where are widget data stored /recovery

[Reaktor77]

Hi all

I am using a Whiteboard widget. very simple app rhst sits on mybhome screen. I I accidently deleted it. had tons if stuff there. when I reattached the widget it is blank, without any data. is therr a way to recover the data? where are they stored ? i tries ti search android data folders, but no luck. thank you

 

[Hadron]

A widget is just a "live tile" drawn by an app. Settings for an individual instance of a widget are lost if that widget is removed (though some allow you to back up). But any data saved by the app whose widget it is should still be part of that app's data.

What surprises me is that for notes or whatever the app doesn't just give the replacement widget access without any fuss. But all I can suggest is looking at the widget's settings, or opening the app that provides the widget (if it's not one of the unusual ones that has no interface other than the widget).

An app's internal data are stored in /data/data, where you can't see them without root. You need to use the app itself to access those data.

If the app/widget didn't keep any copy other than in the working storage of that instance of the widget you are probably out of luck. That would be bad app design IMO, but is possible I guess.

 

[svim]

I am using a Whiteboard widget. very simple app rhst sits on mybhome screen. I I accidently deleted it. had tons if stuff there. when I reattached the widget it is blank, without any data. is therr a way to recover the data? where are they stored ? i tries ti search android data folders, but no luck. thank you

So ignoring the widget itself, have you just tried stating up the Whiteboard app itself to see if your data is still there?

 

[Reaktor77]

So ignoring the widget itself, have you just tried stating up the Whiteboard app itself to see if your data is still there?

yes it was first thing I did

 

[Reaktor77]

A widget is just a "live tile" drawn by an app. Settings for an individual instance of a widget are lost if that widget is removed (though some allow you to back up). But any data saved by the app whose widget it is should still be part of that app's data.

What surprises me is that for notes or whatever the app doesn't just give the replacement widget access without any fuss. But all I can suggest is looking at the widget's settings, or opening the app that provides the widget (if it's not one of the unusual ones that has no interface other than the widget).

An app's internal data are stored in /data/data, where you can't see them without root. You need to use the app itself to access those data.

If the app/widget didn't keep any copy other than in the working storage of that instance of the widget you are probably out of luck. That would be bad app design IMO, but is possible I guess.

would it be possible for you to download and install it and see what cancbe done. the app is called widget notes - Whiteboard it's white with blue text. 3.9 rating. it seems vert simole..no app itself II need to anythingand everthing. if u rooted my phone, isiitnoossibke inwouksIsee the data ?

 

[Hadron]

Ok, I did a little experiment and it really doesn't seem to be designed to recover data.

I created a widget, typed some text, pressed save.

I removed the widget then re-opened the app, and could see the text I'd saved.

I then created a new widget, which was blank.

I then opened the app again, and my previous text was gone.

The volume of data saved by the app did not change throughout this.

So I conclude that creating a new widget overwrite the data I'd typed into the previous widget. Which means the app is written on the assumption that anything you write there is transient rather than something you might want to keep, and has given no thought to data recovery (beyond re-entering the app before creating a new widget and taking a note of what's there).

I don't think root would help (I doubt the data are there, even more so that they are in an easily readable form, and most rooting methods these days require a bootloader unlock which will wipe the device anyway). You could contact the developer and ask them whether there is a way, but it's not obvious to me (there are very few options in the app).