Some apps unable to properly access SD card after update

[Ozach19]

Since last system update, some apps (audioteka.cz; mapy.cz) have problem accessing the SD card, reporting the storage failure. I can however access the card through file manager normally. Any advice? 

[Jonas]

Hi @Ozach19, welcome to our community!

I'm sorry to hear about this.

You mentioned that you can access the SD card using a file manager, can you try and take a few photos and/or record a video to your SD card and see how that works out?

If the data storage setting the Camera application is set to save photos and videos to the internal storage you will need to change this first. To do so, open up the Camera application > tap the cogwheel in the bottom left corner > More > Data storage > SD card.

After you have changed this, take a few photos or record a video and see if you can store them on the SD card and access them using a file manager or from the Album application!

I would also recommend that you check so both these applications have permissions to access the storage in your phone, you can see this in Settings > Apps > name of the application(s) > Permissions, make sure that they are allowed to access Storage.

If there is no change, try reinstalling both of the applications and see if they are able to access your SD card.

Let me know how it goes!

[ThomasBigot]

Since last update (7.1.1) on my Xperia XZ, I have serious issues for apps to write data in their respective directory on SD Card (SDCARD/Android/Data/…). For instance, Spotify and BeyondPod cannot use SD card to write respectively music cache and podcast files. Spotify does not show the storage option anymore and BeyondPod says «unavailable storage or read-only» when trying to move data dir to SD card.

However, the directories on the sdcard exist: SDCARD/Android/Data/com.spotify.music and SDCARD/Android/Data/moby.beyondpod. I also can write by myself with file browsers (SolidExplorer for instance) on the SD card, even in the concerned dirs.

I’ve tried to format the SD card, activate or deactivate SD card crypting with no result.

I’ve done a factory reset and it worked for Spotify and BeyondPod. But after a while (some dozens of minutes, as I had done some basic updates and customizations), I got the same issues again: unable for apps to acces their own directory on SD cards.

Note this issue has been described on XDA forums https://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-xz/how-to/xperia-xz-roll-android-7-0-nougat-39-2-t3510600/pa....

[ThomasBigot]

It seems it’s caused by SD card encryption. The only solution I found: factory reset and do not try to encrypt sd card at all.

The brave ones who want to help: could you try to encrypt your SD card (security menu) and see if apps using sd card in native directories (without authorization needed, just writing to SDCARD/Android/Data/…) seem to keep working properly?

[Jonas]

Hi @ThomasBigot, thanks a lot for the great information on how you solved this and on the behaviour you experienced with your SD card and certain applications after updating to Android 7.1.1.

Are those two applications the only two that you have installed in your phone that are saving data to the SD card such as offline playlists, podcasts and so forth or do you have other applications for example, a navigation application that saves offline maps on your SD card? I just want to make sure that this is not caused by specific applications.

If you have another application that saves data on your SD card in a Android/Data, did you experience the same behaviour with that application prior to the factory reset and not encrypting the SD card?

Keep me posted!

[ThomasBigot]

I won’t be able to answer precisely since I’ve reset my phone without SD card encryption activated, set up all my apps, and I won’t have time to do it once more (it’s been my third factory reset since the update release).

In fact, I’ve immediately remarked this issue with Spotify, started investigations with it and I’ve noticed the issue was the same with BeyondPod. I don’t use SD card a lot expected for this kind of usage (podcast, music), so I did not have opportunity to remark other apps malfunctionning, sorry.

I’m surprised with the fact there is not so many complaints while it seems easily reproductible.

I hope it will be solved soon !

Thanks for your attention,
Thomas

[Jonas]

Thanks a lot for the great information and sorry for the late reply.

That is fully understandable, having to reset your phone is never fun since it takes a while to get everything back to how it was before performing the factory reset.

Let me know if you should experience this behaviour again and have a great weekend!

[niederrheinr]

Hi,

I can confirm this problem still exists and is really annoying.

Not only does ist appear with spotify, but also with other popular apps like

• HERE We Go https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.here.app.maps&hl=de
• MAPS.ME https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapswithme.maps.pro&hl=de
• Amazon Prime Video https://www.amazon.de/Amazon-com-Amazon-Prime-Video/dp/B00N28818A

It would be great to have a fix for the Xperia XZ soon since both using it without encryption or without these apps is not an option.

[xevox]

Such a joke that this is an issue. can't even save music onto my flagship phone... Google Play Music crashes as soon as I tap on external storage. Camera is still able to record directly to SD card. I'm on the generic Australian firmware with the May Security updates.

Really hope this get fixed soon, is a dealbreaker for me.

[ThomasBigot]

Do someone know if 41.2.A.2.223 solves this issue, by chance?