What they are:

• File URI and Content URI are Uniform Resource Identifier , identify a particular resource .

• Path, usually in the form of a string , identifies a location in a "File System". Indicates the path, through the folder hierarchy, to a file.

Which to use:

• Any of these can be used to identify a file on the device. What determines the use of one or the other is the medium (api / class / method) you will use to get it.

• Examples:

  • The class File has a constructor that receives a StringPath and another that receives a URI. However, the URI must have a scheme equal to file: , it must be a File Uri.

  • A Content Uri can identify an image in the gallery and be used to get the path to it .

    public String getImagePath(Uri contentUri) {
        String[] campos = { MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA };
        Cursor cursor = getContentResolver().query(contentUri, campos, null, null, null);
        cursor.moveToFirst();
        String path = cursor.getString(cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA));
        cursor.close();
        return path;
    }
    

• Android target applications (API level 24) will not be able to expose File URI's out of the application. If an intent contains a URI of this type, a FileUriExposedException will be cast.
  In this case , a URI of type Content URI should be used and grant a temporary access permission.