Searching for saved materials on a mobile device often turns into a real quest, especially when the Android system is regularly updated, changing the structure of the file manager. Users often get lost trying to find favorite photos or links that they had carefully saved before. In this article, we will analyze all the possible locations where your collection of important content may be hidden.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that the term “Favorites” is not tied to one specific application or system folder. This could be a special album in Google Photos, a hidden directory in the browser memory, or even a separate chat in the messenger. Understanding the logic of the operating system Android will help you quickly navigate the file system.
We will look at not only standard paths, but also hidden directories, access to which requires care. Be prepared for the fact that the location of the files may depend on the model of your smartphone, be it Samsung, Xiaomi or pure Android One.
System search through a file manager
The most direct way to find any stored data is to use a built-in or third-party file manager. On most modern devices it is called "Files", "My Files" or Files by Google. This is where the physical directory structure is stored where applications dump data.
You need to open the application and use the search function, usually represented by a magnifying glass in the top corner. Enter keywords such as "favorite", "likes" or "favorites". The system will instantly filter out folders and files containing these words in the name.
⚠️ Attention: Some system folders are prefixed with "." (dot) are hidden by default. To see them, you need to go to the file manager settings and activate the “Show hidden files” item.
If the automatic search does not produce results, you should manually check the main directories. Most often, user content is located in the root directory or folder Internal Storage. Pay attention to the directories with the names of the applications that you used to save.
Use sorting by date modified in the file manager - this will help you find recently created folders that may have appeared after saving an important file.
It is important to understand the difference between shortcuts and real files. Often, “Favorites” is just a virtual list of links within an application that does not have a separate physical folder in the general memory of the device.
Search in the browser: Chrome, Samsung Internet, Yandex
When it comes to web surfing, the “Favorites” folder most often means bookmarks. However, browsers can also save pages for offline access or download files to separate directories. Google Chrome bookmarks are synchronized with your account and do not take up space as separate files.
To find saved pages, click on the three dots in the corner of the browser and select "Bookmarks". If you are interested in downloaded files, the path will look like Downloads or Download. The browser Samsung Internet has its own folder structure, often creating a directory SamsungInternet in the root of memory.
- 📂 Chrome: Menu → Bookmarks (for links) or Settings → Downloads (for files).
- 🌐 Yandex Browser: Bottom panel → star icon (favorites) or menu → Downloads.
- 📱 Samsung Internet: Menu (three stripes) → Bookmarks → "Saved pages" folder.
Physically cache files and offline pages may be located in system folders, access to which is limited without root access. It is enough for an ordinary user to know that access to content is carried out only through the interface of the browser itself.
Where is browser data stored in the system?
Physically, browser data is located in the hidden directory /Android/data/. Trying to manually edit files in this folder may lead to factory reset or data loss, so it is better to use standard export tools.
Don't forget that when clearing application data through Android settings, all local history and saved passwords will be deleted without the possibility of recovery.
Favorites in Gallery and Google Photos
For photos and video concept of "Favorites" is implemented through albums and cloud synchronization. In the standard Gallery Miui or OneUI there is often an album “Favorites”, which contains pictures marked with a heart. However, physically these files remain in the folder DCIM/Camera.
The application Google Photos works differently: it does not create duplicate files. When you add a photo to "Favorites" (mark it with a star), it simply receives a special metadata tag. It is impossible to find such a folder in the file manager, since it does not exist as a separate directory.
| Application | File location | Storage type |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Gallery | DCIM/Camera | Local album |
| Google Photos | No separate folder | Cloud tag |
| Yandex Drive | Application folder | Cloud + Cache |
If you delete a photo from physical storage, it will also disappear from the Favorites album in any application. Therefore backup is a critical step before any memory cleaning.
The "Favorites" album in the gallery is only a virtual filter, and not a copy of files that takes up additional disk space.
In some shells, for example In EMUI from Huawei, you can create hidden albums protected by a password. They are located in the “Hidden” section inside the Gallery application and are not visible in the standard view.
Saved messages in instant messengers
In modern realities, “Favorites” is most often called a chat with yourself in instant messengers. In Telegram this is called “Favorites”, in WhatsApp the function is called “Favorite Messages”, and in Viber there is a folder “My Notepad”.
Files sent to these chats are stored in the shared media folders of the corresponding applications. For example, in Telegram the path will be Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/files/Telegram. Finding a specific folder specifically for “Favorites” within this structure is difficult, since all files are mixed in common directories images or video.
- 💬 Telegram: A separate section in the menu, search by date or hashtag #favorites.
- 📞 WhatsApp: Settings tab → "Favorites" (depending on the version) or search inside chats.
- 📹 Viber: More tab →"My notepad."
To quickly access important files from instant messengers, it is better to use the "Pin chat" function or export important documents to a separate folder on the device. This will protect data from accidental loss when changing phones.
⚠️ Attention: When clearing the messenger cache through the Android settings, media files from chats can be deleted if they were not saved to the device gallery separately.
Many users do not know that in Telegram you can create several folders with chats, simulating file system structure right inside the application for sorting work and personal contacts.
Specifics of different Android shells
Various smartphone manufacturers make their own changes to the standard Android. This also applies to the organization of the file system. On devices Xiaomi (MIUI/HyperOS) there is often an explorer that hides system folders by default and requires enabling a special mode.
Owners Samsung should pay attention to the "My Files" application, which has a more advanced categorization system. Here the "Favorites" folder can be presented as a separate widget on the main screen, created through the interface editing mode.
On devices with pure Android, such as Pixel or Nokia, the structure is as close as possible to the Google standard. Here the folder Android/data becomes more and more secure, and access to it in new versions of the OS (Android 11 and higher) is limited even for file managers.
If you have switched from one brand to another, do not be surprised that the usual paths to files have changed. Always check the privacy settings of a new device, as they may block applications from accessing the memory.
Using the command line and ADB (for advanced)
For those who are not afraid of difficult decisions, there is the option of searching for folders via USB debugging. By connecting your phone to your computer and installing Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can display a list of all directories. This is especially useful when the GUI does not show the desired files.
The adb shell ls -R /sdcard command will allow all folders in the internal memory to be recursively. You can use filtering by adding a keyword, for example: adb shell ls -R /sdcard | grep favorite. This will instantly show the paths to any objects with that name.
adb shell find /sdcard -name"favorite" -type dThis method requires developer mode to be enabled and USB debugging enabled. Be careful: incorrect command line actions may result in deletion of system files.
⚠️ Warning: Using ADB requires technical knowledge. Erroneously deleting files from system partitions can lead to the smartphone not working (bootloop).
Remember that in modern versions of Android, access via ADB to the folder Android/data may also be limited by security policies introduced by Google to protect user data.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Where did the Favorites folder disappear after updating Android?
After updating the system, the directory structure may change. Often folders are renamed or moved to new directories. Try using file search inside Explorer by entering the name of any file that was there.
Is it possible to recover deleted Favorites from a browser?
If you used synchronization with a Google account or another browser, just log into your profile and the bookmarks will be restored. It is extremely difficult to recover locally deleted files without synchronization; special apps are required for data recovery.
Why does the Favorites folder take up a lot of space?
The folder with links itself does not take up space. If the volume is large, it means cached versions of pages, videos, or heavy images are stored there. Clearing the browser cache will solve the problem.
How to transfer Favorites to a new phone?
Use cloud synchronization. For browsers, this is a Google/Yandex account, for the gallery - Google Photos, for instant messengers - backing up chats to the cloud before moving the SIM card.
Where to look for Favorites in YouTube on Android?
In the YouTube application, go to the bottom panel and click "Library" or "You". There will be a “Playlists” section where the “Like Videos” list is located. A separate folder in the file system for this list is not created.