Install the app on Android, create an “app storage” vault.
Use any file manager or terminal app to access the vault, which is supposed to be private to the app.
Did you follow the troubleshooting guide? [Y/N]
yes
Expected result
The new vault is created in a folder which is not accessible by other apps.
Actual result
The vault is created under /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/md.obsidian/files/ which is accessible by any app with storage permission.
Environment
App version 1.8.10 on Android 11.
Additional information
According to this post, each app has a private folder under /data/data/ which is indeed only accessible by the owning app. That’s where the vault should go.
The location we are using is correct and should be private to the app according to the Android docs, even for apps having the “All files permissions” (MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE).
I am aware that there were workaround in the past, from simple to sophisticated, to bypass this restriction. It has become more stringent in newer version of Android.
Thanks for looking into it.
From what I read the /sdcard/Android folder has been locked down from Android 11 onwards.
My phone still runs Android 10, hence the issue; it might be worth to mention this caveat though.
Crumbs for others as not an expert:
I wanted to copy .md files from a Samsung S21 Ultra that is about to be upgraded…but files were in /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/md.obsidian/files
It appears you can create vaults in two types of locations on Android: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/md.obsidian/files
which is secure, accessible by Obsidian app and through the paid for Sync. But NOT through the main file managers or through PC linking easily
Or alternatives such as
`/storage/emulated/0/Android/documents’
Not as secure; accessible by app/sync, AND file managers/PC linking.
You can have both types of Vault and switch between using them.
Couldn’t find an easy way to move/copy files between them though, which would be nice!
To achieve this:
Install F-Droid to load non-Samsung approved apps [please check consequences of this action]
Through F-Droid, install ‘Markor’
Markor enables full access to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/md.obsidian/files