Certain "core" apps lost access to media files

At some point in time (about a week ago) *something* happened to my Motorola Moto Z2 Play / Android 8.0 that caused my base apps to not have access to my media files (i.e. audio, photos etc.). Examples: * all my custom ringtones (i.e. based on my own media files) were reset to default sound: * Contact apps reset custom ringtones for contacts to default one, * Alarms & Clock app reset custom alarm tone to default one, * SMS (Messages) app reset custom message notification tone to default one, * system-wide default notification tone (set by me to custom) was reset as well, * system-wide default ringtone (set by me to custom one) was reset, * [I cannot pick a photo for a contact](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/226466/20449) because my contacts app keeps saying: "No pictures are available on the device". While first situation is resolved. I see my custom ringtone files in the list and I can go through my contacts and assign them again. But second situation is not resolved. I see this error all the time and I cannot change any contact's photo. This is verified as not a bug (tested three different contacts-like applications and all of them shows exactly the same message, when trying to change contact's photo). But still, it seems that problem is limited to contacts-related apps only. Other apps still has read and write access to my custom files. For example: : - (read) I can pick any photo or other custom file and attach it to an e-mail, send it as MMS or share it in any other way or - (read) upload it to OneDrive or Google Drive etc. or - (write) my Camera app is still able to make new photos and store them in "DCIM" or - (write) my sound recorder is able to record sound and write audio files. The only thing that has changed on my phone recently and that I suspect as the cause of above metioned situation was Android 7.1.2 --> Android 8.0.0 update. Is there anything I can do (since replacing contacts app didn't resolve the situation) or check in this case? Or resetting the phone to factory defaults is the only option that I am left with? **EDIT**: _I have cleared cache and data of media app, as suggested in comment. It didn't help._