diff --git a/core/api/current.txt b/core/api/current.txt
index 7e2edd6af0b6c..cdc73dbb6ce82 100644
--- a/core/api/current.txt
+++ b/core/api/current.txt
@@ -1176,6 +1176,7 @@ package android {
     field public static final int reqNavigation = 16843306; // 0x101022a
     field public static final int reqTouchScreen = 16843303; // 0x1010227
     field public static final int requestLegacyExternalStorage = 16844291; // 0x1010603
+    field public static final int requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess = 16844357; // 0x1010645
     field public static final int requireDeviceScreenOn = 16844317; // 0x101061d
     field public static final int requireDeviceUnlock = 16843756; // 0x10103ec
     field public static final int required = 16843406; // 0x101028e
diff --git a/core/api/system-current.txt b/core/api/system-current.txt
index 13b837963fcf5..94205563bc321 100644
--- a/core/api/system-current.txt
+++ b/core/api/system-current.txt
@@ -2424,6 +2424,7 @@ package android.content.om {
 package android.content.pm {
 
   public class ApplicationInfo extends android.content.pm.PackageItemInfo implements android.os.Parcelable {
+    method @Nullable public Boolean hasRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess();
     method public boolean isEncryptionAware();
     method public boolean isInstantApp();
     method public boolean isOem();
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/pm/ApplicationInfo.java b/core/java/android/content/pm/ApplicationInfo.java
index 1a5dad5f75968..0da453d81be61 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/pm/ApplicationInfo.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/pm/ApplicationInfo.java
@@ -1410,6 +1410,13 @@ public class ApplicationInfo extends PackageItemInfo implements Parcelable {
     @Nullable
     private Boolean nativeHeapZeroInit;
 
+    /**
+     * If {@code true} this app requests optimized external storage access.
+     * The request may not be honored due to policy or other reasons.
+     */
+    @Nullable
+    private Boolean requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess;
+
     /**
      * Represents the default policy. The actual policy used will depend on other properties of
      * the application, e.g. the target SDK version.
@@ -1566,6 +1573,10 @@ public class ApplicationInfo extends PackageItemInfo implements Parcelable {
             if (nativeHeapZeroInit != null) {
                 pw.println(prefix + "nativeHeapZeroInit=" + nativeHeapZeroInit);
             }
+            if (requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess != null) {
+                pw.println(prefix + "requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess="
+                        + requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess);
+            }
         }
         super.dumpBack(pw, prefix);
     }
@@ -1792,6 +1803,7 @@ public class ApplicationInfo extends PackageItemInfo implements Parcelable {
         gwpAsanMode = orig.gwpAsanMode;
         memtagMode = orig.memtagMode;
         nativeHeapZeroInit = orig.nativeHeapZeroInit;
+        requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess = orig.requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess;
     }
 
     public String toString() {
@@ -1880,6 +1892,7 @@ public class ApplicationInfo extends PackageItemInfo implements Parcelable {
         dest.writeInt(gwpAsanMode);
         dest.writeInt(memtagMode);
         sForBoolean.parcel(nativeHeapZeroInit, dest, parcelableFlags);
+        sForBoolean.parcel(requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess, dest, parcelableFlags);
     }
 
     public static final @android.annotation.NonNull Parcelable.Creator<ApplicationInfo> CREATOR
@@ -1965,6 +1978,7 @@ public class ApplicationInfo extends PackageItemInfo implements Parcelable {
         gwpAsanMode = source.readInt();
         memtagMode = source.readInt();
         nativeHeapZeroInit = sForBoolean.unparcel(source);
+        requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess = sForBoolean.unparcel(source);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -2078,6 +2092,24 @@ public class ApplicationInfo extends PackageItemInfo implements Parcelable {
         return (privateFlags & PRIVATE_FLAG_REQUEST_LEGACY_EXTERNAL_STORAGE) != 0;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return
+     * <ul>
+     * <li>{@code true} if this app requested optimized external storage access
+     * <li>{@code false} if this app requests to disable optimized external storage access.
+     * <li>{@code null} if the app didn't specify
+     * {@link android.R.styleable#AndroidManifestApplication_requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess}
+     * in its manifest file.
+     * </ul>
+     *
+     * @hide
+     */
+    @SystemApi
+    @Nullable
+    public Boolean hasRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess() {
+        return requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess;
+    }
+
     /**
      * If {@code true} this app allows heap pointer tagging.
      *
@@ -2351,6 +2383,10 @@ public class ApplicationInfo extends PackageItemInfo implements Parcelable {
     /** {@hide} */ public void setGwpAsanMode(@GwpAsanMode int value) { gwpAsanMode = value; }
     /** {@hide} */ public void setMemtagMode(@MemtagMode int value) { memtagMode = value; }
     /** {@hide} */ public void setNativeHeapZeroInit(@Nullable Boolean value) { nativeHeapZeroInit = value; }
+    /** {@hide} */
+    public void setRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess(@Nullable Boolean value) {
+        requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess = value;
+    }
 
     /** {@hide} */
     @UnsupportedAppUsage(maxTargetSdk = Build.VERSION_CODES.R, trackingBug = 170729553)
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackage.java b/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackage.java
index ba6416d0a396a..4dc9ce8be7501 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackage.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackage.java
@@ -257,6 +257,9 @@ public interface ParsingPackage extends ParsingPackageRead {
 
     ParsingPackage setNativeHeapZeroInit(@Nullable Boolean nativeHeapZeroInit);
 
+    ParsingPackage setRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess(
+            @Nullable Boolean requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess);
+
     ParsingPackage setCrossProfile(boolean crossProfile);
 
     ParsingPackage setFullBackupContent(int fullBackupContent);
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageImpl.java b/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageImpl.java
index b3c26abc57dc1..065ed2e95eca8 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageImpl.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageImpl.java
@@ -389,6 +389,10 @@ public class ParsingPackageImpl implements ParsingPackage, Parcelable {
     @DataClass.ParcelWith(ForBoolean.class)
     private Boolean nativeHeapZeroInit;
 
+    @Nullable
+    @DataClass.ParcelWith(ForBoolean.class)
+    private Boolean requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess;
+
     // TODO(chiuwinson): Non-null
     @Nullable
     private ArraySet<String> mimeGroups;
@@ -1068,6 +1072,7 @@ public class ParsingPackageImpl implements ParsingPackage, Parcelable {
         appInfo.setGwpAsanMode(gwpAsanMode);
         appInfo.setMemtagMode(memtagMode);
         appInfo.setNativeHeapZeroInit(nativeHeapZeroInit);
+        appInfo.setRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess(requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess);
         appInfo.setBaseCodePath(mBaseApkPath);
         appInfo.setBaseResourcePath(mBaseApkPath);
         appInfo.setCodePath(mPath);
@@ -1203,6 +1208,7 @@ public class ParsingPackageImpl implements ParsingPackage, Parcelable {
         dest.writeMap(this.mProperties);
         dest.writeInt(this.memtagMode);
         sForBoolean.parcel(this.nativeHeapZeroInit, dest, flags);
+        sForBoolean.parcel(this.requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess, dest, flags);
     }
 
     public ParsingPackageImpl(Parcel in) {
@@ -1326,6 +1332,7 @@ public class ParsingPackageImpl implements ParsingPackage, Parcelable {
         this.mProperties = in.createTypedArrayMap(Property.CREATOR);
         this.memtagMode = in.readInt();
         this.nativeHeapZeroInit = sForBoolean.unparcel(in);
+        this.requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess = sForBoolean.unparcel(in);
         assignDerivedFields();
     }
 
@@ -2105,6 +2112,12 @@ public class ParsingPackageImpl implements ParsingPackage, Parcelable {
         return nativeHeapZeroInit;
     }
 
+    @Nullable
+    @Override
+    public Boolean hasRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess() {
+        return requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public boolean isPartiallyDirectBootAware() {
         return getBoolean(Booleans.PARTIALLY_DIRECT_BOOT_AWARE);
@@ -2554,6 +2567,11 @@ public class ParsingPackageImpl implements ParsingPackage, Parcelable {
         return this;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public ParsingPackageImpl setRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess(@Nullable Boolean value) {
+        requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess = value;
+        return this;
+    }
     @Override
     public ParsingPackageImpl setPartiallyDirectBootAware(boolean value) {
         return setBoolean(Booleans.PARTIALLY_DIRECT_BOOT_AWARE, value);
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageRead.java b/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageRead.java
index 9f52183713939..47dfa9d13c7c6 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageRead.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageRead.java
@@ -902,6 +902,9 @@ public interface ParsingPackageRead extends Parcelable {
     @Nullable
     Boolean isNativeHeapZeroInit();
 
+    @Nullable
+    Boolean hasRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess();
+
     // TODO(b/135203078): Hide and enforce going through PackageInfoUtils
     ApplicationInfo toAppInfoWithoutState();
 
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageUtils.java b/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageUtils.java
index 2be0157836aef..0e1574c8da922 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageUtils.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/pm/parsing/ParsingPackageUtils.java
@@ -2012,6 +2012,12 @@ public class ParsingPackageUtils {
                 pkg.setNativeHeapZeroInit(sa.getBoolean(
                         R.styleable.AndroidManifestApplication_nativeHeapZeroInit, false));
             }
+            if (sa.hasValue(
+                    R.styleable.AndroidManifestApplication_requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess)) {
+                pkg.setRequestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess(sa.getBoolean(R.styleable
+                                .AndroidManifestApplication_requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess,
+                        false));
+            }
         } finally {
             sa.recycle();
         }
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/attrs_manifest.xml b/core/res/res/values/attrs_manifest.xml
index 140163e476007..38e8f83ff767d 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/attrs_manifest.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/attrs_manifest.xml
@@ -1853,6 +1853,25 @@
              -->
         <attr name="preserveLegacyExternalStorage" format="boolean" />
 
+        <!-- If {@code true} this app would like optimized external storage access.
+
+        <p> This flag can only be used by apps holding
+        <ul>
+        <li>{@link android.Manifest.permission#MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE} permission or
+        <li>{@link android.app.role}#SYSTEM_GALLERY role.
+        </ul>
+        When the flag is set, bulk file path operations will be optimized.
+
+        The default value is {@code true} if
+        <ul>
+        <li>app has {@link android.Manifest.permission#MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE} permission and
+        targets targetSDK<=30.
+        <li>app has {@link android.app.role}#SYSTEM_GALLERY role and targetSDK<=29
+        </ul>
+        {@code false} otherwise.
+        -->
+        <attr name="requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess" format="boolean" />
+
         <!-- If {@code true} this app declares that it should be visible to all other apps on
              device, regardless of what they declare via the {@code queries} tags in their
              manifest.
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/public.xml b/core/res/res/values/public.xml
index 3e5fad8a34b4c..bedb9b8ee557a 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/public.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/public.xml
@@ -3092,6 +3092,7 @@
     <public name="attributionTags"/>
     <public name="suppressesSpellChecker" />
     <public name="usesPermissionFlags" />
+    <public name="requestOptimizedExternalStorageAccess" />
   </public-group>
 
   <public-group type="drawable" first-id="0x010800b5">