Google Pixel - Permissions bug

[Georgi Kunchev]

Hey guys. I have recently noticed that I don't get a chat head to appear when someone texts me on Facebook messenger so I decided to check the settings. It wanted me to permit the app to draw over the screen so when I clicked the button it was already permitted but when I went back I still got the message that I need to permit. I installed another app that wanted permission and it was on again but didn't work as well... Has anyone encountered such problem? I am with a Google Pixel XL running the latest Android.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to the forums. Have you tried a cache clear in settings>storage?

 

[Javier P]

Mod note. Thread moved to the Pixel forum for more visibility.

 

[Georgi Kunchev]

Hi Javier, thanks for the reply. I did clear both the cache and the data, I reinstalled the app and restarted the phone as well but nothing seemed to have worked. I still can not get the chat heads to appear.

 

[Javier P]

Maybe there's a conflict with another app with overlay permission. Do you have an screen filter or any app by Cheetah Mobile (clean master, file manager ...)? This kind of apps are know to cause overlay issues.

 

[Georgi Kunchev]

I had the File Commander app installed. I uninstalled it, cleared cache and tried to turn chat heads on but the same screen appears asking me to turn on that permission and it's already turned on.. I really don't understand.

 

[Georgi Kunchev]

I just went to the draw over screen settings and disabled every single app's permission to do that. Went to Facebook messenger, enabled it's display overlay option only and still couldn't get the chat head button to turn on. That's very weird. I thought some of the other apps might be causing a conflict but apparently they don't.

 

[Georgi Kunchev]

I managed to think of a solution after a series of unsuccessful suggestions on Google. So I have disabled the permission of Facebook messenger to draw over other apps and left it like that. Then I restarted the phone, went into the app again an enabled the permission after clicking on the chat head button. This time the button turned blue and everything got sorted. I now have an open chat head

 

[Javier P]

Weird. Yeah, turning that permission off for the rest of your apps could have been my next idea, but ... Not sure what else to suggest, maybe it's a bug in FB Messenger.

What about this. Boot into safe mode with 'draw over other apps' still disabled for all those apps, then go to settings - apps and switch on & off this permission for FB Messenger a couple of times. Leave it ON, exit safe mode and see if the problem persists.

 

[Javier P]

Also, see if you can open Facebook Messenger while still in Safe Mode.

 

[Rocketsaucev2]

Had this same issue with Textra! Ended up uninstalling it and now found a different message app.

The (+) button for attaching pictures or what have you decided to stop functioning in Textra for me the other day, telling me I had to enable draw over other apps for the button to work. I'd been using Textra for a long time without issue and the permission was already and had been granted before hand so it was very frustrating trying to figure out. I never tried rebooting with the permission off but I've moved on from the app altogether for the time being. Tried various cache clears and uninstalls of the app to no avail.

The fact the same issue cropped up with different apps for multiple users right around the same time is interesting though

 

[9900Boldfan]

Facebook is notorious for permissions. I believe each update allows for all permissions to be granted