Android - reinstate downloads after a system wipe?

[mikeymikec]

My wife's Nexus 5 has been acting squirrely for a while, so yesterday we backed up everything needed over USB to my PC and did a factory reset. We copied the download folder as well. However, simply copying the download folder contents back to the phone does not reinstate the list when opening the 'downloads' app. Any ideas?

 

[sweenish]

Why would it? They weren't downloaded to the phone at this point. If it's just curiosity, there's no need to read any further. If the Download app is actually being used to keep referencing those files well after the fact, read on.

Using the Download "app" to reference those files after the fact is probably one of the worst ways to manage files.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.speedsoftware.explorer
That's a free file explorer made by the people behind Root Explorer. I use Solid Explorer myself, but it's premium and I imagine does a lot more than you would care for from a file explorer.

Another free file explorer that I believe to be from a reputable dev:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nextapp.fx

 

[Graze]

I have experienced this same thing and had to use a file browser to access the content of that folder.
I am assuming when files are downloaded they are stored in a database on the phone and the downloads app accesses this database as oppose to just reading the content of the folder

 

[mikeymikec]

As a temporary workaround I put the folder in the 'Pictures' folder and called it 'old downloads', then the photos app can be used as a file explorer from there and open whatever file apparently (I tried a pic and a pdf). I guess that'll be the long term solution if it works.

 

[sweenish]

As opposed to a free file explorer from a solid dev?

Just, why?

 

[mikeymikec]

As opposed to a free file explorer from a solid dev?

Just, why?

No need for another app. Plus I'd put down a strong bet that the images in that folder are of most interest to my wife, so the photos app seems like a natural choice.

 

[sweenish]

No need for another app.

Whatever.

 

[mikeymikec]

Whatever.

I'm sorry if I offended you somehow. Hugs?

 

[sweenish]

You are aware the Photos app can already parse all photos on the device? There is no need to move the folder.

If all you cared about was the pictures, there was never any action to be taken.

But for any other file, you've been relying on your download list? Is that how you do things on your PC? Ctrl+J in Chrome to find your unsorted download list and sift through that trying to find the file you need?

All the while, good free alternatives exist that you choose to ignore?

I mean, it's not my life, but holy hell is that backwards.

 

[mikeymikec]

You are aware the Photos app can already parse all photos on the device? There is no need to move the folder.

Well, it would be silly to see the otherwise-invisible downloads in the main download folder, and while I could have moved those files out to a folder in the root of the visible filesystem and called it 'old downloads', I put that folder in 'Pictures' instead as that's what I thought I needed to do to view it using the photos app.

But for any other file, you've been relying on your download list? Is that how you do things on your PC? Ctrl+J in Chrome to find your unsorted download list and sift through that trying to find the file you need?

This is my wife's phone I'm talking about. While pretty much everything I want to keep from my phone ends up on my main PC (or at least regularly backed up on my PC), she doesn't really work like that.

All the while, good free alternatives exist that you choose to ignore?

I have a solution that works for her needs. From what I understand, adding another app isn't going to make much difference here.