Custom Layout not being read from the Storage Folder

[kevjs1982]

Description

According to the documentation OSMTracker will load custom layouts from the default storage location

v

On Android 13 this doesn't seem to work - no matter what I did I couldn't get the layouts to load - lower/upper cased extensions, changing the folder to remove the apostrophe, testing it was writing to the folder I expected.

However I noticed on the debug screen there are two export locations:-

The external storage directory (which you can't access from within Android)
The export external public storage directory (which you can access from within Android)

There doesn't appear to be any option to change the former in the OSM settings, only the latter which is then created inside the Document's folder even when a leading / is specified

It appears that OSMTracker isn't reading the latter directory, only the former.

I was able to prove the files were valid and the former folder is being read by connecting the phone to a Windows PC and copying the files to
"This PC\Kev's S25 Ultra\Internal storage\Android\data\net.osmtracker\files\osmtracker\layouts"
and then going to settings>button presets where they showed up.

However this workaround is suboptimal and it requires tethering to a Windows PC, and I can't simply use Folder Sync to download files from Google Drive to the layouts folder I have used on previous phones/android versions (meaning changes require tethering to a Windows PC)

Steps to Reproduce

1. Change the export location to "osmtracker"
2. Optionally export a trace to confirm it's the folder you expect
3. Create a folder in that location
4. copy simple.xml (see below) to that folder
5. settings, button presets, downloaded layouts should show "simple"

simple.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layouts>
	<layout name="root">
		<row>
			<button type="voicerec" label="Voice" icon="logo_voice"/>
		</row>
		<row>
			<button type="textnote" label="Text" icon="logo_textnote"/>
			<button type="picture" label="Photo" icon="logo_camera"/>
		</row>
	</layout>
</layouts>

Logs or Console Errors (if applicable)

Screenshots or Videos (Optional)

File ignored by OSMTracker

File detected by OSMTracker

Both shown from Windows when phone is in File Transfer/Android Auto mode.

Trying to access Internal storage\Android\data\net.osmtracker\files\osmtracker\layouts from Folder Sync

Trying to access the same folder from MyFiles

Android Version

Android 13

Device Model

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Submission Checklist

• I am reporting an issue, not asking a question.
• I have updated to the latest OSMTracker version, and the issue still exists.
• I have checked the Q&A Discussions, open and closed issues, and the wiki, but did not find a solution.

[jamescr]

Please check if you can copy your layout file (XML) in the folder ⁣Android/data/net.osmtracker/files/osmtracker/layouts and if OSMTracker could load it from that folder.

[kevjs1982]

The entire Android/data/ folder is inaccessible on Android 13 and is only accessible when connected to a Windows PC

.

Note that it was loadable (after being transferred via Windows) from Android\data\net.osmtracker\files\osmtracker\layouts but can only be edited by copying to windows then copying back in Explorer

[miltonials]

Hi @kevjs1982! Your report is correct. This issue persists across various Android devices where the /Android/data/ folder is no longer accessible—this is particularly strict on Samsung devices. We need to determine the best long-term architectural approach to handle this.

In the meantime, here are a few alternatives:

• GitHub Repository: You can use a GitHub repo as your personal layout folder. In OSMTracker, set the GitHub repository settings to "custom" and enter your repo info under: Settings > Buttons presets > Plus icon > Tool icon. (This is a one-time configuration).
• File Manager with iADB: You can access the /Android/data/ folder using an app like EX File Manager. The app provides a step-by-step guide for access, though it requires enabling Developer Mode on your device.
• PC Access: Alternatively (as you mentioned), you can connect your phone to a PC via USB and access the /Android/data/ directory directly through the computer's file explorer, which often bypasses the on-device restrictions.

---

Moving forward: we should discuss migrating the data folder to a public directory or implementing the Storage Access Framework (SAF). This would allow the app to comply with modern Android security policies.