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Using External Storage (SD Cards) if available

Termux Masterclass: From Zero to Linux Power User on Android

23. Using External Storage (SD Cards) if available

If your Android device supports external storage (MicroSD card), Termux can usually access it, provided you ran termux-setup-storage.

Accessing the External Mount Point

Android mounts external SD cards in specific locations, often labeled dynamically.

When you navigate to ~/storage, look for links that start with external-:

bash $ cd ~/storage $ ls dcims downloads external-1 external-2 movies music ...

  • external-1, external-2, etc., are often the links to your SD card or other mounted external volumes.

Verification and Testing

  1. Change Directory: Try navigating into one of the external-X directories. bash $ cd external-1

  2. Test Write Permission: Create a test file to ensure you can write data to the SD card, not just read it. bash $ touch SD_card_test.txt $ ls

    If SD_card_test.txt appears, permissions are correct.

    $ rm SD_card_test.txt

Troubleshooting: If you cannot access external storage after running termux-setup-storage, ensure that Android permissions for Termux are explicitly set to 'Allow all the time' or 'Allow access to media and files' in your device settings.