All the way back in 2012, Samsung created a new file system purpose-built for flash-based storage, called 'F2FS'. It's typically faster on smartphones than the ext4 file system that most Android devices use, but it has suffered from reliability issues over the years. Google apparently thinks it's ready for prime-time though, as the Pixel 3 and 3 XL both use F2FS for local storage.
Read MoreAndroid files will finally be accessible from Chrome OS file manager
Android apps generally work well on Chrome OS these days, but there was one nagging issue left unresolved - file management. While you could access the Chrome OS Downloads folder from Android apps, the Chrome Files app couldn't see the entire Android file system. At long last, that is finally changing.
Read MoreParagon's Total Commander plugin brings exFAT, NTFS, and HFS+ support to Android
Android has supported external drives connected via USB for years, but the file system support hasn't been great. Paragon Software has been developing disk and file management software for years, and back in 2012 even released a root-only app for mounting exFAT and NTFS drives on Android. Now the company has released "exFAT/NTFS for Total Commander," finally allowing access to more file systems without root.
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Android 5.0 Makes SD Cards Great Again, Extends API To Allow Full Directory Access, Automatic MediaStore, And Improves Security
Over the last few years, few topics have been more hotly contested by Android users and developers than how SD cards are handled by the OS. Back in February, I discussed some of Google's changes during the transition from Android 2.3 to 4.0, and then how more recent policy changes ultimately led to 3rd-party applications losing most of their access to removable storage. By the time I/O came around, Google acknowledged that KitKat's newly added Storage Access Framework still didn't offer enough range for apps to get their work done. With the release of the L Developer Preview, new APIs were added to allow apps to request access to directories owned by other providers.
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Android "L" Feature Spotlight: Storage Access Framework Enables Batch Operations With Full Directory Access
Android 4.4 contained a number of interesting and very powerful features for developers, many of which went unused or misunderstood for quite a long time. Since it was introduced in KitKat, The Storage Access Framework (SAF) may be one of the best examples of an API that has been underutilized, despite offering a great method to provide cleaner and more informative interfaces. I even theorized that it may ultimately take the place of file system access. A big limiting factor of the SAF has been its very granular interaction with files. With the L release, that hinderance is going away as the Storage Access Framework has been expanded to allow providers to grant full read and write access to entire subdirectories.
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External Blues Redux: Apps Still Have A Loophole For Writing To The SD Card On KitKat, But For How Long?
"Because the history of computing has taught us is that data will not be contained. Data breaks free. It expands to new media, crashes through barriers; painfully, maybe even dangerously. But, uh, there it is… Data finds a way." - Jeff Goldblum as Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Gift Shop)
When we last left our favorite removable storage device, OEMs had begun adopting Google’s policy for restricting write access to SD cards. Given the nature of the Android community, it was probably safe to assume the story wouldn’t simply end with some people rooting to re-enable classic file system access and the rest passively accepting that the SD slot was just for decoration.
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Easily Restore Full Access To The SD Card On Android 4.4 KitKat With SDFix (Root Required)
Last month we posted an article examining some very significant changes to the way SD cards could be accessed and how Google's partner OEMs had begun enforcing these restrictions with Android 4.4. There can be no doubt, a lot of people were displeased to see their expandable storage crippled. While some have vowed to never update to KitKat, and others have turned to custom ROMs that don't enforce the same rules, there are still many people that still want to have the best of both worlds. Thanks to SDFix by developer Tod Liebeck, it's possible to restore the SD card to its former glory on a rooted stock ROM in just a few seconds.
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External Blues: Google Has Brought Big Changes To SD Cards In KitKat, And Even Samsung Is Implementing Them
In recent years, Google hasn’t exactly been known as particularly hospitable toward SD cards with regard to its Android operating system. This theme is most often associated with the Nexus line of devices - the Nexus One was the only such handset to ever offer expandable storage. But despite arguments from Dan Morrill and Matias Duarte suggesting this stance is about keeping the Android interface simple and file picker-free, people still want more space. Google is apparently firming up its position on expandable storage even further, though, and in a way that limits flexibility and changes how we can use it.
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
Samsung Creates F2FS, A New Open Source File System For Flash Storage, Contributes It To Linux
Most of the file systems in use today were designed in an era when rotating discs ruled the world. Well, as things have shifted more toward NAND flash-based storage in mobile devices the problems with older file systems have been more visible. Samsung has just tackled the problem by designing a new file system called F2FS that's geared toward flash storage specifically. What's better, it is open source and has been submitted to the Linux kernel. This makes it perfect for implementation in Android.
This isn't the first time Samsung tried to deploy a new file system. RFS was used on the original Galaxy S phones with catastrophic results.
Read MoreLatest Deals
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Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM drops to $105 ($195 off MSRP) on Amazon, certified refurb available for $75
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Google drops Pixel 3 prices even further, both models now $200 off
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Aukey's B80 Bluetooth earbuds feature USB-C charging and aptX, and they're just $51 ($29 off) right now
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33 temporarily free and 47 on-sale apps and games to kick off MWC
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Samsung is offering up to 40% off for students and teachers, including 8% off Galaxy S10 lineup
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Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630 (4K) review: A powerhouse with mediocre battery life
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The Galaxy S10e is Samsung’s answer to the iPhone XR, and it offers a ton for $749
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Satechi 75W dual USB-C PD charging hub hands-on: Great for the home, office, and travel
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The newest, fastest "app class" microSD cards are still not very good for apps
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Latest Roundups
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[Bonus Round] JackQuest, STAY, Snakebird Primer, SenSense, Matman, and Williams Pinball
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17 best new Android games released this week including Rebel Inc, RWBY Deckbuilding Game, and Linn: Path of Orchards
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17 new and notable Android apps and live wallpapers from the last two weeks including Playground: Childish Gambino, MyScript Calculator 2, and Pokémon TCG Card Dex (2/2/19 - 2/16/19)
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[Bonus Round] Arithmagic, Smartphone Tycoon, Doggo Dungeon, Boost Buddies, Picky Package, and Evolution : The Video Game
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19 best new Android games released this week including G30 - A Memory Maze, Revolve8, and Devastator
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Recent Apps and Games
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Facebook pulls its Onavo VPN app from the Play Store
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33 temporarily free and 47 on-sale apps and games to kick off MWC
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Gboard v8.0 brings back the clipboard, prepares tool for helping other users enable languages [APK Teardown]
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[Update: Now 4 more nations] YouTube Kids expands to 13 new European countries (including the return of Croatia)
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Samsung Galaxy S10 to ship with Google's Digital Wellbeing, two-year-old Nokia 6 and 8 also pick it up
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Blast from the Past
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1 Year Ago Today
[Update: Now official, more devices supported] Google releasing ARCore 1.0 at MWC, but it seems to be rolling out early
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2 Years Ago Today
Play Music v7.4 prepares to team up with Google's Clock app for musical alarms, loses weight, and more [APK Teardown + Download]
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3 Years Ago Today
Telegram Now Has 100 Million Monthly Active Users And Delivers 15 Billion Daily Messages
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4 Years Ago Today
24 New And Notable Android Apps And Live Wallpapers From The Last 2 Weeks (2/10/15 - 2/23/15)
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5 Years Ago Today
[MWC 2014] Qualcomm Announces New 64-Bit ARM Chips – The Quad-Core Snapdragon 610 And Octa-Core Snapdragon 615
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6 Years Ago Today
[MWC 2013] Samsung Hopes To Outdo Google TV With The 1TB, Jelly Bean-Powered HomeSync
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7 Years Ago Today
First Official CM9 Nightlies Now Available For Galaxy Nexus GSM/CDMA, Nexus S GSM/CDMA, And Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi/LTE
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8 Years Ago Today
Lookout Launches Lookout Labs And Its First Android App - The Ingenious "Plan B" [Hands-On Review]
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