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New Samsung File Manager App on Android 11 Issue

(Topic created on: 01-05-2021 05:56 PM)
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Kenneth-071
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Why am I now unable to view/edit files & folders in the /Android directory at the root of my internal storage? Third-Party file managers from the Play store can request access to this folder and display the contents of /Android/data for example, so why not the same for Samsung's built-In file manager? This was possible in Android 10!

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Edgie70
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Hi , it's a Google thing not a Samsung thing , get a file manager called " files " from playstore , it's a blue circle icon with a white file logo , that can see and delete android files

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Kenneth-071
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I know I can use other file managers from the Play Store to access that folder, I even said as much in my original post. What I want to know is why the built-in Samsung file manager can't request access to that folder like the ones in the Play Store?

It just tells you that the folder is empty which is just false. Also why should I have to download and use another file manager just to access one folder? Especially when this wasn't a problem on Android 10 and an older version of Samsung file manager.

If its some new security policy on Android 11 then why can't Samsung just release an update for their file manager that can request permission to access the folder just like every other file manager on the Play Store! That way people wont have to waste storage space on their phones to download another file manager that effectively duplicates functionality.

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Edgie70
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Really don't know mate , if you're that bothered email Samsung .....

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Kenneth-071
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@Edgie70 wrote:

Hi , it's a Google thing not a Samsung thing , get a file manager called " files " from playstore , it's a blue circle icon with a white file logo , that can see and delete android files


I'm not sure if its the same app you're referring to because there are many apps called "Files" but the one I chose is only 25kb so I guess this will have to do as a solution.

"Files" App 

 

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Kenneth-071
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I had to revoke my previously chosen solution because I just realized that the kinds of apps (that are shortcut to android built-in file manager, com.google.android.documentui) which was recommended can only read data from /Android/data but not write data to that location, for some odd reason.

Update

Apparently there is a way to get the Files app to write to /Android/data or /Android/obb explained here but again that seem like a lot of additional steps to take for something that use to be simple.

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Andrea-F
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This is quite a serious problem (and it is no help to discuss if it has originated from Google).

Not only I have many cases in which it creates usability issues, but it creates severe security issues. It is an absurd thing that something supposed to solve a security problem create  severe security problems.

Consider the case an app save a sensitive data you want to remove from your phone, if that app has not a built in option to selectively delete what it as saved, you have no way to remove the files/data you need. (you can clean all the data of the app, but this would not be selective. The loss of all the data can be not an a possible option, also considering the fact that this problem also prevent you from making backup of the data)