Introduction

Since most applications, big or small, require saving data – from default user selections to user accounts – Android offers many options. From saving a simple value to creating full databases using SQLite, storage options include the following:

• Shared preferences: Simple name/value pairs
• Internal storage: Data files in private storage
• External storage: Data files in private or public storage
• SQLite database: Private data (can be made public through a Content Provider)
• Cloud storage: Private server or service provider

There are benefits and trade-offs to using internal and external storage. We will list some of the differences here to help you decide which option best fits your needs:

Internal storage:

• Unlike external storage, internal storage is always available but generally has less free space
• Files are not accessible to the user (unless the device has root access)
• Files are automatically deleted when your app is uninstalled (or with the Clear Cache/Cleanup File option in the App Manager...