With the L release, that hinderance is going away as the Storage Access Framework has been expanded to allow providers to grant full read and write access to entire subdirectories.

Now, it appears as though Cloud Storage is about get easier to use and easier to manage in Android N, thanks to new features being added to the Storage Access Framework (SAF).

Google introduced Storage Access Framework (SAF) with Android 4.4 KitKat which allowed third-party apps to get access to files with the user’s consent for total SD card access to an app.

While most applications can make do with Google's more privacy-friendly storage access tools, such as Storage Access Framework (SAF) or the MediaStore API, others require more permissions ...

By default, the new storage access framework only shows local files and Google Drive, but any app that has added support will also appear. This will take no effort on the user's end.

Most apps get by using options like the Storage Access Framework or MediaStore API. But for apps that need deeper access, that permission is a must.

Devs complained about the change because they feared that Google wasn't giving enough time to make all the changes necessary to use the Storage Access Framework.

Now all Chromebook owners can access their Dropbox files directly from the Chrome OS Files app thanks to Dropbox for Android.

Over five years ago, Google via Android 4.4 added a set of APIs called the Storage Access Framework.

The new edition supports Android Storage Access Framework (SAF) and comes with new UI options for easier data management.