tauri-apps/tauri · error

Missing OS permission to access path "{path}": {e}

Error message

Missing OS permission to access path "{path}": {e}

What it means

Runtime 403 from the asset protocol handler. File::open failed with std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied, i.e. the operating system (not the Tauri scope) refused the read. The surrounding code even has an Android-specific hint for paths under /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ pointing at missing storage permissions.

Source

Thrown at crates/tauri/src/protocol/asset.rs:66

    return resp.status(403).body(Vec::new().into()).map_err(Into::into);
  }

  // Separate block for easier error handling
  let mut file = match File::open(path.clone()) {
    Ok(file) => file,
    Err(e) => {
      #[cfg(target_os = "android")]
      {
        if path.starts_with("/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/") {
          log::error!("Failed to open Android external storage file '{path}': {e}. This may be due to missing storage permissions.");
        }
      }
      return if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound {
        log::error!("File does not exist at path: {path}");
        return resp.status(404).body(Vec::new().into()).map_err(Into::into);
      } else if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied {
        log::error!("Missing OS permission to access path \"{path}\": {e}");
        return resp.status(403).body(Vec::new().into()).map_err(Into::into);
      } else {
        Err(e.into())
      };
    }
  };

  let len = file.metadata()?.len();
  let (mime_type, read_bytes) = {
    // get file mime type
    let nbytes = len.min(8192);
    let mut magic_buf = Vec::with_capacity(nbytes as usize);
    (&mut file).take(nbytes).read_to_end(&mut magic_buf)?;
    file.rewind()?;
    (
      MimeType::parse(&magic_buf, &path),
      // return the `magic_bytes` if we read the whole file
      // to avoid reading it again later if this is not a range request
      if len < 8192 { Some(magic_buf) } else { None },

View on GitHub (pinned to 52e4b6e71d)

Solutions

1. Android: declare the needed storage permissions in AndroidManifest.xml and request them at runtime, or copy the file into app-accessible storage ($APPDATA) via a share intents / document picker
2. macOS: add the appropriate entitlement (user-selected read-only, or disable the sandbox) in the bundle settings / Xcode capabilities
3. Linux/other: fix ownership or mode of the file (chmod/chown) so the app's user can read it

Example fix

// before (Android)
// fetch(convertFileSrc('/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/.../clip.mp4'))
// -> 403 PermissionDenied + 'missing storage permissions' log

// after
// 1. AndroidManifest.xml: <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
// 2. request at runtime, or copy into app data first:
//   adb shell run-as <pkg> cp /storage/emulated/0/... files/clip.mp4

import { stat } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-fs';
// preflight readability; PermissionDenied surfaces here with a clearer context
try { await stat(filePath); } catch (e) { console.warn('file not readable by app:', e); }

const res = await fetch(convertFileSrc(filePath));
if (res.status === 403) {
  // OS denies the read: fall back to a Rust command that copies the file into $APPDATA via a picker
  await invoke('copy_into_app_data', { path: filePath });
}

When it happens

Trigger: Android scoped storage: reading /storage/emulated/0/... without READ/MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE; macOS App Sandbox without a read entitlement or user-selected file access; files owned by another user or with 0600 perms on Linux; running the app in a hardened sandbox.

Common situations: Android 11+ scoped storage restrictions on shared storage; macOS app sandbox enabled in Xcode without com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-only; files created by a root/sudo process then read by the app; enterprise locked-down machines.

Related errors

• asset protocol path "{path}" is not valid: {e}
• asset protocol not configured to allow the path: {path}
• File does not exist at path: {path}
• unable to create autogenerated commands dir
• failed to create plugin documentation directory

AI-assisted analysis of tauri-apps/tauri@52e4b6e71d (2026-08-20). Data as JSON: /api/errors/878f817eb1452eab. Report an issue: GitHub.