How to save an image in a subdirectory on android Q whilst remaining backwards compatible

is it okay to use deprecated code in this situation or will these methods soon be deleted from the sdk?

The DATA option will not work on Android Q, as that data is not included in query() results, even if you ask for it you cannot use the paths returned by it, even if they get returned.

The Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(...) option will not work by default on Android Q, though you can add a manifest entry to re-enable it. However, that manifest entry may be removed in Android R, so unless you are short on time, I would not go this route.

AFAIK, MediaStore.Images.Media.insertImage(...) still works, even though it is deprecated.

is it possible to implement it in such a way, so it's backwards compatible, but doesn't require deprecated code?

My guess is that you will need to use two different storage strategies, one for API Level 29+ and one for older devices. I took that approach in this sample app, though there I am working with video content, not images, so insertImage() was not an option.

This is the code that works for me. This code saves an image to a subdirectory folder on your phone. It checks the android version of the phone, if its above android q, it runs the required codes and if its below, it runs the code in the else statement.

Source: https://androidnoon.com/save-file-in-android-10-and-below-using-scoped-storage-in-android-studio/

 private void saveImageToStorage(Bitmap bitmap) throws IOException {
    OutputStream imageOutStream;
   
     if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.Q) {

        ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
        values.put(MediaStore.Images.Media.DISPLAY_NAME, 
        "image_screenshot.jpg");
        values.put(MediaStore.Images.Media.MIME_TYPE, "image/jpeg");
        values.put(MediaStore.Images.Media.RELATIVE_PATH, 
         Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES + File.pathSeparator + "AppName");

        Uri uri = 
     getContentResolver().insert(MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, 
    values);

        imageOutStream = getContentResolver().openOutputStream(uri);

    } else {

        String imagesDir = 
Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES). toString() + "/AppName";
        File image = new File(imagesDir, "image_screenshot.jpg");
        imageOutStream = new FileOutputStream(image);
    }

   
        bitmap.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.JPEG, 100, imageOutStream);
        imageOutStream.close();
    

}