UIImagePickerController not asking for permission - ios

Question

I have implemented the following code in an app to allow the user to add an image to the app. However the user is never asked for permission to access photo's. What am I missing here?
in my info.plist I have set:
Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description = Please provide access to your photo library
The bundle identifier is:
$(PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER)
import UIKit
class NewPostXIB: UIViewController, UIImagePickerControllerDelegate, UINavigationControllerDelegate {
#IBOutlet weak var image: UIImageView!
let imagePicker = UIImagePickerController()
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
imagePicker.delegate = self
}
override func touchesBegan(_ touches: Set<UITouch>, with event: UIEvent?) {
super.touchesBegan(touches, with: event)
self.view.endEditing(true)
}
#IBAction func closeButton(_ sender: Any) {
dismiss(animated: false, completion: nil)
}
#IBAction func addImageButton(_ sender: Any) {
if UIImagePickerController.isSourceTypeAvailable(.photoLibrary) {
imagePicker.allowsEditing = true
imagePicker.sourceType = .photoLibrary
present(imagePicker, animated: true, completion: nil)
}
}
func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [String : Any]) {
if let pickedImage = info[UIImagePickerControllerEditedImage] as? UIImage {
image.contentMode = .scaleAspectFill
image.image = pickedImage
}
dismiss(animated: false, completion: nil)
}
func imagePickerControllerDidCancel(_ picker: UIImagePickerController) {
dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
}

Answer 1

The answer is simple: it's normal behavior since iOS 11, because the UIImagePickerController runs in a separate process and therefore for just read-only access you don't need any special permissions.

Answer 2

According to apple documentation
Note
When using the UIImagePickerController to bring up the user's photo
library, your app doesn't need to request permission explicitly.
Photos automatically prompts the user to request authorization when needed.

Answer 3

Adding the following function solved the problem:
func checkPermission() {
let photoAuthorizationStatus = PHPhotoLibrary.authorizationStatus()
switch photoAuthorizationStatus {
case .authorized:
present(imagePicker, animated: true, completion: nil)
print("Access is granted by user")
case .notDetermined:
PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization({
(newStatus) in
print("status is \(newStatus)")
if newStatus == PHAuthorizationStatus.authorized {
/* do stuff here */
self.present(self.imagePicker, animated: true, completion: nil)
print("success")
}
})
print("It is not determined until now")
case .restricted:
// same same
print("User do not have access to photo album.")
case .denied:
// same same
print("User has denied the permission.")
}
}