Firebase (Storage) permission denied in app but not in simulator?

Question

My write access is denied when trying to upload new photo:

User does not have permission to access this object.

My security rules:

service firebase.storage {
  match /b/{bucket}/o {
    match /user_photo/{imageid} {
      allow read, write: if request.auth != null && imageid==request.auth.uid;
    }
  }
}

The storage reference of the image I want to "update" (upload new photo with same name which is uid, below uid is changed for simplicity)

/user_photo/123456

123456 is the uid of the current authorized user in my app.

At the method reference.putfile(uri), reference is:

gs://my-app-name.appspot.com/user_photo/123456

uri is:

content://com.android.providers.media.documents/document/image%3A38830

Photo upload process in my app is working fine (tested with rules set so that all reads and writes are accepted). With security rules, in the console simulator, if I check authenticated checkbox && write 123456 as userid, the simulator allows all operations. But from my app, I get the error I posted above.

Any suggestions on what might cause this?

EDIT1:

The whole "operation" is to upload a new photo with firebaseuser uid as the photoname, in the folder "/user_photo", then update the photourl in firebaseuser to the newly added photo.

Before changing the security rules, this process "worked" and I could upload the photo accordingly, and get download url from firebaseuser.getPhotoUrl(), and download correct photo. After I added the new rules, I get denied from application (and not from simulator in console)-

MyInteractor.class:

public Completable changeProfilePhoto(Uri uri){
        return authRepo.getCurrentUser()
                .take(1)
                .flatMapCompletable(firebaseUser -> storageRepo.uploadPhoto(firebaseUser.getUid(), uri)
                        .flatMap(taskSnapshot -> storageRepo.getDownloadUrl(taskSnapshot.getMetadata().getReference()))
                        .flatMapCompletable(uploadedUri -> authRepo.changeUserPhoto(firebaseUser, uploadedUri)))
                .observeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread());
    }

FirebaseAuthRepository (authRepo above) methods:

@Override
public Observable<FirebaseUser> getCurrentUser() {
    return FirebaseAuthWrapper.observeUserAuthState(firebaseAuth)
            .map(FirebaseAuth::getCurrentUser)
            .switchIfEmpty(observer -> {
                observer.onError(new RxWrapperNullException(RxWrapperNullException.NO_CURRENT_USER));
            })
            .subscribeOn(Schedulers.io());
}

@Override
public Completable changeUserPhoto(FirebaseUser firebaseUser, Uri uri){
    UserProfileChangeRequest request = new UserProfileChangeRequest.Builder()
            .setPhotoUri(uri)
            .build();
    return FirebaseUserWrapper.updateUserProfile(firebaseUser,request);
}

FirebaseStorageRepository (storageRepo above) methods:

@Override
public Single<UploadTask.TaskSnapshot> uploadPhoto(String user, Uri uri) {
    StorageReference thisRef = userPhoto.child(String.format("/%S", user));
    return FirebaseStorageWrapper.putFile(thisRef, uri)
            .subscribeOn(Schedulers.io());
}

@Override
public Single<Uri> getDownloadUrl(StorageReference reference) {
    return FirebaseStorageWrapper.getDownloadUrl(reference)
            .toSingle()
            .subscribeOn(Schedulers.io());
}

From my Viewmodel.class, I call the myInteractor.changeProfilePhoto(uri) where uri is path to image on the android device as chosen by user from intent

EDIT 2:

I noticed I forgot to add wrapper class methods, which may be of importance:

FirebaseStorageWrapper.class:

public static Single<UploadTask.TaskSnapshot> putFile(StorageReference reference, Uri uri){
    return Single.create(emitter -> {
        StorageTask<UploadTask.TaskSnapshot> task = reference.putFile(uri)
                .addOnSuccessListener(emitter::onSuccess)
                .addOnFailureListener(e -> {
                    if(!emitter.isDisposed()){
                        emitter.onError(e);
                    }
        });
        emitter.setCancellable(task::cancel);
    });
}

public static Maybe<Uri> getDownloadUrl(StorageReference ref) {
    return Maybe.create(emitter -> MaybeTask.assign(emitter, ref.getDownloadUrl()));
}

FirebaseUserWrapper.class:

public static Completable updateUserProfile(FirebaseUser firebaseUser, UserProfileChangeRequest request){
    return Completable.create(emitter -> CompletableTask.assign(emitter, firebaseUser.updateProfile(request)));
}

assign() method in both CompletableTask and MaybeTask just sets listeners to Task, and in each listener when invoked by events, sends data to the emitter for it to emit.

EDIT 3:

FirebaseAuth firebaseAuth = FirebaseAuth.getInstance();
FirebaseUser firebaseUser = firebaseAuth.getCurrentUser();
StorageReference storageReference = FirebaseStorage.getInstance().getReference().child("/user_photo").child(String.format("/%S", firebaseUser.getUid()))
storageReference.putFile(uri).addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<UploadTask.TaskSnapshot>() {
    @Override
    public void onSuccess(UploadTask.TaskSnapshot taskSnapshot) {
        taskSnapshot.getMetadata().getReference().getDownloadUrl().addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<Uri>() {
            @Override
            public void onSuccess(Uri newUri) {
                UserProfileChangeRequest request = new UserProfileChangeRequest.Builder()
                        .setPhotoUri(newUri)
                        .build();
                firebaseUser.updateProfile(request).addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<Void>() {
                    @Override
                    public void onSuccess(Void aVoid) {
                        //if it gets here it means operation was successful
                    }
                }).addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() {
                    @Override
                    public void onFailure(@NonNull Exception e) {

                    }
                });
            }
        }).addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() {
            @Override
            public void onFailure(@NonNull Exception e) {
            }
        });

    }
}).addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() {
    @Override
    public void onFailure(@NonNull Exception e) {
        //it fails here == storageReference.putFile(uri)
    }
});

Answer 1

Add Storage Rules... in your firebase "Storage Rules"

Add this : allow read, write;

and remove this : if request.auth != null && imageid==request.auth.uid;