Downloads automatically delete

[Android Central Question]

Since latest update which installed on my phone a few days ago anything I download from internet is gone overnight. I move from download folder and place in new created folder. Same thing happens again. How can I keep any photos video I download I tried back up and restore. Still no go. Wish I didn't have to install software updates. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[belodion]

What update? What phone? There are many of both.

 

[12Rick]

I am original poster asking the question. My phone is Samsung galaxy s8 and the update is G950USQS3CRE2. Thanks

 

[belodion]

Okay, welcome as a new member.

I’ll move the thread to that forum.

 

[12Rick]

Downloaded photos disappear after upgrade

A few days ago installed the oreo software G950USQS3CRE2 to my Samsung galaxy s8. Since then any photos I downloaded disappear overnight. I move them from download folder to newly created folder and it still disappears. I've tried back up when finished and in morning files are gone and restore dissent bring them back either. Phone worked great prior to this upgrade but now is a frustration. Any ideas how to fix this. Thank you

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Duplicate threads merged. Does the phone have any "Smart Cleaner" functions or apps?

 

[12Rick]

I don't see an app by that name. Where would I find functions under?

 

[B. Diddy]

Try Settings>Device Maintenance​.

 

[12Rick]

Device maintenance may be the culprit. Its version 1.5.20.7. I had uninstalled updates. But will still delete anything I download daily. I really wish these apps were easier to use and you can actually set them the way you want. It may come to the point that I have to reset back to original configuration. This oreo update frustrates me. I can't even disable that device maintenance. Any ideas?

 

[B. Diddy]

I agree, this sounds really frustrating.:-\ Can you confirm that the files themselves are disappearing? If you use My Files or some other file manager app and look in the directory that you moved the photos to, the files are gone? Just wondering if it might be more of a problem with the Gallery app losing track of where the photo file is.

 

[12Rick]

Yes I use my files and it's gone from gallery I check download folder too. Nothing. Every night I try downloading random images to test anything I try and still go away next day. As I said worked just fine before the oreo update to the phone.

 

[B. Diddy]

Sorry, but I just want to be certain -- you used My Files to look in the actual directory you moved the files to? As you may know, the Gallery app isn't a location in itself, so just because a photo isn't shown in the Gallery doesn't necessarily mean that it's been deleted from storage.

 

[12Rick]

Here is what I found if I look in internal storage in the DCIM folder it list all the folders I ever had. Just got the phone a couple months ago and only files that I directly transferred from old phone remain. Any new folders I created before the update and any test folders I tried after are gone from gallery. While DCIM list all folders all the new ones say they have 0 items in them. ?????

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, so if I understand correctly, you're doing the following:

1. Download a photo from the web, which goes to the /Download directory.
2. Use My Files to create a new directory in the /DCIM directory, (for example, /DCIM/test/).
3. Use My Files to Move the downloaded photo from the /Download directory to the /DCIM/test/ directory.

Is that right? I'm sorry to be repetitive, but the whole issue of albums in the Gallery app and how they correspond to file directories can be confusing, since some gallery apps create their own virtual albums that don't correspond to separate file directories, while other gallery apps require each album to be its own file directory.

 

[12Rick]

Very confusing I download a picture and move it to a file I create when I'm in gallery. That's the extent of my knowledge. I had no idea folders were actually created somewhere else and only viewed in gallery. But the issues remains I don't have files anymore. Only the folder name I created in the gallery app. Show in dcim not the actual files I downloaded

 

[B. Diddy]

So that might still be part of the problem. If you're creating an album/folder using the Gallery app and moving the photo to that album, I'm still not sure if the system is moving the actual photo file from the /Download directory to a different directory. So if the file is staying in the /Download directory, then Device Maintenance might still be automatically deleting it on a regular basis when it "cleans" the downloads.

Try doing what I suggested above -- use My Files to create the actual directory, and also use it to physically Move (or Copy) the photo file to that directory. Now see if it still disappears.

 

[Taco_Bob]

I have a V20 with oreo as well. Seeing pdf's vanish too. I use ES File explorer and just now it did show the pdf in question but it shows 0.00kb under the name. When I try to open it, what ever viewer I try to use, i.e. drive pdf viewer, pdf capture etc, the ap loads but says "file not found". Interesting that ES still expects to see the file but it's 0 bytes. I've also seen many other file types disappear in previous versions on android, files I use oft and have shortcuts to on my home screen.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which app are you using to download those files? If you're searching using the Google app (and not the browser), go to Settings>Apps​, select the Google app, then tap Permissions, and make sure Storage permission is turned on.

 

[Ashish Singla]

It may be due to the browser you use. When you clear private data, the downloads also get deleted. Try unchecking the downloads option when you clear browser data next time.