All apps (root or not) have a default data directory, which is /data/data/ . By default, the apps databases, settings, and all other data go ...
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WhereAndroidappsstoredata?
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CouldyoulistallpossibledirectorieswhereAndroidappsmaystoredata,providingdescriptionwhatkindofdataarestoredineachdirectory?
applicationsfile-systemstorage
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editedJun25'13at12:54
GAThrawn
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askedJun25'13at10:00
zdunyzduny
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Seealso:ListofspecialAndroidSDcardfolders?/IsitpossibletoreorganizetheSDcard?Becauseitisamessinthere/WhichdirectoriescanIremoveininternalSD?/Checkwhatstorageanappuses?
– GAThrawn
Jun25'13at13:06
PlusAndroidFolderHiearchy/WhereonthefilesystemareSMSmessagesstored?/Whereinthefilesystemareapplicationsinstalled?
– Izzy
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Jun25'13at15:33
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Allapps(rootornot)haveadefaultdatadirectory,whichis/data/data/.Bydefault,theappsdatabases,settings,andallotherdatagohere.Thisdirectoryis"private"totheapp–whichmeansnootherappandnoteventheusercanaccessdatainit(withoutrootpermissions).
Ifanappexpectshugeamountsofdatatobestored,orforotherreasonswantsto"benicetointernalstorage",there'sacorrespondingdirectoryontheSDCard(Android/data/).
Apartfromthat,allappscanstoredataanywhereontheSDCard,astherearenorestrictions--andmanyappsdoso.Theycanusedirectorynamesfreely(andtheyagaindo),whichiswhatoftenmakesithardtodecidewhatallthat"junk"onthecardisintendedfor,andwhatofitcanbedeleted.
Though,asTompointedout,root-appscouldstoretheirdataalmosteverywhereonyourdevice,theyusuallyfollowthesamerulesasotherapps.
YoucanfindageneralexplanationoftheAndroiddirectoryhierarchyinmyanswerhere.ForyourspecificquestionImightaddsomemoredetailsonthe/data/data/(andcorrespondingSD-part):
databases/:heregotheapp'sdatabases
lib/:librariesandhelpersfortheapp
files/:otherrelatedfiles
shared_prefs/:preferencesandsettings
cache/:well,caches
Theremightbeseveralmoredirectoriesinthisplace,orfewer--italldependsontheapp.Initsown"homedirectory"(andthat'swhatitbasicallyis,spokenLinux-wise)theycanplacefileswheretheywant.Usually,thesefilesanddirectoriesareonlyaccessiblebytheappitself(androot,ofcourse)--otherthanthosestoredontheSDCard,whichareaccessiblebyallapps.
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editedMay16at17:08
answeredJun25'13at15:46
Izzy♦Izzy
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Commentsarenotforextendeddiscussion;thisconversationhasbeenmovedtochat.
– AndrewT.
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Dec11'20at12:58
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AndthenalongcameAndroid11withscopedstorage.
– vesperto
Aug19at10:35
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SomemajorchangesoccurredtostorageinAndroid4.4(seeAndroid'sStorageJourney).SothefollowingisgenerallytrueforAndroid4.4+andparticularly6+.
ThisisfrommydetailedanswertoHowdiskspaceisusedonAndroiddevice?.Apps'filesaresaved(bysystemandappitself)tointernalandexternalstorageunderdifferentcategories.
DIRECTORYDESCRIPTION/API
=====================================================================================
APPCODE
========
/data/app/*(userappsinstallationdirectory)
/data/app/*/base.apk(original`.apk`file)
/data/app/*/lib//*.so(sharedlibraries)
/data/app/*/oat//base.[art|odex|vdex](compiledexecutablecode)
/data/dalvik-cache//*.[art|dex|oat|vdex](compiledexecutablecode,onlyforsystemapps)
/data/misc/profiles/cur///primary.prof(ARTprofile)
/data/misc/profiles/ref//primary.prof(ARTprofile)
INTERNALSTORAGE
================
/data/user[_de]//getDataDir
/data/user[_de]///filesgetFilesDir
/data/user[_de]///[code_]cachegetCacheDirorgetCodeCacheDir
/data/user[_de]///databasesgetDatabasePath
/data/user[_de]///no_backupgetNoBackupFilesDir
/data/user[_de]///shared_prefsgetSharedPreferences
EXTERNALSTORAGE
================
/storage/emulated/obb//*.obb(sharedbymulti-users,exposedinfollowingview)
/storage/emulated//Android/obb//*..obbgetObbDirs
/storage/emulated//Android/media/getExternalMediaDirs
/storage/emulated//Android/data//
/storage/emulated//Android/data//filesgetExternalFilesDirs
/storage/emulated//Android/data//[code_]cachegetExternalCacheDirs
Alloftheabovepathsoninternalandexternalstorage(primaryandsecondary)areapp'sprivatedirectorieswhichareaccessibletorespectiveappwithoutrequestinganypermission.Appscanalsocreateotherdirectories(notexplicitlyavailablethroughAPIs)intheirprivatestorage.Allofthesedirectoriesbelongingtoanapparedeletedwhentheappisuninstalled.
Additionallyappscanputtheirdataanywhereonprimaryexternalstorage(includingsomestandarddirectoriesandotherapps'privatedirectories)ifWRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGEpermissionisgranted(getExternalStorageDirectoryreturns/storage/emulated/).ForsecondaryexternalstorageandremovablestorageSAFisused.SeedetailsinHowtosavefilestoexternalSDcard?.
HoweverinAndroid10writingdirectlytoprimaryexternalsharedstorageisdeprecated(getExternalStorageDirectoryandgetExternalStoragePublicDirectoryarenomoreavailable).AppsneedtouseoneofAndroid'sbuilt-incontentproviders;eitherMediaStore(formediafiles)orSAF(foranyothertypeoffiles).
/datapathsmaygetreplacedwith/mnt/expand/[UUID]whenusingAdoptableStorage./storage/emulatedgetsreplacedwith/storage/[UUID]whenusingsecondaryexternalstorage(likeSDcard).
Formultipleusers/profilesisdifferent,deviceownerisalways0./data/user/0isasymlinkto/data/dataforhistoricalreasons.Secondaryexternalstorageisonlyavailabletodeviceowner.
OBBdirectoryissharedamongusers/profiles(uptoAndroid9)tosavespace.FUSE/sdcardfsalwaysexposes/storage/emulated/obbas/storage/emulated//Android/obb.
/data/user_deistheDeviceEncryptedstorageonFBEdeviceswhichletscertainappsrunonbootwithoutaskingforusercredentials.
/data/misc/profilesareusedbyARTforprofile-guidedcompilationofappcode.
Descriptionofeachdirectoryissomewhatevidentfromnames,detailscanbeseeninAPIdocumentation.
CachesareclearedbyOSwhenrunninglowonstorage,keepingappsexceedingtheallottedquotaontop.
Apps'privatefilesdirectoriesinexternalstoragearen'tautomaticallyscannedbyMediaScannerbutmediadirectoriesare.
Cachesandno_backupdirectoriesarenotbackeduptocloud.Seeofficialdocumentation.
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editedDec29'20at16:58
Firelord♦
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answeredNov13'19at0:29
IrfanLatifIrfanLatif
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Whereis/data?NotfoundinwindowsexplorerdisplayingtheinternalstoragewhenconnectedtheandroidphonetoPC.
– zwcloud
Sep24at4:16
2
@zwcloudSeeHowdiskspaceisusedonAndroiddevice?andWhyaresuperuserpermissionsneededtoacess/datapartition?
– IrfanLatif
Sep24at4:35
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Theanswertoyourquestionyouareaskingistoobig.Ican,however,giveyouabasicanswerwhichcoversthebasics.
Therearetwokindsofapps:
Rootandnon-root.
Rootappscanbasicallystore/modifyfileswherevertheywant.
Non-rootappscanonlystore/modifyfileshere:/sdcard/andeveryfolderwhatcomesafter.Mostly,theinstalledappsstorethemselvesat/sdcard/Android/dataor/sdcard/Android/obb.Someappsstoretheirsavegames/configurationdatafileson/sdcard/APPNAME/,orjustonthe/sdcard/
Tobeabletouserootapps,you'llneedtohaverootedyourAndroiddeviceandhavegivenpermissionfromoneofthesuperuserapps.
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answeredJun25'13at10:14
TomTom
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