Hello all!
I ran into an unusual... let's say quirk yesterday on my LG Optimus F3. I plugged my phone into my computer and set it to Media sync mode to move some downloaded pictures from /sdcard/Download onto my pc's hard drive. I cut and pasted the 100 some files where I wanted them to be, at least I thought so. I made a mistake so I hit cancel on the Windows dialog box after it moved about 50 of them. I pasted them again in the spot I wanted this time, and it moved them to my pc's hard drive as expected. Now here's where it gets weird...
I noticed that 49 of the pictures still have entries as an album in my gallery app. But instead of the proper thumbnails, it shows a cracked picture frame icon for all of them. So I open up ES File Explorer and there is 49 .jpg files inside my Download folder, all with a size of zero bytes. I delete them from my Download folder again. Weird, I thought but oh well. they're gone now. However, the next time I open my gallery app, they are back! All 49 blank, 0 byte .jpg files. So I hooked my phone back up to my pc and used Windows Explorer to delete them this time. But they keep coming back! So far I have repeatedly tried these methods as well as deleting them through adb shell, but to no avail. I have uninstalled and reinstalled ES File Explorer. I have tried a different file manager app (Astro). I have deleted the gallery3d folder in /sdcard/Android/data. I deleted the entire Downloads folder (it recreates that too). I have even cleared the cache and data for both the gallery and media storage apps. Those 49 files keep regenerating themselves as empty 0 byte files. No other files or folders on either the internal storage or external sd card are affected. I've even done a factory reset/data wipe/cache wipe/dalvik wipe/Rom reflash but they still come back.
Does anyone have any advice? It would be greatly appreciated! The only other thing I can think of to do is repartition the internal storage, but I don't know how to use fdisk or parted and I don't wanna make things even worse by screwing around.
Thanks in advance!
So I've used an app called File Hide Expert for a few years now on multiple devices. My S10e is the first one to give me troubles. I went to "unhide" (remove .nomedia files) on certain folders only to find my folders were empty. My first thought was that it wiped my files which bummed me out. But I was able to recover the thumbnail cache which helped for photos (yay low-res images). I still can't get to my videos or pdfs, which sucks because those were the important files. Anyway, I've been poking at the files for about 2 days now, and what I have found is that if I name a file the exact same name as one of my "deleted" files, it too vanishes, but a file under a new name stays. So I've come to the assumption that they are there, somewhere, just really really hidden. Possibly hid the .nomedia files with a .nomedia file?? Although when I plugged my SD card to my PC (Windows 10) and the folders showed up as empty, so I am kind of at a loss for what to do now. I've tried a slew of file explorers, data recovery apps, even considered rooting it briefly. I truly am at my wits end and need some help.
TL;DR: .nomedia files are gone along with other files, but directory still hides files under certain name.
I can no longer find the media files that used to be in /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp until Android 10. I've searched the following locations with no luck:
/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.whatsapp
/storage/0BD9-A981/Android/data/com.whatsapp
/data/data/com.whatsapp
/data/user/0/com.whatsapp
/data/user_de/0/com.whatsapp
Any help is welcome. Thank you!
KaMyKaSii said:
I can no longer find the media files that used to be in /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp until Android 10. I've searched the following locations with no luck:
/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.whatsapp
/storage/0BD9-A981/Android/data/com.whatsapp
/data/data/com.whatsapp
/data/user/0/com.whatsapp
/data/user_de/0/com.whatsapp
Any help is welcome. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to locate the folder using the command:
Code:
ls /data/data/com.whatsapp*
VD171 said:
Try to locate the folder using the command:
Code:
ls /data/data/com.whatsapp*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just found the folder. But thanks anyway. Here's the location for those who also need it:
/storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp
Hi.. In Android 10, Whatsapp folder used to be in root folder (emulated/0), but in Android 11, it has moved to Android/media folder. The big problem it has is - everytime you wipe data to install a ROM, Whatsapp along with media needs to be backed up. Does someone know a workaround here so that WhatsApp has its folder in the root directory? Thanks.
I wouldn't call /sdcard (/storage/emulated/0) the root directory, but ok. Whether the whatsapp folder is placed directly in /sdcard or in /sdcard/Android/media doesn't make a difference as to whether you have to back it up, as it will be on the userdata partition in both cases.
how about my case, im using samsung android 11, and i clone whatsapp with the built-in app = dualapp, but the problem is i can't received a media file from other people like document, images, videos, etc. and cannot sending any files too from my device, i've checked the dualapp\android\media and there is no com.whatsapp folder inside. anyone can help me with this case?
thanks before.
maleforwork said:
how about my case, im using samsung android 11, and i clone whatsapp with the built-in app = dualapp, but the problem is i can't received a media file from other people like document, images, videos, etc. and cannot sending any files too from my device, i've checked the dualapp\android\media and there is no com.whatsapp folder inside. anyone can help me with this case?
thanks before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same boat. I can no longer find the dual WhatsApp files, and that version is like a redhead stepchild, cannot add stickers, doesn't recognize file types, etc. All since Android 11 moved the dual app files "somewhere".
maleforwork said:
how about my case, im using samsung android 11, and i clone whatsapp with the built-in app = dualapp, but the problem is i can't received a media file from other people like document, images, videos, etc. and cannot sending any files too from my device, i've checked the dualapp\android\media and there is no com.whatsapp folder inside. anyone can help me with this case?
thanks before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, it happened this morning. I am having my exams and because of this I can't access my pdf notes anymore. All of this is so frustrating :/
Someone also got trouble with loading the "WhatsApp Images" Folder over a File Explorer?
When i wanna access it from several Apps like File Explorer or Backup Apps, it will load like endless, some minutes at least.
Have mor than 10 000 Pictures in it but before it loaded always immediately.
If i am in TWRP i can access the Folder but don't scroll down with the bar, just around 1/3 of the Page. Only if i scroll over the Display every File it will show me someting, otherwise it shows just Empty over some Files, like there would be a File Limitation?
Chrypsisilon said:
Someone also got trouble with loading the "WhatsApp Images" Folder over a File Explorer?
When i wanna access it from several Apps like File Explorer or Backup Apps, it will load like endless, some minutes at least.
Have mor than 10 000 Pictures in it but before it loaded always immediately.
If i am in TWRP i can access the Folder but don't scroll down with the bar, just around 1/3 of the Page. Only if i scroll over the Display every File it will show me someting, otherwise it shows just Empty over some Files, like there would be a File Limitation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly the same here. Switched to Samsung android 11 3 weeks ago and since a few days Whatapp app backup (80mb) took an hour instead of less than 2 minutes. Quickly found out that WA folder had been moved and that it now takes 10-60 seconds to open WA images folder (9400 pics) instead of < 1sec at previous location. Yesterday I reinstalled WA and everything was placed back in the original folder (0/WhatsApp) and everything was fast again. But tonight (00:00) everything has been moved to Android/media/com.whatsapp and the backup of whatapp is already running for 50 minutes now. The status for a very long time is: "Prepairing google drive backup".
This is very frustrating and I don't understand how they can ruin this for so many people (see google store reviews).
I don't understand why one location is so much slower than another directory. Is exactly the same storage. Does it have to do with indexes? Who is going to offer a solution for this, Samsung or Whatsapp?
Google or WhatsApp have had to get a solution, but if the wan't?
Because i am using OnePlus, so we know that it shouldn't be a Mobile Phone Manufacturer issue.
Crazy that even the built in Backup won't work because i just use other ways like "FolderSync" or "Synology DS Cloud" Backup.
Even Built in File Explorer or such as "X-Plore" and whatever, won't load the Folder until there are gone some Minutes.
Can also just guess why, but Indexing should be done if it is.
Did also some other trys with a Folder which has just 5130 Pictures (copy of some Pictures).
Used "X-plore" to easy Move the Folder around.
- Move Picture Folder in "Android" Folder will work well but every of the 3 subfolder "data", "media", "obb" will get in trouble.
- Move Picture Folder into "data", it will take a longer Time, also "obb" Folder which is a kind faster.
- Move Picture into "media", it will moved immeaditly like usual at the Phone.
Access Picture Folder just under "Android" Folder it will work fine, but if you wanna Access this Folder under "data", "media" or "obb" you have to wait and enjoy the running circle symbol.
So is the question, what is different with all the subfolder under "Android", like they would have a Speed limit or additional encryption?
First you need to do a whole backup of your chat so that you can migrate the chat information from respectable whatsapp to Fouad Whatsapp.
I am also facing this problem yesterday when I upgrade my smartphone from android 10 to android 11. But after some research, I found the solution. Here are the complete details:
Whatsapp folder in android 11
For images
Android\media\com.whatsapp\WhatsApp\Media\WhatsApp Images
Guys, I'm using Samsung phone too and my WhatsApp media files is in a mess too since the location change a couple of months ago. Now I have media stores in these 2 folders, just like you guys:
1) Whatsapp/Media
2) Android/media/com.whatsapp/Whatsapp/Media (new location)
Now my issue is, I have photos back from year 2016. I can view it in Whatsapp chat (some of them can't locate anymore) but i can't find it in both the directories mentioned above. When I select 'view in gallery', and then i use MiXplorer to check the image location, it says: (refer to attached screenshots)
Path: content://com.whatsapp.provider.media/item (which i guess it is in obb folder)
How is this even possible? The image is not lost but it is not accessible by me anymore and I cant back it up. Due to this mess, I really want to tidy up my media files and move them into single location, presumably the new location but the missing files stop me from doing it. It's bugging me for a few months now
maleforwork said:
how about my case, im using samsung android 11, and i clone whatsapp with the built-in app = dualapp, but the problem is i can't received a media file from other people like document, images, videos, etc. and cannot sending any files too from my device, i've checked the dualapp\android\media and there is no com.whatsapp folder inside. anyone can help me with this case?
thanks before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had installed beta APK and it has some bugs. Today I've decided tou reinstall the sable APK when i uninstalled the beta App the whole folder form android/media also deletd and I've lost everything thing. I had backed up to google drive a few days ago now i could not found the backup. The backup i got is of Dec 2020.
Guys, try this path: <SD-CARD>/Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp
I found all my whatsapp media there since android 11 upgrade (Samsung M31)
All my files keep on /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media even on Android 11.
Some solution here about the Access Time from the Images Folder?
When i Access (does not matter which File Explorer or Backup Tool) then i have to wait over 10 Minutes and most of them still won't show any pictures. Of Coursee i have over 10'000 Files in it but at the old Location it took me just a few seconds.
Chrypsisilon said:
Some solution here about the Access Time from the Images Folder?
When i Access (does not matter which File Explorer or Backup Tool) then i have to wait over 10 Minutes and most of them still won't show any pictures. Of Coursee i have over 10'000 Files in it but at the old Location it took me just a few seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any OS has problems to deal with folders that contains millions of files.
Certainly, you need to clean the folder.