X for Android update leaves “files and media” permission missing [U: Fix rolling out]

Update 15/10/25 – 01:17 pm (IST): Attila has confirmed that a fix for the image permissions bug is live with version 11.30+, which is currently in beta. He followed up, noting that the fix is rolling out for 5% of users.

Since the beta program is currently full and you can’t join it via the Play Store, it’s best to wait for a short while for the official update to hit the Play Store, which could be anytime now.

Update 14/10/25 – 03:37 pm (IST): An xAI employee part of the Android team has confirmed that they’re aware of the permissions bug and noted that a fix is in the works. While they didn’t share an ETA for the fix, it’s likely that we’ll see it arrive with the next release. So keep an eye out for available updates for the X app.

In the meantime, you can use X on the browser of your phone or use the Gallery trick mentioned below to upload images.

Original article published on October 13, 2025, follows:

Android users trying to share photos and videos on X in the past few days have run into a weird bug. The app keeps telling them “It looks like you have turned off permissions required for this feature”, but when they check their phone settings, there’s nothing to enable. The permission simply doesn’t exist anymore.

One user flagged the problem on X, tagging the official X account, explaining that the glitch prevents uploading any media to the platform. “Have reinstall, rebooted, given all kind of permission, yet the glitch is there,” he wrote.

Another user confirmed they couldn’t post pictures directly from X since the issue started. The only workaround? Sharing from the phone’s gallery instead of using the app’s camera or media picker. “It says I have turned off permission required to post a picture,” they noted.

The issue appears tied to a recent app update. Multiple threads on Reddit’s r/Twitter community show dozens of Android users facing identical problems across different devices.

One user pointed out that when they navigate to Settings > Apps > X > Permissions, the files and media option is just gone. Camera and microphone permissions are still there, but the crucial storage access permission has vanished from the menu entirely.

People have tried the usual fixes. Reinstalling the app doesn’t work. Rebooting phones doesn’t help. One frustrated Redditor mentioned that the problem persists even after several days with no official acknowledgment or fix from X. “How is Twitter the largest social media platform used by everyone around the world but can’t fix a bug that affects all its android users for days?” asked a user in the comments.

Interestingly, I wasn’t able to replicate the problem on my Android device. I was still able to upload images on the latest X app available for me, which is v11.28.0.

But while I can’t replicate it, the bug does seem widespread rather than isolated to specific Android versions or manufacturers. Reports mention everything from Samsung Galaxy devices to Motorola phones experiencing the same problem.

At the time of this writing, it’s unclear what might be causing the problem, but hopefully a fix arrives sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, you could try downloading and installing an older X version via APK Mirror or other trustworthy APK hosting platforms to see if that fixes the issue while a proper fix arrives.