Write External Storage in AndroidTest

I wanted to write an AndroidTest for an App which involves writing to external storage but somehow I am not able to make it work. (Testing on several devices like Pixel2, Lg G6, Galaxy Note 3, Huawai P8)

So I simplified everything just to test if writing to external storage is possible at all. I experimented with GrantPermissionRule as well as writing my on Granter with no success at all.

I probably ended up doing way too much unnecessary stuff, so here is what I have done:

1. Create new Project with no Activity in AndroidStudio
2. added permission to Manifest
3. added AndroidManifest with uses-permission tag
4. Wrote my own PermissionRequester
5. Wrote test to try to add a Folder in /sdcard/Download and delete it

Following are snippets referenced by numbered List above

2.

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.company.android.testpermissions">
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>

<application
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
    android:label="com.company.TestPermissions"
    android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
    android:supportsRtl="true"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme" />
</manifest>

3.

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.company.android.testpermissions.test">
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>

</manifest>

Also tried

<manifest package="com.company.android.testpermissions">...

omitting the 'test' postfix

4.

public class MyPermissionRequester {

    public static final String TAG = MyPermissionRequester.class.getSimpleName();

    public static void request(String... permissions) {
        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {
            UiAutomation auto = InstrumentationRegistry.getInstrumentation().getUiAutomation();
            String cmd = "pm grant " + InstrumentationRegistry.getTargetContext().getPackageName() + " %1$s";
            String cmdTest = "pm grant " + InstrumentationRegistry.getContext().getPackageName() + " %1$s";
            String currCmd;
            for (String perm : permissions) {
                execute(String.format(cmd, perm), auto);
                execute(String.format(cmdTest, perm), auto);
            }
        }
        GrantPermissionRule.grant(permissions);
    }

    private static void execute(String currCmd, UiAutomation auto){
        Log.d(TAG, "exec cmd: " + currCmd);
        auto.executeShellCommand(currCmd);
    }
}

5.

@RunWith(AndroidJUnit4.class)
public class ExampleInstrumentedTest {
    @Test
    public void sdcardTest(){

        MyPermissionRequester.request(Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE);
        int grantResult = ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(InstrumentationRegistry.getTargetContext(), Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE);
        Assert.assertEquals(PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED, grantResult);
        grantResult = ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(InstrumentationRegistry.getContext(), Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE);
        Assert.assertEquals(PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED, grantResult);
        File f = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS), "CompanyTest");
        if (!f.exists()){
            boolean mkdir = f.mkdirs();
            Assert.assertTrue("Folder '"+f.getAbsolutePath() + "' not Present!", mkdir);
        }
        boolean delete = delete(f);
        Assert.assertTrue("Folder '"+f.getAbsolutePath() + "' is Present!", delete);
    }
}

The result of the Test is:

junit.framework.AssertionFailedError: Folder '/storage/emulated/0/Download/CompanyTest' not Present! at junit.framework.Assert.fail(Assert.java:50) at junit.framework.Assert.assertTrue(Assert.java:20) at com.company.android.testpermissions.ExampleInstrumentedTest.sdcardTest(ExampleInstrumentedTest.java:69) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method) at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod$1.runReflectiveCall(FrameworkMethod.java:50) at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:12) at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod.invokeExplosively(FrameworkMethod.java:47) at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.InvokeMethod.evaluate(InvokeMethod.java:17) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runLeaf(ParentRunner.java:325) at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:78) at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:57) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:290) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:71) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:288) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:58) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:268) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:363) at org.junit.runners.Suite.runChild(Suite.java:128) at org.junit.runners.Suite.runChild(Suite.java:27) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:290) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:71) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:288) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:58) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:268) at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:363) at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:137) at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:115) at android.support.test.internal.runner.TestExecutor.execute(TestExecutor.java:58) at android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner.onStart(AndroidJUnitRunner.java:375) at android.app.Instrumentation$InstrumentationThread.run(Instrumentation.java:1977)

What am I missing here or doing wrong?