Storage System to Store Data in Android

We employ some form of storage in Android to retain the data permanently (until destroyed) for future reference. Android Storage System is the name given to these storage systems. Internal storage, external storage, shared preferences, database, and shared storage are some of the storage options offered by Android. However, many users are unsure when to use which storage. So, in this blog, we’ll discover when to use which storage unit. Let’s begin with the internal storage system. We create several variables for storing various data that are used in an Android application when developing it. For example, we can utilize a variable to save data from a remote database and then use that variable throughout the application. These variables, however, are in-app storage, which means they will be visible to you while the app is operating. When the application is ended, all of the data in the variable is wiped, and you are left with nothing. Those variables will be created again when you start the application, and new values can be saved in those variables.

1. Storage on the Inside

When you install an app on your phone, the Android operating system will give you some form of secret internal storage where the app can store its private data. No other application has access to this information. When you uninstall an application, all of the data associated with it is also removed.

To save a file to the internal storage, you must first obtain it from the internal directory. You can do this by calling the getFilesDir() or getCacheDir() methods. The getFilesDir() method returns the absolute path to the directory where files are created on the filesystem. getCacheDir() returns the absolute path to the filesystem’s application-specific cache directory.

When Should Internal Storage Be Used?

The internal storage can be used when you need some confidential data for your application. Another thing to keep in mind is that if your app is storing data that may be utilized by other apps, you should avoid using internal storage since when you remove the app, all of your data will be gone, and other apps will never have access to that data. For instance, if your app is downloading a pdf or storing an image or video that might be used by other apps, you shouldn’t use internal storage.

2. External Hard Drives

Most Android devices have relatively low internal storage. As a result, we keep our data on an external storage device. These storage units are accessible to everyone, which means they can be accessed by all of your device’s applications. You can also access the storage by connecting your mobile device to a computer. You must obtain the READ EXTERNAL STORAGE permission from the user in order to gain access to the external storage. As a result, any application with this permission has access to your app’s data.

When is it appropriate to use external storage?

You can use external storage if the data that your application stores can be used by other applications. Additionally, if the file stored by your application is huge, such as a video, you can save it to external storage. You can use external storage to keep the data even after uninstalling the application.

3. Using the Shared Preferences

You can use the shared preferences if you only have a little amount of data to keep and don’t want to use the internal storage. Shared Preferences are used to store data in a key-value format, which means you’ll have one key and the associated data or value will be stored depending on that key. The data saved in the shared preferences will remain with the application until you delete it from your phone. All shared preferences will be deleted from the device if you uninstall the application.

When Should Shared Preferences Be Used?

You can utilize the shared preference in your application when the data you want to store is relatively little. It’s not a good idea to save more than 100 kilobytes of data in shared preferences. In addition, if you wish to keep tiny and private data, you can use Android’s shared preferences.

4. Using Android Database

Databases are collections of data that are organized and saved for future use. Using a Database Management System, you can store any type of data in your database. All you have to do is establish the database and use one query to perform all of the operations, such as insertion, deletion, and searching. The query will be passed to the database, which will return the desired output. In Android, an SQLite database is an example of a database.

When should you utilize a database?

A database is useful when you need to keep track of structured data. A database can hold any type of information. So, if your data is large and you want to retrieve it quickly, you can use a database and store it in a structured style.