In this guide I will show a super easy way to access Data and OBB folders in Android 13 and transfer files within them. Already in Android 11, Google introduced Scoop Storage which prevented File Managers from accessing Data and OBB folders. App developers were able to quickly find a loophole, making access to these folders possible but Google, in turn, noticed the flaw and brought it back to Android 13.
Therefore, if your device uses the new Android 13 operating system, it is very likely that you will not be able to access the Data and OBB folders. When you try to do this, the File Manager will ask you to grant access to the folder in question. However, by clicking on “Allow”, you will be notified that it is not possible to use that folder and the “Use this folder” button will also be disabled.
I easily got around this problem on my Xiaomi smartphone , using another File Manager app, which has been my favorite for managing files on Android for a few years now. Follow these steps and you will see for yourself how easy it is.
Android 13: How to access Data and OBB folders
- Install the File Manager+app by clicking on the following image:
- Now open File Manager+ and enter the “ Main Storage” folder.
- Click on ” Android“.
- Now enter the first “forbidden” folder, i.e. ” data“.
- A pop-up will ask you how to use the proper permissions; proceed by clicking on OK.
- At the bottom, click on the option “ USE THIS FOLDER“.
- Finish by clicking on ” AGREE“.
Now all you have to do is repeat the exact same steps with the ” obb ” folder.
- Open the obbfolder and in the pop-up, click OK .
- Click on ” USE THIS FOLDER” below .
- Confirm your choice by clicking on ” AGREE“.
- Done!
As you can see DATA and OBB folders are easily accessible and you can transfer files without any problem.
To view hidden files – i.e. those that have a dot ( . ) before their name – follow these steps:
- Open File Manager+
- Enter the folder of your interest
- Click on the icon shown in the following image above:
- Now tick the option “ Show hidden files“.
PLEASE NOTE: this guide has been successfully tested on Xiaomi POCO X4 but I do not guarantee that it will work in the same way with more protected brands such as Samsung devices .
Let me know if you have solved the problem or maybe recommend another method to access these folders on another device with the Android 13 operating system.
