NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription key must be present in Info.plist to use camera roll

Question

Recently I started to get this error:

NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription key must be present in Info.plist to use camera roll.

I am using React Native to build my app (I am not familiar with ios native development) and I don't know how to add this key to Info.plist

Can you post an example? Thanks

I am using npm package "react-native-camera-roll-picker": "^1.1.7"

See stackoverflow.com/a/39476283/1226963 for an example of what to add to Info.plist. Also, just do a search on NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription and you'll find plenty of examples. — rmaddy, Commented Sep 15, 2016 at 20:30

Murat Ozgul · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-14 20:46:10Z

Thanks @rmaddy, I added this just after other key-string pairs in Info.plist and fixed the problem:

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>Photo Library Access Warning</string>

Edit:

I also ended up having similar problems on different components of my app. Ended up adding all these keys so far (after updating to Xcode8/iOS10):

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app requires access to the photo library.</string>
<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app does not require access to the microphone.</string>
<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app requires access to the camera.</string>

Checkout this developer.apple.com link for full list of property list key references.

Full List:

Apple Music:

<key>NSAppleMusicUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Bluetooth:

<key>NSBluetoothPeripheralUsageDescription</key>  
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Calendar:

<key>NSCalendarsUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Camera:

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Contacts:

<key>NSContactsUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

FaceID:

<key>NSFaceIDUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Health Share:

<key>NSHealthShareUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Health Update:

<key>NSHealthUpdateUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Home Kit:

<key>NSHomeKitUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Location:

<key>NSLocationUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Location (Always):

<key>NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Location (When in use):

<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Microphone:

<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Motion (Accelerometer):

<key>NSMotionUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

NFC (Near-field communication):

<key>NFCReaderUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Photo Library:

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Photo Library (Write-only access):

<key>NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Reminders:

<key>NSRemindersUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Siri:

<key>NSSiriUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

Speech Recognition:

<key>NSSpeechRecognitionUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

I have been using the string, "This app does not require access to the photo library." — Daniel T., Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 17:17
I have added key and string in info.plist file then i build app using terminal and all these changes has been removed. please guide on it — Dinesh Vaitage, Commented Mar 10, 2017 at 5:39
I added this but it still crashing with same error. Why this is happening? — fish40, Commented Apr 12, 2017 at 14:30
where to find info.plist file in ionic ? I am not able to get that. — Anuj, Commented May 21, 2018 at 11:01

Bright · Accepted Answer · 2017-02-24 02:20:21Z

85

MY FAVORITE WAY TO DO IT

1. Open info.plist

2. Click this button to add a new key

3. Scroll down to find Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description

4. Select it, then add your description on the right

edited Feb 24, 2017 at 2:20

answered Feb 18, 2017 at 10:06

Bright

5,7292 gold badges51 silver badges74 bronze badges

1

I added this but it still crashing with same error. Why this is happening?
– fish40
Commented Apr 12, 2017 at 14:31
5

@fish40 maybe you can try clicking project-target-info, and add it there and see what happens?
– Bright
Commented Apr 12, 2017 at 14:40
22

your key description made my day XD
– Fareed Alnamrouti
Commented Jun 13, 2017 at 14:56
2

Usage description tickled me. Fixed my issue too so happy bonus!
– James Dunne
Commented Dec 8, 2017 at 11:54
1

where to find info.plist file ? I am not able to get that.
– Anuj
Commented May 21, 2018 at 11:00

| Show 2 more comments

Dharman · Accepted Answer · 2021-08-11 15:44:06Z

23

As of now August 2021, not only we have to add this :

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key> 
<string>We need access to photo library so that photos can be selected</string>

but also need to add this to info.plist file inside iOS folder in order to work properly

<key>NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription</key>    
<string>This app requires access to the photo library.</string>

edited Aug 11, 2021 at 15:44

Dharman♦

32.5k25 gold badges94 silver badges140 bronze badges

answered Aug 11, 2021 at 15:38

Abdullah

5335 silver badges11 bronze badges

Yep. Without NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription my app did not show a system dialog about camera access request. Thanks!
– Maksim Ryabovol
Commented Jun 17 at 11:47

Add a comment |

Dinesh Vaitage · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-06 12:43:21Z

18

Add following code in info.plist file

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>My description about why I need this capability</string>

answered Mar 6, 2017 at 12:43

Dinesh Vaitage

3,09320 silver badges17 bronze badges

2

This was exactly what I needed... with the source way I finally succeeded in uploading my app! TNX :)
– BvdVen
Commented Jul 31, 2017 at 17:58
It's strange that this worked, but the other approaches didn't, maybe it's just a bug on xcode 9 beta. Many thanks for this!!!
– JohnV
Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 16:01
Welcome, Happy it's help to you.
– Dinesh Vaitage
Commented Sep 18, 2017 at 8:18

Add a comment |

Reza.Ab · Accepted Answer · 2018-10-08 19:07:00Z

16

You need to paste these two in your info.plist, The only way that worked in iOS 11 for me.

    <key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
    <string>This app requires access to the photo library.</string>

    <key>NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription</key>
    <string>This app requires access to the photo library.</string>

edited Oct 8, 2018 at 19:07

answered Jan 5, 2018 at 23:02

Reza.Ab

1,2051 gold badge13 silver badges21 bronze badges

1

The latter is only required if you are requesting permission to add to the photo library. Docs
– stephen.hanson
Commented Feb 1, 2022 at 21:49

Add a comment |

Ori · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-28 09:02:56Z

5

For camera access use:

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>Camera Access Warning</string>

answered Sep 28, 2016 at 9:02

Ori

6327 silver badges19 bronze badges

Add a comment |

Sushil · Accepted Answer · 2020-07-07 13:32:24Z

3

i faced the same issue few days earlier for my IONIC 4 Project. when i uploaded my IPA, i got this warnings from App Store Connect.

I fixed the "Missing Purpose String in info.plist" issue, by the following steps. hope it will also work for you.

Goto your "info.plist" file.

Find this key, called Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description. if it's not present there, add a new one and it's value, like below image.

Thanks.

answered Jul 7, 2020 at 13:32

Sushil

2,4502 gold badges28 silver badges26 bronze badges

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Googol · Accepted Answer · 2021-05-07 11:07:44Z

2

When using NSCameraUsageDescription the user can access the camera AND select images from the photo library. So I don’t need NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription, correct?

answered May 7, 2021 at 11:07

Googol

2,9132 gold badges23 silver badges13 bronze badges

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Shanu Singh · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-18 07:16:26Z

In order to save or retrieve an image from the camera roll. Additionally, you need to ask the user for the permission otherwise you'll get this error or your app may get crashed. To save yourself from this add this into your info.plist

<key>NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app requires read and write permission from the user.</string>

In the case of Xamarin.iOS

 if you're adding it from the generic editor then "Privacy - Photo Library Additions Usage Description" will be the given option you will find out instead of "NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription".

Moises Hilario · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-28 15:45:19Z

1

If you added the key-string pairs in Info.plist (see Murat's answer above ) and still getting the error, try to check if the target you're currently working on has the keys.

In my case I had 2 targets (dev and development). I added the keys in the editor, but it only works for the main target and I was testing on development target. So I had to open XCode, click on the project > Info > Add the key-pair for the development target there.

answered Nov 28, 2019 at 15:45

Moises Hilario

516 bronze badges

1

This was my case too. Thank you!
– Sampath
Commented Dec 18, 2021 at 14:21

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Naresh · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-08 06:30:19Z

https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/General/Reference/InfoPlistKeyReference/Articles/CocoaKeys.html

"Privacy - Photo Library Additions Usage Description" for iOS 11 and later

"Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description" for iOS 6.0 and later

Open plist file and this code

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app requires access to the photo library.</string>

<key>NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app requires access to the photo library.</string>

tobby · Accepted Answer · 2023-05-31 12:57:30Z

I got this same error while uploading my flutter app to app store connect. STEPS I EMPLOYED TO FIX IT:

Opened the ios folder of my flutter project in XCode
Inside the runner folder, I clicked on info.split file
clicked + button in front of "information property list"
I scroll down until I find "privacy - Photo Library Usage Description". I clicked on that.
Then input a description message of why you seek the photo permission in the string section. In my case, the string I supplied was -> "This app need permission to access camera and photo library".

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