checkSelfPermission method is not working in targetSdkVersion 22

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  1. If your application is targeting API level before 23 (Android M) then both:
    ContextCompat#checkSelfPermission and Context#checkSelfPermission won’t work and always return 0 (PERMISSION_GRANTED). Even if you run the application on Android 6.0 (API 23).

  2. It isn’t fully true that if you targeting API level before 23 then you don’t have to take care of permissions. If your application is targeting API level before 23 and target device Android version is:

    • Android < 6.0: Everything will be ok.
    • Android 6.0: Application’s run-time permissions will be granted by default (compatibility mode applies), but the user can change run-time permissions in Android Settings, then you may have problems.

  3. As I said in the 1st point, if you targeting API level before 23 on Android 6.0 then ContextCompat#checkSelfPermission and Context#checkSelfPermission won’t work.
    Fortunately you can use PermissionChecker#checkSelfPermission to check run-time permissions.

Example code:

    public boolean selfPermissionGranted(String permission) {
        // For Android < Android M, self permissions are always granted.
        boolean result = true;

        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {
            
            if (targetSdkVersion >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {
                // targetSdkVersion >= Android M, we can
                // use Context#checkSelfPermission
                result = context.checkSelfPermission(permission)
                        == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED;
            } else {
                // targetSdkVersion < Android M, we have to use PermissionChecker
                result = PermissionChecker.checkSelfPermission(context, permission)
                        == PermissionChecker.PERMISSION_GRANTED;
            }
        }

        return result;
    }

To get target Sdk Version you can use:

    try {
        final PackageInfo info = context.getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(
                context.getPackageName(), 0);
        targetSdkVersion = info.applicationInfo.targetSdkVersion;
    } catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

It works on Nexus 5 with Android M.

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