[LG V30 Questions & Answers] JonnyTrulove:
I hate being the guy that doesn't follow through with his plans/posts, but I definitely overestimated my free time around this time of year (I work in the entertainment industry and in the tech industry simultaneously, so end of year is a bit double down crazy for me) So I still haven't had a chance to boot up my V30 again since that first day I used it and lost root (somehow OTA) in a matter of hours.

But that's said, all of this has created a new interest for me, and it will prob turn into a post elsewhere in the forum down the road, but for now I'll expand on it here since it's mildly related and stemmed from my curiosity about features being lost over time...

I've been noticing, almost daily, that Google is restricting more and more parts of the Android OS. Curious if the rest of you have noticed this as well.

On my current device, an update from this past week, restricted general access to the Android > Data folder.

Now I'm all for better security on our devices, but a change that big out of the blue has major effects on the average user.

My personal example: an app I use for songs and separate app that I use for video, both got firewalled with this change. They can both still operate and save files to their default locations inside the data folder. But now I cannot reach it through a file manager, or the app I was using to sort media on my device. That app now cannot see any media that isn't in the general download, music, video, or documents folders.

But the real problem is neither can my video or audio players.

The newest security does allow the "Data" folders to be accessed when done so through a computer. But what a hassle that is. Especially if you're like me and have always cheaped out and bought the smaller storage option devices. Back when expandle storage worked properly that was an easy fix, and after that and until now its always been fairly easy to push excess files to a cloud drive. But with this new change, making files invisible to file managers, you can literally fill your whole phone with media without realizing it's hidden somewhere and the only way to find what's taking up space now is to connect to a computer, or to open individual apps and check their own defined storage. App by app. Ughh.

I know this complaining is a bit off topic, but TBH I wouldn't even know where to start a post about general annoyances with over zealous security policies. I'm sure some of the devs here will be posting about it in their app threads soon if not already. And I have already seen a couple apps on my device update with half way work arounds to combat these changes. But, if this is the direction things are going, it's only a matter of time before any loophole is closed and that's no longer an option for devs. Personally, I'm planning to root my current device as soon as I have an hour or two, and will prob only be purchasing devices I know can be rooted going forward. I just refuse to wait around while the growing pains associated with this big of a change ripple through each app and developer, and everyone finally sorts out their stuff.

This is just another example of Google cutting off access to parts of the device I paid for and was using, ota, with no choice in the matter.

I know I prob sound like a lunatic, but it's lunacy to me how often and how many of these kind of changes have happened in just the last few months, especially after just starting this thread and airing out similar concerns.

And don't even get me started on the whole "tv play store app policies" vs "regular app store apps policies" and all the changes happening there (they crippled live channels + and I now have to purchase some apps twice to use it on my phone & tv!?!?)

(Btw if anyone, member or mod, has a suggestion on where I can start a thread about this just to discuss it, please let me know. As this issue is spreading and even if it hasn't been noticed by everyone yet, it's sure to affect everyone in some way soon. I.e. apps, particularly, paid apps, that no longer function and essentially won't be able to function. Google just made 1000s of apps worthless, with no recourse for the developers or the users who paid their hard earned money for them).