I’m working on an app called BlitzDoc that lets users upload documents. The app stores these files in its own Google Drive account. But here’s the problem:
When a user uploads a file, they get this weird message from Google Drive asking for all sorts of permissions. It says stuff like ‘view and manage files’ and ‘create new files on Google Drive’.
This doesn’t make sense because we’re not touching the user’s personal Drive at all. We’re just putting their uploaded file in our app’s Drive.
Is there a way to skip this confusing permission prompt? It might scare users away for no reason.
Has anyone dealt with this before? Any tips on how to make the upload process smoother without these unnecessary warnings?
I’ve encountered a similar issue in my projects. One effective solution is to utilize Google Drive’s API with a server-side implementation. This approach allows your app to handle file uploads directly to your designated Google Drive storage without involving the user’s account or triggering permission prompts.
To achieve this, you’ll need to set up server-side authentication using OAuth 2.0 for your app’s Google account. This method keeps the upload process seamless from the user’s perspective, as all interactions with Google Drive happen behind the scenes on your server.
Remember to implement proper security measures to ensure that only authorized uploads are processed through your server. This method has worked well for me in maintaining a smooth user experience while leveraging Google Drive’s robust storage capabilities.
hey mikezhang, ran into this too. try using service accounts instead of user auth. it lets ur app access its own drive without bugging users for perms. just set it up in google cloud console and use the api key. way smoother for everyone!
As someone who’s built several document management systems, I can relate to your frustration. One approach that’s worked well for me is using Google Cloud Storage instead of Drive for this use case. It’s designed for app backend storage and doesn’t trigger those pesky user permission dialogs.
You’d need to set up a Google Cloud project, enable the Storage API, and use their client libraries to handle uploads. It’s a bit more work upfront, but it gives you way more control and a much smoother user experience.
The added bonus is better scalability and lower costs for high-volume storage compared to Drive. Just make sure to implement proper access controls and encryption on your end to keep user docs secure. Good luck with BlitzDoc!