Were are my files?

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

I have a Motorola phone running Android 8. There are a bunch of photos on my phone somewhere which I cannot find.

So follow these steps:

Click on the Google search bar (The thing with the microphone).
Type in kitten photos and search.
Change All to Images
Scroll past the ads to the actual photos and click one of them.
In the top 1/3 of the screen will be the photo. Long press it and choose Download image.

Where did it get put onto my phone?

It's not in the downloads folder or the pictures folder. There is no SD card. I've used the file manager to search for the file by name (The name is listed in the notification stated the file was downloaded to the phone). I've also plugged in the phone into my computer and used Windows to search the entire phone. I've systematically gone through virtually every folder in the phone looking for it. It must be in the Android directory somewhere as it has thousands of folders many layers deep.

If I select the notification that the file was downloaded Android will ask what I want to do with it and I can then share the photo so I know it's in my phone somewhere. It even tells me the file name.

It's not showing in Google Photos and Google photos does not see a unscanned drawer. I uninstalled and reinstalled Google Photos and it does not find the photos.

Any ideas?

MrJavi · May 9, 2020

Just a suggestion as I know the photos weren't actually deleted but you could try a photo recovery app.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greatstuffapps.digdeep

Dannydet · May 9, 2020

What model is your Motorola?
Once you have downloaded, then use your file manager app to find it

n0tall0wed · May 9, 2020

If You're saving via chrome go-to file directory in attached photo.

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

I have both Microsoft Edge and chrome installed. They are not in the Chrome directory you just listed. I tried to photo recovery app but it did not find the photos either.

Dannydet · May 9, 2020

You need to be using a file explorer to find the pics on your device.
Are you using a file explorer???

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

Could someone try repeating my steps listed above and see if you can determine where it puts the files on your phone?

Dannydet · May 9, 2020

Well I just tried it and to tell you the truth, don't download or try to save photos using that method, as it does not work.
Open your chrome browser app, and download from there, which will put them in your downloads folder

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

It's definitely downloading them. I can see my space on the phone go down and the files are shareable immediately after. They are there somewhere.

The other day I downloaded several hundred for a project to find out I can't find them and now that storage is gone. I can't free it up.

Dannydet · May 9, 2020

What are you choosing for sharing?

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

Once I download it and I get the notification that says it's downloaded, I can click on that notification and it will pop up and ask me what do I want to do with it so I say share. I can then share it to any app on my phone text message, Google Hangouts, retouch Etc

I can even share it to Google photos but it doesn't put it into Google photos it just has Google photos display it and if I say get info Google photos will even give me a drawer and file size. I can't locate the drawer or the file name anywhere

It shows the file name and I can share it so I know that the photo is actually on the phone somewhere.

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

See attached files.

MoodyBlues · May 9, 2020

Using Chrome, @davidmanvell, please go to a page to download an image, like wherever you found the pics for your project, copy its URL, download the image, screenshot as you did before the downloaded file's name, and come back here. Post its URL, if there's more than one image on the page, indicate which one you downloaded, and post its file name screenshot. We'll get this sorted out!

Which file manager(s) are you using?

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

As requested see below. However it's definitely different when you do it from within Chrome. When you do it within Chrome you can see that it's putting it directly into the Download drawer and I can see it in that drawer and Google photos sees it and grabs it. This is definitely different than when you do the exact same thing from the Google Search app.

This is the URL Chrome lists it as:

https://www.google.com/search?q=kit...oECBAQAQ&biw=360&bih=512#imgrc=oPPeHR01B65ldM

davidmanvell · May 9, 2020

The file manager is the one that comes with the Motorola phones and it's just called File manager. At once point I had another one but it was redundant so I deleted it. It was also not able to see it.

I suspect the pohotos are going into a subdrawer within the search app folder.

tommo47 · May 9, 2020

davidmanvell said:
Could someone try repeating my steps listed above and see if you can determine where it puts the files on your phone?

I've just followed your steps and it worked for me. This is on my HTC 10. I've downloaded three cat images and they are in Phone storage-Downloads, it is an existing folder with other files previously downloaded :-

Go to Settings and tap on Storage :-

Tap on Internal shared storage :-

Tap on Downloads :-

MoodyBlues · May 9, 2020

davidmanvell said:
This is definitely different than when you do the exact same thing from the Google Search app.

The Google search box is the first thing I get rid of on a new device! So I've never used it. Here's how my home screens look:

Nice and clean! But that's neither here not there.

I'm a die-hard Motorola fan, but I have to say that its Files app is so awful, I don't even keep it in my app drawer. :eek:

You might want to get something better; if you want suggestions, I'll be happy to oblige.

So the image you documented for me, that was with Chrome, right? But that works correctly for you, correct? Okay, can you please repeat the process using the Google search box?

Edit: a thought occurred to me. Go to System Settings, then apps, then Google; on my Moto Z² Force on 8.0.0 my path is:

System Settings | Apps & notifications | App info | Google

Your path may vary a little.

Now press Permissions. Is 'Storage' on or off?

davidmanvell · May 10, 2020

MoodyBlues said:
The Google search box is the first thing I get rid of on a new device! So I've never used it. Here's how my home screens look:

View attachment 150311

Nice and clean! But that's neither here not there.

I'm a die-hard Motorola fan, but I have to say that its Files app is so awful, I don't even keep it in my app drawer. You might want to get something better; if you want suggestions, I'll be happy to oblige.

So the image you documented for me, that was with Chrome, right? But that works correctly for you, correct? Okay, can you please repeat the process using the Google search box?

Edit: a thought occurred to me. Go to System Settings, then apps, then Google; on my Moto Z² Force on 8.0.0 my path is:

System Settings | Apps & notifications | App info | Google

Your path may vary a little.

Now press Permissions. Is 'Storage' on or off?

Holy CR@P!!!!! that was it! Storage permission for Google was off! Turned on and now working!!!!!!!!!!!! Now they are saving!!!! I owe you a very big thanks!!!!

I guess those files were never saved then in the first place or maybe into some sort of temp cache. But now it is working!!!

Have no idea how that would of been turned off either!!!!

Thank you!!!!!!!

tommo47 · May 10, 2020

Hi @davidmanvell, the strange thing is when I followed your steps, it worked perfectly on my HTC10. As a matter of interest, did you try following my path to where they are stored on my device to see if they are actually there on yours?

davidmanvell · May 10, 2020

Before turning on the storage permission they were not located at the path you said.

MoodyBlues · May 10, 2020

tommo47 said:
Hi @davidmanvell, the strange thing is when I followed your steps, it worked perfectly on my HTC10. As a matter of interest, did you try following my path to where they are stored on my device to see if they are actually there on yours?

Were you using Chrome? Or the Google search box on your phone?

MoodyBlues · May 10, 2020

davidmanvell said:
Holy CR@P!!!!! that was it! Storage permission for Google was off! Turned on and now working!!!!!!!!!!!! Now they are saving!!!! I owe you a very big thanks!!!!

I guess those files were never saved then in the first place or maybe into some sort of temp cache. But now it is working!!!

Have no idea how that would of been turned off either!!!!

Thank you!!!!!!!

You're very welcome! I'm so happy it's working for you now.

davidmanvell · May 10, 2020

It was not working with the Google search box. But it was working with Edge and Chrome so the problem was with the Google search box not having the storage permission.

tommo47 · May 10, 2020

MoodyBlues said:
Were you using Chrome? Or the Google search box on your phone?

I followed @davidmanvell's steps exactly as he listed them in his post, using the Google search box.

I have just had a look at my app permissions and Google is 'off'.

Were are my files?

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