Where are Google Play files stored?
Google Play is Google’s official store and portal for Android apps, games, movies, TV shows, music, books, and more. It provides access to over 3 million apps and games for Android users to download and install on their devices. In this article, we will examine where the different types of content downloaded from Google Play are stored locally on Android devices.
Google Play Overview
Google Play is the official app store and digital media store for Android devices. It was launched by Google in March 2012 as a combination and expansion of the Android Market app store and other media services like Google Music and Google eBooks. Some key facts about Google Play:
- Allows users to browse, download, and purchase applications, music, movies, TV shows, books, and magazines.
- Replaced the Android Market as the official app store for Android.
- Pre-installed on almost all Android devices.
- As of 2017, Google Play featured over 3.5 million apps and had over 82 billion app downloads.
- Operates as the main revenue source for app developers on Android.
In summary, Google Play serves as the official marketplace for the Android platform, offering apps, games, music, movies and more. It provides developers with distribution and monetization services for their products. For users, it serves as a convenient hub to discover and access Android apps and media content.
Where Apps Are Stored
Apps downloaded from the Google Play Store are stored in the device’s internal storage under the folder path /data/app. This is a protected system folder that regular users cannot access directly without root access. The package name of the app determines the specific subfolder where it is installed.
For example, the Gmail app package name is com.google.android.gm, so it will be stored in a path like /data/app/com.google.android.gm-*. Here, * represents random characters generated for each install.
While the /data/app folder cannot be accessed directly, apps generally store their additional data files, databases, and settings under /data/data/[package name]. For Gmail, this would be /data/data/com.google.android.gm/files. This folder can be accessed by that specific app only.
Developers must request permissions to broad storage access if their apps need to save files outside their own sandboxed folders. So most apps stick to their own /data/data/ folders for storage unless explicitly granted broader access. This system protects private user data and isolates apps from each other.
Overall, the core APK files for apps reside in /data/app which is inaccessible to users. But apps can utilize protective storage for data at /data/data/[package name] or broader external storage if permissions allow.
Where Music is Stored
Music downloaded from Google Play Music is stored in a specific file path on your Android device. The default location is:
/sdcard/Android/data/com.google.android.music/files/music
This path is within the internal storage on your device, in a folder structure specifically for the Google Play Music app data and downloads. Anything you download via the Google Play Music app on your Android phone or tablet gets saved to this location.
The reason the downloads get saved here is that this folder is owned by the Google Play Music app, allowing it exclusive access to add, modify, or delete files there. Storing downloads in internal app-owned storage keeps the files private and sandboxed for security purposes.
So in summary, look in the /Android/data/com.google.android.music/files/music path on internal storage to find all your Google Play Music downloads on an Android device. This may not be readily accessible through your file explorer, but can be accessed by the Google Play Music app itself.
Where Movies/TV Shows are Stored
Movies and TV shows purchased or rented through Google Play Movies & TV are downloaded and stored locally on your Android device. The specific file path where these videos are saved depends on whether your device uses internal storage or external SD card storage.
For devices with only internal storage, downloaded videos from Google Play Movies & TV will be saved at the following location:
/sdcard/Android/data/com.google.android.videos/files/
For devices that support external SD cards, Google Play movies can be set to download to the SD card rather than internal storage. In this case, the file path will be:
/storage/extSdCard/Android/data/com.google.android.videos/files/
So in summary, Google Play movies and TV shows are stored locally under the Android/data folder. Whether it’s internal or external storage depends on your device setup and settings.
Factors Affecting File Location
The specific location where Google Play files are stored can vary depending on several factors:
Android Version – Starting in Android 10, apps need to use scoped storage which restricts access to specific app-allocated directories only. In Android 11, additional restrictions were added for media files downloaded from external sources to the Downloads folder or MediaStore only.
Device Manufacturer Skins – Some manufacturers like Samsung add their own skins on top of stock Android which can affect where downloaded files are stored. For example, Samsung devices may store downloads in external SD card storage.
App Data Storage Settings – Users can configure some apps to either store data internally or use external SD card storage if available. This affects where downloaded files from Google Play apps like Music, Movies, etc. will be saved.
Overall, newer versions of Android are more restrictive in isolating app data and downloads. However, factors like manufacturer skins and user configurations can modify default file storage locations.
Accessing Downloaded Google Play Files
Google Play downloads are stored in different locations depending on the type of content. Here are instructions for accessing downloaded files from the Google Play Store:
Apps downloaded from Google Play are stored in a protected folder that requires root access to view, located at /data/app on your Android device. Without root access, the easiest way to manage downloaded apps is through the Google Play Store app. Open the menu and select “My Apps & Games” to see a list of everything you’ve downloaded. From there you can open, update or uninstall apps.
Music, movies, TV shows and books from Google Play are stored in your device’s internal storage in folders like Music, Movies, TV, and Books. You can access these downloads through the Play Music, Play Movies & TV, and Play Books apps. You can also find them using a file explorer app like Files by Google, ES File Explorer or Solid Explorer. Navigate to folders like Music, Movies, TV, and Books to find your Play downloads.
Ebooks downloaded from the Play Store are located in the Play Books app. Open the app and select “My Library” to see your purchased and downloaded books. Tap on a book cover to open it or press and hold to delete downloads.
To see all types of downloads in one place, use the Files app on your device if available. Here you can access downloads from Play apps alongside any other downloads on your device. You can also move files between folders or to external storage from the Files app.
Moving Google Play Files to External Storage
One way to free up storage space on your Android device is to move files downloaded from Google Play to an external SD card. Here are the steps to transfer files from internal storage to a removable SD card:
1. Insert your SD card into the device if you haven’t already done so.
2. Open the Files app and tap Browse at the bottom.
3. Under Storage devices, tap SD card.
4. Browse and find the Google Play files you want to move. This may be in folders like Music, Movies, Downloads, etc.
5. Long press on the file, select Move from the menu, then choose SD card as the destination.
6. Confirm the transfer by tapping Move again on the prompt.
The selected Google Play downloads will now be relocated from internal device storage to the external SD card. You can repeat this process to move additional files as needed. Just be aware of your SD card’s storage capacity.
Moving apps themselves works a bit differently and must be done through the app info screen, as explained here.
Deleting Google Play Downloads
Deleting downloaded files is a great way to free up space on your Android device. Here are step-by-step instructions for deleting files downloaded from the Google Play Store:
Open the Files app on your Android device. This app may be called Files, My Files, File Manager, or File Explorer depending on your specific device.
Navigate to the Downloads folder. On some devices this is under Internal Storage > Download. On others, there is a dedicated Downloads tab or section.
Long press on the file you want to delete. This will select the file.
Tap the trash can icon in the upper right corner. This will delete the selected file(s).
Alternatively, you can tap and hold the file, then select “Delete” from the menu that pops up.
Confirm that you want to move the file to the trash when prompted.
Emptying your trash will permanently remove the files. To empty the trash, open the Files app and look for the option under Storage settings or Utilities.
You can also delete downloaded files directly from the Google Play Store app. Open the Play Store app, go to Menu > My apps & games > Installed. Click the 3-dot menu next to an app or game, then select Uninstall. This will delete the downloaded files.
If you need to free up a lot of space, use the Files app storage analyzer to see which types of files are taking up the most space. This can help you identify downloaded files to remove.
Conclusion
In summary, files downloaded from the Google Play Store on Android devices are stored in a few key locations depending on the type of content.
Apps downloaded from Google Play are stored in the device’s internal storage under /data/app. The actual APK files for apps are stored here after installation.
Downloaded music from Google Play Music is saved in the /data/data/com.google.android.music/files/music folder. This keeps music files organized separately from other downloads.
Movies and TV shows from Google Play Movies & TV are stored in the /data/data/com.google.android.videos/files/Movies folder. Episodes and films are located here for easy access.
External SD cards can also be used for media storage if available on a device. The ability to move Google Play files depends on several factors like Android version and device manufacturer. But generally, apps must remain in internal storage while music, movies and other files can be relocated.
Knowing where your downloaded Google Play content is located can help you find, move or delete those files when needed. Whether accessing your apps, music, movies or more, your Android device has them conveniently saved for smooth usage and enjoyment.
