If you’re an Android user, you’ve most likely encountered a mysterious .nomedia file in your device file manager while browsing some folders. The nomedia file is an important part of the Android operating system, yet many users are unaware of its purpose and capabilities.
In this blog post, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the .nomedia file on Android, including its pros and cons and how to create one.
What is a NOMEDIA File?
The nomedia file is an empty file found on Android devices that instructs the device to not index certain directories or files for media. It is most commonly used to keep specific media files from appearing in photo and music galleries. The name of the file, .nomedia, implies that the file contains no media, but in reality, it is just a blank text file.
A good example is the WhatsApp voice note folder in the screenshot below. This folder has a .nomedia file by default to prevent your voice notes from showing up in music apps because it is private data.
To view a nomedia file, you will need to enable the option to show hidden files on your Android device. This can typically be done by going to the “Settings” app, then to the “Storage” or “File Manager” section, and enabling the option to show hidden files. Once this is done, you can navigate to the nomedia file’s folder and open it with a text editor. The file should be empty, as it only serves as a placeholder for the media scanner to ignore the folder.
Uses For The NOMEDIA File
There are pros and cons to using nomedia files on an Android device. The main benefit is that it allows you to hide media files you don’t want to be indexed and shown in your gallery app. This can be useful if you have private photos or videos you don’t want to be easily accessible on your device. It can also reduce the clutter in your gallery app by excluding specific folders from the index.
Drawbacks
On the other hand, there are also some potential drawbacks to using nomedia files. One issue is that any media files within the ignored folder will not be backed up by apps like Google Photos. This can make it difficult to recover if they are deleted or lost. Additionally, some apps may not be able to access media files within an ignored folder, which can cause problems if you use those files within the app.
How To Create a NOMEDIA File?
To create a nomedia file, you can use a file manager app on your Android device. Some stock Android file managers may not give you the option to create a file like in my case. If you don’t have the option as well, you will need to install a third-party file manager app like Solid Explorer, Zarchiver, or MiXplorer (recommended).
- Navigate to the folder where you want to create the file, and use the file manager’s “New” or “Create” option to create a new file.
- Name the file “.nomedia” (note the leading period), and save it in the folder. This will tell the media scanner to ignore the contents of that folder.
How To Open a NOMEDIA File
The Nomedia file on your Android smartphone doesn’t contain any useful information. Opening it is entirely unnecessary as you may no be able to read the content if at all there’s any on it. However, you you would like to clear your curiosity and open the nomedia file, follow the simple steps below:
- Download and install a file explorer like MiXplorer or any advanced file manager app from the Google Play Store.
- Once the file manager app is installed, launch it and navigate to the folder where you have the nomedia file.
- Tap on the file to open and you will be prompted to choose an app for opening the file.
- Choose the file manager app you installed.
That’s it. If for any reason you want to delete the nomedia file on your device, continue to the steps below.
How To Delete a .NOMEDIA File?
- Locate the folder containing the .nomedia file you want to delete.
- Long press on the file for a few seconds to bring up the menu options.
- Tap the delete icon/option and the file will be removed from the folder.
In conclusion, a nomedia file is a special file that can tell the media scanner on an Android device to ignore a particular folder. This can be useful for hiding private media files and reducing clutter in the gallery app. Still, it can also cause problems if those files are not backed up or are needed by certain apps. To create a nomedia file, you can use a file manager app on your Android device.
