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Thanks. So is this to help protect apps from each other? And/or to protect users from malicious apps? And what if you've rooted the device, and installed your

Thanks. So is this to help protect apps from each other? And/or to protect users from malicious apps? And what if you've rooted the device, and installed your own file-management app. Could that app manage files normally?

koolba 8y ago
> So is this to help protect apps from each other? And/or to protect users from malicious apps? One angle is it prevents apps from scanning your local storage for files and stealing them. Another angle is that it blurs the line between cloud and local so that storing data on cloud services gets treated the same as local data. If you happen to own said cloud storage services (cough Google cough) then that direction aligns with your corporate interests.
- i_cant_speel 8y ago
  Not being concerned about where a file comes from sounds like a convenience to developers. It's like a file repository. I don't know why that implies Google is scheming to further integrate their cloud services.
  - TeMPOraL 8y ago
    It's not a convenience to developers, it's extra complexity. It's convenient for companies though, because it makes implementing cloud-centric business models easier. It's a problem for users, because they no longer have clue where the data is stored or how to find it beyond the app that claims to own it.
Arnt 8y ago
Protecting users from malicious apps seems to be the main thing. I think you can manage files even without rooting. I plugged a phone (XZ1C, Android 9) into USB now, the computer offered to open the phone's storage, 2-3 clicks later and I see the photos that are stored on the phone.