Comment by SpaghettiCthulu

20 hours ago

Afaik all apps on android have the ability to list directories across most of the "sdcard" file system even without storage permissions.

Sure, but all the interesting data is stored in a subtree that mostly won't even show on that list. In fact, there doesn't seem to be a way for a user of non-rooted phone to view this data. This sucks.

  • Do you mean Android/data? This is accessible on a non-rooted device using Marc apps & software's "Files" https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.marc.files (an easily accessible shortcut to the native Android file manager).

    • It is - and there are other ways to make that shortcut appear even without an app. But that app also got nerfed some time ago, and in general, even when file managers can access Android/data, that folder is missing many subdirectories, and most of those that can be seen, are empty. For some reason, you can get at some more files and folders in this structure if you plug the phone to your PC (this is apparently intentional). But none of that gives you access to any of the interesting/useful data applications store, and then applications also have a special super-private folder elsewhere. You can learn that and more through an app like https://github.com/MuntashirAkon/AppManager running in ADB over Wi-Fi mode (no-root).