diff --git a/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index a5faa587..46aadb4a 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
         android:protectionLevel="signature" />
 
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" tools:node="remove"/>
-    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" tools:node="remove"/>
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" tools:node="remove"/>
 
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.USE_BIOMETRIC"/>
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.USE_FINGERPRINT"/>
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 74a25dbb..3c56f3c6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "StandardNotes",
-  "version": "3.6.13",
-  "user-version": "3.6.13",
+  "version": "3.6.14",
+  "user-version": "3.6.14",
   "private": true,
   "license": "AGPL-3.0-or-later",
   "scripts": {
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "@react-navigation/native": "^5.9.3",
     "@react-navigation/stack": "^5.14.3",
     "@standardnotes/sncrypto-common": "1.2.9",
-    "@standardnotes/snjs": "2.7.4",
+    "@standardnotes/snjs": "2.7.5",
     "js-base64": "^3.5.2",
     "moment": "^2.29.1",
     "react": "17.0.1",
diff --git a/src/lib/backups_service.ts b/src/lib/backups_service.ts
index d7bdac8a..d5c44894 100644
--- a/src/lib/backups_service.ts
+++ b/src/lib/backups_service.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import {
   Platform,
 } from '@standardnotes/snjs';
 import { Base64 } from 'js-base64';
-import { Alert, Share } from 'react-native';
+import { Alert, PermissionsAndroid, Share } from 'react-native';
 import FileViewer from 'react-native-file-viewer';
 import RNFS from 'react-native-fs';
 import Mailer from 'react-native-mail';
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ export class BackupsService extends ApplicationService {
             filename
           );
         } else if (result === 'save') {
-          let filepath = await this._exportAndroid(filename, stringifiedData);
-          return this._showFileSavePromptAndroid(filepath);
+          await this._exportAndroid(filename, stringifiedData);
         } else {
           return;
         }
@@ -92,10 +91,25 @@ export class BackupsService extends ApplicationService {
   }
 
   private async _exportAndroid(filename: string, data: string) {
-    const filepath = `${RNFS.ExternalDirectoryPath}/${filename}`;
-    return RNFS.writeFile(filepath, data).then(() => {
-      return filepath;
-    });
+    const filepath = `${RNFS.DownloadDirectoryPath}/${filename}`;
+    try {
+      const granted = await PermissionsAndroid.request(
+        PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
+      );
+      if (granted === PermissionsAndroid.RESULTS.GRANTED) {
+        await RNFS.writeFile(filepath, data);
+        this._showFileSavePromptAndroid(filepath);
+      } else {
+        this.application.alertService.alert(
+          'We need permission to write to the external storage in order to save your backup file.'
+        );
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.log('Error exporting backup', err);
+      this.application.alertService.alert(
+        'There was an issue exporting your backup.'
+      );
+    }
   }
 
   private async _openFileAndroid(filepath: string) {
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index b17ea982..e4fcfab6 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1630,10 +1630,10 @@
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@standardnotes/sncrypto-common/-/sncrypto-common-1.2.9.tgz#5212a959e4ec563584e42480bfd39ef129c3cbdf"
   integrity sha512-xJ5IUGOZztjSgNP/6XL+Ut5+q9UgSTv6xMtKkcQC5aJxCOkJy9u6RamPLdF00WQgwibxx2tu0e43bKUjTgzMig==
 
-"@standardnotes/snjs@2.7.4":
-  version "2.7.4"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@standardnotes/snjs/-/snjs-2.7.4.tgz#0da670ab2cb76918fb6e75d57e5c00dfe82da196"
-  integrity sha512-UUNcXEdjX63YU0yBezwVVlvJ5HTic8l/CLqgjWrbsVAfPPJ8WC8FmGcv3yBOc+d56qgp+Tg1LMySYaOs67JRCw==
+"@standardnotes/snjs@2.7.5":
+  version "2.7.5"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@standardnotes/snjs/-/snjs-2.7.5.tgz#5ac5d071912a974acda73bb0720fa66bc5c14448"
+  integrity sha512-I15S2pwh+7w7pExnXJAUkLmhTySgMdnpUDEpKceufH9uUVvgdsZdz+Kfapv5/pFGOMBL3iDrY30anUSJWSsO1Q==
   dependencies:
     "@standardnotes/auth" "^2.0.0"
     "@standardnotes/sncrypto-common" "^1.2.9"