• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Help "Files in this directory are very important Please do not delete!" wtf?

This is weird, right?

  • These files are normal and critical to Android's operation.

  • These files are malicious and should be removed immediately.

  • I have no freakin' clue. Sorry, I wish I could help.

  • I don't give a damn about you or your stupid files. Don't you know there's a pandemic going on?

  • "...but the calls were coming from inside the house!"

  • 42


Results are only viewable after voting.
While searching "My Files" on my Galaxy S8+, I came across a strange hidden folder.

The hidden folder is called ".privacy_safe" and it contains an empty file named "Files in this directory are very important Please do not delete!" as well as 2 sub-folders:
  • - "Videos" : contains randomly-named files without extensions.
    VLC wouldn't play them (even after add extensions mp4 or avi),
  • - "db" : contains a single file called "privacy_safe.db".
    I tried SQLite3 but it says it's not a valid database file.
edMlv.jpg


My Google searches turned up nothing about any of this.

This is weird, right?

It seems to me that any reputable app developer wouldn't need to maintain integrity of critical files by leaving polite notes within a hidden folder, pleading with the end-user not to delete them... (along with the Video folder which doesn't contain videos).

Any idea what this stuff is and/or what will happen if I delete it?
 
I sort of feel it has to be related to some app, a "private gallery" or some such. I don't know whether any Samsung apps have such features themselves as my only Samsung is 7 years old.

The message does seem odd, but not beyond the bounds of imagination that it's genuine (to protect against someone who uses such a feature, doesn't know this folder is related to it, fiddles with a file manager, sees something they don't recognise and decides to delete it - I've taken that attitude with users before now ;)).
 
Upvote 0
”privacy_safe" is a folder created by SGallery, a Vault App, which is used to place hidden/encrypted files that you have added to your vault. The filename you mention I am not familiar with, so "privacy_safe" may be, to some degree, industry standard. The pic you posted of the files in the folder have the characteristic of encrypted files.
 
Upvote 0
While searching "My Files" on my Galaxy S8+, I came across a strange hidden folder.

The hidden folder is called ".privacy_safe" and it contains an empty file named "Files in this directory are very important Please do not delete!" as well as 2 sub-folders:
  • - "Videos" : contains randomly-named files without extensions.
    VLC wouldn't play them (even after add extensions mp4 or avi),
  • - "db" : contains a single file called "privacy_safe.db".
    I tried SQLite3 but it says it's not a valid database file.
edMlv.jpg


My Google searches turned up nothing about any of this.

This is weird, right?

It seems to me that any reputable app developer wouldn't need to maintain integrity of critical files by leaving polite notes within a hidden folder, pleading with the end-user not to delete them... (along with the Video folder which doesn't contain videos).

Any idea what this stuff is and/or what will happen if I delete it?

Does anyone else have access to your phone? TBH, Vault apps are most often used to hide things from someone who may also have access to the device. The SGallery app disguises itself as a (working) calculator. It can also be hidden from view completely, with the only access to it being through the app settings, web browser, or phone dialer. If you bought the phone refurbished or used, it's certainly possible that these are leftover, but very unlikely. Bottom line, if you don't use a Vault App, deleting those files is harmless to you/your phone.

Of note, if someone is using your phone to hide/encrypt videos, they likely have a back up file on your phone as well. You'll need to search for backup files in all privacy_safe folders (the backup file would be created in a folder apart from the primary privacy_safe folder, like, ".privacy_safe" [note the "."]). That backup file would be very close in size to the file containing the encrypted videos: for example, if the file containing the videos is 2gb, then the backup file will be the same or close. I haven't heard of any of these apps that compress the backups.

Hope this helps.
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones