Android 14 and lost access to /Android/data

[schinge]

Hi,
My phone (Pixel 7 Pro) just got Android 14 yesterday and now it seems that the Android 13 workaround for /Android/data doesn't work anymore on TC 3.42. Is there another workaround to access this folder?

[ghisler(Author)]

Android 14 blocks the function to detect whether an app has a folder under /Android/data or not. The workaround would be to show a folder for ALL apps, but then trying to open such a folder would fail if there isn't any such folder for that specific app...

[schinge]

Thanks, this means that at this point it is impossible to access data of other apps e.g. for backup purpose.
Thanks, Google!

[ghisler(Author)]

Actually with my above suggested change it is possible, but it's also possible that you see a folder which just isn't there.

[schinge]

Ok. Is it possible to do this on my own or do you have to add it to the app? Of course, just creating a folder under /android/data is not possible.

[Glowmoss]

If you could implement whatever the guys over at fv explorer did that seems to find all the folders just fine. I think they use the system files app to see what actual folders there are to populate a list that you can then click on to get permission for said folder. It's a weird app though so hopefully you can implement something soon so I can keep using total commander instead.

[damian5000]

Well I can confirm Android 14 (Pixel 6a) has fragged things. Yes FV can sees some folders in data but not others, for example can't see my paid apps such as Neverwinter Nights and Kotor (in 13 these were viewable and accessible via FV and Mix). Also, for some reason no matter what folder I click on, they send me to /obb/[Kodi]. Totally bizarre. MiXplorer can't see anything in /data. There is an app "Files" by FolderV that can see things and copy from /data, but it can't see /data to copy INTO. Also it can't see /data/[KOTOR].

Anyone have solutions?! I'm thinking of downgrading but very difficult with Pixel 6a.

[damian5000]

Android 14 blocks the function to detect whether an app has a folder under /Android/data or not. The workaround would be to show a folder for ALL apps, but then trying to open such a folder would fail if there isn't any such folder for that specific app...

How exactly to do this. Step 1, step 2, which app? FV or Total? I can see most /data/**** folders in FV but every time click one it strangely sends me to /obb/[Kodi]. Don't want to uninstall Kodi because it's a major PIA to install the add-ons on Android. Regardless, I can't see the folders I need to access anyways (NWN and Kotor)

[ghisler(Author)]

According to the Kodi wiki, there is a way to change the location of the Kodi data folder:
https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Change_data_location_for_Android
I haven't tried this myself, so please be careful and make a backup of your data first.
It's a very old post, so it may not work any more.

[nbsp]

Hello,

I have a Samsung S23 Ultra which has received the Android 14 update this month (2 updates actually, the second one being a security update).

Strange as it may seem, TC 3.42 has no problem accessing Android/data and Android/obb subfolders. The subfolders have names such as "-> com.google.android.youtube" and under this name there is a label such as "///_data_com.google.android.youtube". After tapping such an entry and then selecting "Yes" in the "Write protected!" dialog, I can select the directory in the system folder picker. The version of the system Files app (named Fișiere on my Romanian localized device) is 14-10586669. There are no updates to be uninstalled for the app.

When I had Android 13 before I had to remove the updates to the Files app in order to get the correct path in the system folder picker in TC. But now in Android 14 it all works out of the box.

[ghisler(Author)]

Thanks for your feedback. Either Samsung included an older version of the Files app in their Android 14 build (before Google made the user-unfriendly change), or they removed the restriction.

Do you use the Total Commander beta version? If no, could you try with the beta version whether you get a warning that it's not possible to access these folders any more? If you get that warning, I will have to modify the beta to allow again access to the folders...

[nbsp]

Tried with the beta as well. It all works fine as with the 3.42 version. There is no warning and the correct path is shown in the system folder picker.

[ghisler(Author)]

Interesting, that means that Samsung is still deploying the older "Files" version.
You should grant Total Commander access to all folders you need now, because Samsung will most probably update the "Files" app in the near future - then it will stop working on your device too.

[schinge]

It now works on my Pixel 8 Pro/Android 14. But I can only see the links to all folders in /android/data in TC3.50b2 when I go to this folder for the first time after a phone restart (a forced close of TC doesn't work), if I leave /android/data and go back afterwards, I can only see just 3-5 links. A click on one of these links opens the "access denied" dialog and then the correct folder is opened in the system files app (version 14-10620724). Since you cannot copy/move files TO this folder (just FROM it to annother folder on the phone) with this app, you have to use another workaround: Click on "new window" in the menu at the right top of the screen and then move to the folder which contains the file you want to copy to the folder in /android/data. Then you have to use the split screen feature in the "recent app screen" to open both windows on the same time. Now you can move files between these windows by drag'n'drop in both directions.

[ghisler(Author)]

I can only see just 3-5 links.

I cannot reproduce this in the Android 14 emulator. Can you give me more information, please?
1. Do these 3-5 links show up with the arrow "->" in front of them, or not? The one to the TotalCommander private folder will always be without arrow.
2. Can you report the first 3 names other than the TotalCommander folder?