Where are mail messages stored in Androind?

[x19290]

Hello.

I was interested in how Android's standard mailer stores mail messages.
So I did:
0. synchronize clocks of my Windows PC, Linux machine, and Nexus 7.
1. create an empty folder in Windows PC.
2. touch a timestamp in the folder.
3. send a mail message from myself to myself with Nexus's standard mailer.
4. fetch the message via POP.
5. reboot Nexus.
6. connect Nexus to Windows PC
7. copy all the data in the Nexus visible from Windows PC to the
folder.
8. rsync the folder to my Linux machine.
9. on the Linux machine, `find . -newer timestamp -type f` but find
Nothing.

Thank you.
--
Hiroki Horiuchi from Japan

 

[9to5cynic]

Hello Hiroki, welcome to AF!

I'm not sure from my own experience where the data is stored. I guess, in the abstract sense, the data would be stored on the server. I found a post online saying that it likely is stored in a cache somewhere, possibly /data/app

Not sure if that helps, but that's at least a place to look.

Best of luck.

 

[x19290]

Thank you.

But I mean there was nothing new in all visible filesystem of Nexus 7.
Because the mail protocol I used was plain old POP, there should be at least some state information in Nexus 7's nonvolatile storage. But it was not visible as a part of filesystem.

 

[9to5cynic]

Hmmm... The only thing I can think of is maybe try to navigate the directories with adb or using root permissions. I'm not sure, but I think the general user doesn't have access to see all files. I was just perusing my old evo's file system and didn't see anything in the system directories... but I'm pretty sure they are there in adb.

Maybe try that? Besides that - I'm not really sure. :/

 

[lunatic59]

Both mail and SMS messages are stored in system databases and those files are not directly accessible to the user without root. I'm not exactly sure where the files are located, but I'll ask around, if you really want to know.

 

[x19290]

> Both mail and SMS messages are stored in system databases and those files are not directly accessible to the user without root.

Thank you. This information is enough for me.