm".
4. The promise rejects or returns an empty object/null path.

Expected Behavior

The library should handle the temporary URI provided by the Android 16 Photo Picker, process the crop, and return a persistent local file path for the cropped image.

Actual Behavior

The app loses access to the file reference mid-process. This is a severe regression for apps targeting modern Android environments. We urgently need a compatibility patch to unblock our development cycle.

[Farids87]

Having similar issue with version 0.51.1
The app is reloading when I try to press OK button to validate the picture taken from the camera.
Sometimes it's working after several attempts.

RN : 0.76.5
Android version : 16

minSdkVersion = 26
compileSdkVersion = 35
targetSdkVersion = 35

Really need a fix.

[HilSny]

I have this working and this is my setup. Also what do you mean you're testing on a developer preview for 16, it's already out as Baklava (36).

RN : 0.76.6
Android version : 16
minSdkVersion = 26
compileSdkVersion = 35
targetSdkVersion = 35

and everything works.

Our caller looks like this:

    const image = await openPicker({
      cropping: true,
      height,
      includeBase64: true,
      width,
    })

OR

    const image = await openCamera({
      cropping: true,
      height,
      includeBase64: true,
      width,
    })

[arnekolja]

Same here. Whenever cropping is actually used, it fails to deliver the image. With cropping disabled or cropping enabled but not cropping at all it works.

[arnekolja]

I just applied PR #2200 and it's showing:

Error: Cannot find image data. UCrop error: [instance(0,0,0,0,0x0,non-shared)] CImg<uint8>::load(): Failed to recognize format of file '/data/user/0/com.myapp/cache/react-native-image-crop-picker/1f60bf9c-8ef2-4116-8a47-5971496ad142.jpg'.

[arnekolja]

I have extracted the cache file from the emulator and checked it. It is an uncropped version of the image and file tools show that it's a WebP image with a wrong file extension of .jpg:

% xxd -l 16 838f726a-28e5-4489-b4c3-1f7dfdc8cc7c.jpg
00000000: 5249 4646 807d 0400 5745 4250 5650 3820  RIFF.}..WEBPVP8 

% exiftool -validate -warning 838f726a-28e5-4489-b4c3-1f7dfdc8cc7c.jpg
Validate                        : 1 Warning
Warning                         : File has wrong extension (should be WEBP, not JPG)

I think this should be why CImg/UCrop can't handle it.

[arnekolja]

Another check: I took a look at the source files. The ones I tested were WebP files. Testing it with a JPEG file that I know actually is a JPEG file it seems to work.

Seems like it cannot handle WebP source files?

[matsjs]

I think what's most needed here is a minimal repro, everyone has different theories as to what fails. Compelling case with .webp @arnekolja, and I experienced the same with heic saved as .jpg, but when does that happen in the real world? What combination of phone/os does that?

Here is the data from our Sentry on what devices are affected:

Device Family	Count
Pixel	248
Galaxy	489

OS Version	Count
Android 16	765
Android 14	304
Android 15	239
Android 13	140
Android 12	44
Android 10	21
Android 11	14
Android 9	5

Device	Count
SM-S901B	80
SM-S911B	77
SM-A556B	67
SM-S931B	66
Pixel 9 Pro XL	66
SM-S921B	65
SM-G991B	55
SM-G998B	45
SM-S928B	42
SM-A326B	37

Don't think too much about the counts - some devices are overrepresented due to some users being more active than others. This is actually a tiny subset of the total number of users, so there is no causality that says a user with an Android 16 Pixel 9 Pro XL will face this issue for example.

[arnekolja]

I'd have to dig deeper, but in theory I think that this should be the same on all Android devices at some point. This only happening on Android 16 doesn't make much sense. Where in the flow and by what library is an image saved with the wrong extension? I Think CImg not being able to handle that is just a symptom, but it shouldn't even get to that point in the first place.

I stumbled over this because I have WebP images in my emulator's gallery and didn't realize at first. But as a gallery can contain all sorts of images, that's nothing I care about. I care about where and why in the process the error is made.

[XI1914-kshitijtiwari]

Facing app relaunch in Vivo X200 Pro and Samsung S23 after cropping the image.

[camboYY]

i have the same issue with android 15