Path: ...!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: Frank Slootweg Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android Subject: Re: Where are MMS-messages stored in Android 15 ? Date: 14 Dec 2024 15:50:19 GMT Organization: NOYB Lines: 39 Message-ID: References: <63j03lxtqh.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> X-Trace: individual.net WWcmwcsJHgJQ4qnNWcbu2gz3LV/8+83qqXFY/X/G6hRADVgJ9T X-Orig-Path: not-for-mail Cancel-Lock: sha1:pwmfHbGaoZeJXc7+NkTZuiZmIgc= sha256:JUGf8toBJB7fYxd54NIa2/t7n9Ie+BUHZPfQOw8IWag= User-Agent: tin/1.6.2-20030910 ("Pabbay") (UNIX) (CYGWIN_NT-10.0-WOW/2.8.0(0.309/5/3) (i686)) Hamster/2.0.2.2 Bytes: 2922 Carlos E.R. wrote: > On 2024-12-14 12:11, Arno Welzel wrote: > > Jesper, 2024-12-13 15:13: > > > >> I have now spent some time searching for ways to find where MMS-messages > >> are stored on my OnePlus 12 mobile with Android 15. There is no end of > >> suggestions on how to do this, but nothing I have tested works. > >> Referring to menus or file structure not existing on my mobile. > >> It can't be that difficult, can it? > > > > For security reasons *all* Apps store their data in their *private* > > storage by default which is *not* accessible with file managers if you > > don't have root access. If this would not be the case, *all* apps which > > have the "read files" permission could read *all* your data, including > > all your MMS, SMS, contacts and so on. > > > > Gaining root access usually also means you need to unlock the bootloader > > of your device and install at least software like Magisk. This is often > > not possible without wiping the whole device and even installing a > > custom ROM. > > I am not sure this is fully true. I make backups from Linux via USB > cable, and I get the WhatsApp store, the photos, many things. There are > just a few directories from the system that are not readable. Indeed. The same is the case if you connect the Android device [1] via a USB-cable to a Windows system. All normal folders and specifically \Android\* (data, media, obb , obj) are accessible in (Windows) File Explorer. Of course this isn't a scurity/privacy issue, because you need physical access to the device and the device must be unlocked. As Chris Green noted, the Android model, of not letting a user access their own data, is rather silly for users used to normal/real computers. But it's probably the result of the design choice to only have a normal user and not some kind of administrator/root. Whether that design choice is a reasonable/sane/etc. one, is left up to the reader. As Android is Linux-like under the hood, you probably can guess my position! :-) [1] Android device: smartphone, tablet, etc..