discussione Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserti.. in Tablets

Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserting a microSD card in your Android ?

shizz — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 08:48:22 GMT

Hi, When inserting a microSD card in my Galaxy A7 Lite, 16 folders are being automatically created by Android, without asking me anything :

Why these 16 empty folders have been automatically created by Android ?
.$Trash$/
.android_secure/
Alarms/
Android/
Audiobooks/
DCIM/
Documents/
Download/
LOST.DIR/
Movies/
Music/
Notifications/
Pictures/
Podcasts/
Recordings/
Ringtones/

How can I prevent this, when you use a microSD card like a USB key, to exchange data with friends ?

Why no folders gets automatically created my Android when inserting a USB-C key in the USB-C port of my Galaxy Tab ? Regards

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserti..

MonkeyDance — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:20:08 GMT

This is standard file structure with phone tablet or sd card stuff been around for ages. Most computers do a similar thing when on start up from new.

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserti..

shizz — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 18:57:46 GMT

I was not even informed by the system that 16 folders were being created on my microSD card.

Why is it only created on my microSD card and not on a usb-c key I connect via usb-c ?

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserti..

MonkeyDance — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 19:58:18 GMT

I may be wrong here but I understanding Is a usbc key drive as you put it could be treated as a hard drive-in which case it's an external If not I would take this up with Samsung directly they may be able to give you a more detailed answer.

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserti..

shizz — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 17:06:00 GMT

I got no information from Samsung regarding my question😓

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserti..

MonkeyDance — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 21:45:20 GMT

The above is normal and has been a regular thing with samsung phone for over a decade.

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserting a microSD card in your Android ?

NicoS9 — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 08:51:15 GMT

It does not matter, if the behaviour is normal, it just makes it worse. It is not desired to create unnecessary folders which easily can be created as soon as it is desired by the user.

In my case I only used my phone's SD-Card slot as I wanted to check what is on the SD-Card of my Raspberry Pi lying around. Now I have unnecessary files on the Backup SD-Card of my Raspberry Pi.

It's just unnecessary and not user friendly. To be honest, from dev to dev, this is just a sign of bad workmanship, sorry. A change of this "regular thing" would be much appreciated.

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserting a microSD card in your Android ?

shizz — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 20:53:34 GMT

I more than agree, this behaviour is everything except normal. As we are here in Samsung own platform, I am not sure comments like this will not be erased.

Concretely it means, that every "clean" microSD card you enter in a Samsung smartphone, even after just 1s, gets full of dirt when you remove it. I do not call this normal.

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserting a microSD card in your Android ?

PaulM1 — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 17:35:35 GMT

Hi, @shizz. We don't ban people for being critical, and constructive feedback (as well as healthy debate) is always encouraged. I hope that reassures you.

From what I understand, the microSD file structure that you have referenced is generated by Android OS (not Samsung). It is designed for convenience and you can, of course, add your own folders as well.

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserting a microSD card in your Android ?

shizz — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:32:21 GMT

Would you be happy if your PC or MAC, created all your C:\ folders into each external hard-drive or SD card that you plug to your PC/MAC ?

I am pretty sure the answer is NO. So why smartphone do that and PC/MAC do not do that. Even Linux does not do that. So how can you call this convenience ?

Just a use a case: your Boss give you the card from his phone so that you give him a ppt file for example. He realize after that there are plenty of empty folders on his card. Do you think he is happy ?

And as an employee, do you think I am happy that empty folder structure from my phone has been copied on the card of my Boss ?

Re: Why 16 folders are being automatically created by Android 13, when inserting a microSD card in your Android ?

Wretch5150 — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 20:18:00 GMT

Absolutely agree, and I am resurrecting this thread due to the fact I just experienced this issue this morning. I plugged my boss's thumbdrive into a brand new Samsung Tablet, and it put this empty folder structure onto their already well-organized thumbdrive. Embarrassing. Android needs to be updated to prevent this, and what bigger influence than Samsung to get it stopped for the users?! We do not need that folder structure - please just read the drives, move files to and fro, and play media. That. Is. It. Samsung: Please contact Google and get them to remove this in their next OS update. Thanks!