[imagepicker]: iOS14.0+ photoLibrary shows all photos even if user choose the selected photos permission

🐛 Bug Report

I am using the expo-image-picker in my project. When I use the photo from the photo library, app shows the all photos even if I choose the “selected photos” permission. This is happening on the iOS 14.0+ only.

Environment - output of expo diagnostics & the platform(s) you’re targeting

expo-image-picker: 0.8.0

Steps to Reproduce

1. Choose the “selected photos” permission in the photolibrary permission popup.
2. Open photoLibrary
3. It shows all photos

Expected Behavior vs Actual Behavior

This should display the selected photos only since I chose the “selected photos” permission.

[lukmccall]

Hi @thisisgit, this feature was added to expo-media-library in the SDK 40. See https://docs.expo.io/versions/latest/sdk/media-library/#medialibrarypresentpermissionspickerasync 😉

[thisisgit]

I had the same concern but after looking into a number of post, I have a feeling that it’s an intended behavior. (FYI, I’m new to mobile dev)

As I tested few apps like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and etc., they all have their own custom camera roll and that’s the place where the app is showing all accessible photos. The image picker itself always shows all the photos and is only used to add selected photos to the camera roll.

Based on this thread, another thread, and this answer, I assume it is currently impossible to limit restricted photos in the image picker and to show only selected photos, creating custom camera roll is necessary.

So the UX goes like this:

1. Full access to photos - shows all photos to your camera roll
2. Access to only selected photos - select photos from the picker to display in your camera roll. Optionally have a button which lead user to select more photos.
3. No access - show nothing in the camera roll. Optionally have a button that lead user to change app permission.

And to achieve above flow, we are missing following features:

1. Being able to select more photos (sample screenshot) + open picker with previously selected photos
2. Being able to fetch photos with permission to show in custom camera roll (open issue in another library)

Anyone please correct me if I’m wrong. cc @byCedric