S10+ SD card data folder files missing

[Rei1]

All my files are gone! No, they still exist, but I can't gain access to them anymore. Who exactly thought this was a good idea? I can use apps to write to the SD card data folder location, so I know my files still exist, but plugging my phone to a pc via USB or trying to use the Samsung my files app yields no results and all I can see is a empty folder. 

Just why would u do this google/Samsung? Who thought hey, noone would ever need to access the data folder on their SD cards right? Let's restrict access to it! Brilliant idea!

It's extremely stressful as I really needed access to my files, and now I can't find them because they're blocked by a stupid restriction in the name of "security". Oh yes, my device is VERY safe now, literally noone can gain access to my files, including me. 

[RedDogRabbit]

It SOUNDS like you just need to grant access to the external sd card. I've seen something similar when wanting to move files or images to some apps. It's not clear to me if it's only some 3rd party apps that haven't been updated for android 11 yet? But I definitely haven't lost access to my external sd card.

You can try wiping cache for the app, or booting into recovery & wipe cache and see if that helps, also check the permissions for the apps in question.

If you still have problems, it is possible that it's a hardware issue or a problem with the external sd card? 

[Cassidy]

@RedDogRabbit
Wipe Cache partition won't do nothing for that...I tried it to be sure.

[RedDogRabbit]

I didn't really think that it would, I think that it's either security permissions haven't been granted, or there's a hardware issue with the phone or the sd card.

I've noticed that some apps are more difficult to grant the security permissions than others. 

[Rei1]

After doing research, it seems like that's just a issue with android 11, and there's no fix for it. Sadly I tried everything including a factory reset. It looks like whoever made android 11 blocked off access to the data folder for SD cards. The only solutions are to either take your microSD card out of the phone and plug it directly into a pc or to root your device (but Samsung devices have locked bootloaders, so it won't be completely rooted).

[Rei1]

Sadly the data folder of the microSD card has been locked off from the user for "security reasons" by the android devs. Honestly, the way I see it, it just looks like another way to force users to pay for higher tier internal storage, because with the internal storage, there's at least a **bleep** way to get access to the data folder.

[Vic20]

As @RedDogRabbit has mentioned it could be app permissions. And connection to USB, is the phone locked? What setting did you select for USB connection?

Have you removed the SD card and accessed it directly from the PC via card reader? Do you also have access issues with that?

[keagan]

Thanks Vic20.

Hi Rei1, Could you please check the Vic20's response and get back to us with the information about the issue.

[Rei1]

The phone was unlocked. It's in the normal USB setting, I never changed it.

[Jumpmanxx]

How is it going now? Any progress? Cos I'm having the same issue and it's so tiring. Samsung can do better tbh