Access to Android/data

[ghost]

Pre-Submission checklist

• [x] There is no existing issue that already asks for this feature.
  
• [] The feature already exists in rclone (on your PC or in Termux)

What version of Round Sync are you using (About -> App version)?

2.4.3

What problem are you trying to solve?

Access the Android/data folder for the purpose of copying various things out of there to other folders.

What should Round Sync be able to do differently to help with this problem?

Allow access to Android/data with no root. See Amaze file explorer for an example of correct/successful implementation.

PS: Many thanks for an impressive app!

[newhinton]

How does amaze access /Android/data?

As far as i can see, any app will require root to access /Android/data.

Even amaze does not properly access those folders. If you found a "proper" way to do it, im all ears.

[ghost]

It appears that you are right. Something must have changed. It worked until recently, but no longer does.

It used to ask for a differentbpermission when accessing the above mentioned directory.

[newhinton]

It is possible that they targeted a lower sdk which allowed access to android/data with the "manage external storage"-permission. I think i remember that that one allowed access in the past.

But since lowering the target-sdk is not feasible, i cant implement this feature, sorry.

[kaoneko]

@newhinton Would you reopen this issue (or should I make a new one) and take another look at this? I'm running Android 13 and tested Total Commander, FV File Explorer and Amaze. The first two target SDK 34, the latter 33 just like Round Sync 2.2.3 which I'm using.

Those three file managers all list the contents of Android/data, and when you want to enter a folder they open the system file picker in this folder where you then have to tap "Use this folder", granting the file manager app in question the permission to access this folder.

It's similar to adding storage through the SAF Client Preview in Round Sync. However, when I try to do it that way in Round Sync, the Android folder only contains the media folder; data and obb are not listed. When I browse to the folder through Internal shared storage in the Remotes screen, all three folders (data, media, obb) are listed. However, when entering data no contents are listed ("The folder is empty").

I found this post on Reddit by tech journalist Mishaal Rahman where he explains how those file managers achieve their functionality.

Some people report it's not working anymore on Android 14 though (I'm guessing @ViktorKahu updated to Android 14 last november) while others say it's still working. If it doesn't, it may not be worth your time. Also, maybe you knew about this but you don't consider this the "proper" way?