diff --git a/maestro-android/src/androidTest/java/dev/mobile/maestro/MaestroDriverService.kt b/maestro-android/src/androidTest/java/dev/mobile/maestro/MaestroDriverService.kt
index 083238f866..7a31662e22 100644
--- a/maestro-android/src/androidTest/java/dev/mobile/maestro/MaestroDriverService.kt
+++ b/maestro-android/src/androidTest/java/dev/mobile/maestro/MaestroDriverService.kt
@@ -246,6 +246,8 @@ class Service(
             override fun onNext(value: MaestroAndroid.AddMediaRequest) {
                 if (outputStream == null) {
                     outputStream = MediaStorage.getOutputStream(
+                        InstrumentationRegistry.getInstrumentation()
+                            .context,
                         value.mediaName,
                         value.mediaExt
                     )
diff --git a/maestro-android/src/androidTest/java/dev/mobile/maestro/Media.kt b/maestro-android/src/androidTest/java/dev/mobile/maestro/Media.kt
index ade1567a9d..9b50f8b8fb 100644
--- a/maestro-android/src/androidTest/java/dev/mobile/maestro/Media.kt
+++ b/maestro-android/src/androidTest/java/dev/mobile/maestro/Media.kt
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
 package dev.mobile.maestro
 
+import android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
 import android.content.ContentValues
+import android.content.Context
+import android.content.pm.PackageManager
 import android.provider.MediaStore
+import android.util.Log
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry
 import java.io.OutputStream
 
 object MediaStorage {
 
-    fun getOutputStream(mediaName: String, mediaExt: String): OutputStream? {
+    fun getOutputStream(context: Context, mediaName: String, mediaExt: String): OutputStream? {
+        if (context.checkSelfPermission(WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
+            Log.e("MediaStorage", "Permission $WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE not granted")
+            return null
+        }
         val uri = when (mediaExt) {
             Service.FileType.JPG.ext,
             Service.FileType.PNG.ext,
diff --git a/maestro-android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/maestro-android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 21b09433e5..8f16d86fc1 100644
--- a/maestro-android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/maestro-android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
         tools:ignore="ProtectedPermissions" />
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CHANGE_CONFIGURATION"
         tools:ignore="ProtectedPermissions" />
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"
+        android:maxSdkVersion="28"
+        tools:ignore="ProtectedPermissions" />
 
     <application
         android:usesCleartextTraffic="true">
diff --git a/maestro-client/src/main/java/maestro/drivers/AndroidDriver.kt b/maestro-client/src/main/java/maestro/drivers/AndroidDriver.kt
index cd23477a80..312cb64888 100644
--- a/maestro-client/src/main/java/maestro/drivers/AndroidDriver.kt
+++ b/maestro-client/src/main/java/maestro/drivers/AndroidDriver.kt
@@ -710,6 +710,7 @@ class AndroidDriver(
 
     override fun addMedia(mediaFiles: List<File>) {
         LOGGER.info("[Start] Adding media files")
+        dadb.shell("pm grant dev.mobile.maestro android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE")
         mediaFiles.forEach { addMediaToDevice(it) }
         LOGGER.info("[Done] Adding media files")
     }
diff --git a/maestro-client/src/main/resources/maestro-app.apk b/maestro-client/src/main/resources/maestro-app.apk
index 4af2d623e9..a6eb400417 100644
Binary files a/maestro-client/src/main/resources/maestro-app.apk and b/maestro-client/src/main/resources/maestro-app.apk differ
diff --git a/maestro-client/src/main/resources/maestro-server.apk b/maestro-client/src/main/resources/maestro-server.apk
index bdbc33015c..d8cf86ec7d 100644
Binary files a/maestro-client/src/main/resources/maestro-server.apk and b/maestro-client/src/main/resources/maestro-server.apk differ