Android: How to remove files from External storage?

Question

enter image description here

I am implementing an application which generates and create files in External storage. How can I remove that?

Edit

I added following code and still I am getting the same problem. See my code below:

String fullPath = "/mnt/sdcard/";
System.out.println(fullPath);
try{
    File file = new File(fullPath, "audio.mp3");
    if(file.exists()){
        boolean result = file.delete();
        System.out.println("Application able to delete the file and result is: " + result);
        // file.delete();
    }else{
        System.out.println("Application doesn't able to delete the file");
    }
}catch (Exception e){
    Log.e("App", "Exception while deleting file " + e.getMessage());
}

In the LogCat I am getting Application able to delete the file and result is:false. I attached my screen shot after executing this.

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 26 '14 at 10:12

5

I think you forgot to put the write permission in your AndroidManifest.xml file, that's why delete() always return false.

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

answered Mar 26 '14 at 10:12

Jpaille

123
2
6

There are some changes since Android KitKat, future readers might use the link below as an one source for reference: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/45253756/cant-delete-file-from-external-storage-in-android-programmatically – Gleichmut Jul 29 '23 at 11:25

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 06 '13 at 11:06

4

Its very simple:

File file = new File(YOUR_IMAGE_PATH).delete();
if(file.exists())
    file.delete();

Hope it will help you.

answered Feb 06 '13 at 11:06

Rushabh Patel

3,052
4
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score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 06 '13 at 11:13

This is another way just pass your directory name to delete content of it

ex "/sdcard/abc/yourdata"

public void deleteFiles(String path) {      
    File file = new File(path);

    if (file.exists()) {
        String deleteCmd = "rm -r " + path;
        Runtime runtime = Runtime.getRuntime();
        try {
            runtime.exec(deleteCmd);
        } catch (IOException e) {

        }
    }

}

score 2 · Answer 4 · edited Dec 12 '13 at 12:27

Try the following code to delete the automatically created files and when you don't know where it is stored:

public void clearApplicationData() {
    File cache = getCacheDir();
    File appDir = new File(cache.getParent());
    if (appDir.exists()) {
        String[] children = appDir.list();
        for (String s : children) {
            if (!s.equals("lib")) {
                deleteDir(new File(appDir, s));
                Log.i("TAG",
                        "**************** File /data/data/APP_PACKAGE/" + s
                                + " DELETED *******************");
            }
        }
    }
}

public static boolean deleteDir(File dir) {
    if (dir != null && dir.isDirectory()) {
        String[] children = dir.list();
        for (int i = 0; i < children.length; i++) {
            boolean success = deleteDir(new File(dir, children[i]));
            if (!success) {
                return false;
            }
        }
    }

    return dir.delete();
}

Ajay S · Answer 5 · 2013-02-07T05:11:05.023

2

Try this it will delete file from external storage.

public void deleteFromExternalStorage(String fileName) {
    String fullPath = "/mnt/sdcard/";
    try
    {
        File file = new File(fullPath, fileName);
        if(file.exists())
            file.delete();
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
        Log.e("App", "Exception while deleting file " + e.getMessage());
    }
}

edited Feb 07 '13 at 05:11

answered Feb 06 '13 at 11:24

Ajay S

48,003
27
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I used the above code and tested by using debug mode, Actually the debugger went through the file.delete();. After that I opened DDMS and checked for the file. Unfortunately the file still appeared. Can you advice me? how can I workout this?? – Sekhar Bhetalam Feb 06 '13 at 12:07
the path is mnt/sdcard/audio.mp3 – Sekhar Bhetalam Feb 07 '13 at 03:42
try it pass audio.mp3 as filename – Ajay S Feb 07 '13 at 05:11
Please have a look into my Edit. Still I am getting the same problem. – Sekhar Bhetalam Feb 07 '13 at 06:49

score 1 · Answer 6 · edited Dec 12 '13 at 11:29

1

File file = new File(selectedFilePath);
boolean deleted = file.delete();

path would be something like : /mnt/Pictures/SampleImage.png

edited Dec 12 '13 at 11:29

Chintan Khetiya

15,962
9
47
85

answered Feb 06 '13 at 11:05

lokoko

5,785
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score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Feb 06 '13 at 11:06

public void deleteOnExit ()

Schedules this file to be automatically deleted when the VM terminates normally.

Note that on Android, the application lifecycle does not include VM termination, so calling this method will not ensure that files are deleted. Instead, you should use the most appropriate out of:

Use a finally clause to manually invoke delete(). Maintain your own set of files to delete, and process it at an appropriate point in your application's lifecycle. Use the Unix trick of deleting the file as soon as all readers and writers have opened it. No new readers/writers will be able to access the file, but all existing ones will still have access until the last one closes the file.

Android: How to remove files from External storage?

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