XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone, alt.comp.os.windows-10   
   From: mariasophia@comprehension.com   
      
   Maria Sophia wrote:   
   > Since I'm not the only one who tests all three ecosystems at home daily,   
   > I'm sure many others use all three ecosystems so they run into the same   
   > symptoms-missing folders, incomplete DCIM listings, or inconsistent USB   
   > transfers that Chris described on the iPhone newsgroups last week.   
   >   
   > Hence, to leverage the knowledge to everyone concerned, below I'm posting   
   > the full analysis verbatim so everyone can benefit from the same technical   
   > background and workarounds that the iOS newsgroup recently benefited from.   
      
   To follow up on the issues for Windows users who wish to read and write to   
   the iOS and Android file systems, it's important to clarify exactly what   
   iOS & Android actually expose to Windows when we connect over USB or WiFi.   
      
   Since Windows users mainly care about what can be read and written from   
   File Explorer, below is a simple clarification of the filesys differences.   
      
   Q: What filesys can Windows users access on Android?   
      
   Modern Android devices use MTP over USB, but they still expose a vast   
   normal-looking storage area that Windows can browse for read/write access.   
      
   Hence, Windows users typically see folders such as:   
   1. DCIM   
   2. Downloads   
   3. Movies   
   4. Music   
   5. Pictures   
   6. Documents   
   7. Screenshots   
   8. App-created media folders   
      etc.   
      
   While this is not the raw filesystem, it is the real user-accessible   
   storage tree. Windows can read and write files in these folders.   
      
   Android does not rebuild or virtualize them on the fly like iOS does.   
      
   Over WiFi, Android apps can expose the same storage via SMB, WebDAV or   
   similar protocols. This gives Windows r/w access to the same user storage.   
      
   So what is the practical result for Windows users?   
   1. Stable folder structure, unlike with iOS   
   2. New files appear immediately, unlike with iOS   
   3. Large transfers usually work   
   4. Both read and write are supported, unlike with iOS   
   5. SMB and WiFi transfers behave like a normal network share   
      
   Q: What filesys can Windows users access on iOS?   
      
   iOS also uses MTP over USB, but it exposes only a virtual DCIM folder.   
   This DCIM tree is generated by iOS on demand from the Photos database.   
      
   Hence, Windows users typically see:   
   1. DCIM   
   2. 100APPLE   
   3. 101APPLE   
   4. 102APPLE   
   5. And so on (which follows Apple's utterly absurd rigid naming systems)   
      
   That is all you get.   
   Yup. You're basically screwed with iOS in terms of Windows filesys access.   
      
   No Downloads, no Documents, no app folders, no general   
   storage. The DCIM tree is not the real filesystem. It is a temporary,   
   virtual view that iOS rebuilds only when certain events occur, such as   
   unlocking the phone, opening the Photos app or rebooting.   
      
   Bear in mind that there is a good reason (aka profit) that Apple products   
   basically don't play well with anything other than other Apple products.   
      
   Certainly iOS does not play well with Windows compared to all other OS's.   
   Because the DCIM tree is virtual and cached, Windows often sees:   
   1. Missing newer folders   
   2. Incomplete file lists   
   3. "Device unreachable" errors   
   4. Old folders still appearing after deletion   
   5. Transfers failing on large batches   
      
   Over WiFi, it's even worse most of the time as iOS does not expose general   
   storage. Even SMB-style clients (which are indeed better on iOS than on   
   Android) can only access what Apple allows through the Files sandbox.   
      
   Despite access to privileged ports, they still cannot directly expose the   
   full photo library unless the app implements its own import & export layer.   
      
   So what is the practical result for Windows users:   
   1. Only photos and videos are visible   
   2. Folder lists may be incomplete   
   3. New photos may not appear until iOS rebuilds the DCIM view   
   4. Large transfers often fail   
   5. Write access is limited or blocked   
   6. SMB apps cannot expose the real photo library   
      
   Overall, this is a summary for Windows users of mobile filesys access:   
      
   Android:   
   1. Exposes a broad, stable, user accessible storage tree   
   2. Windows can read and write normally   
   3. USB and WiFi transfers behave like a normal filesystem   
      
   iOS:   
   1. Exposes only a virtual DCIM folder   
   2. Windows can read photos, but the list is often incomplete   
   3. Write access is limited or blocked   
   4. USB and WiFi transfers are restricted by design   
      
   In short:   
   1. Android exposes a real user storage area   
   2. iOS exposes only a virtual photo directory   
      
   This is why Windows users see far fewer problems with Android transfers   
   than with iPhone transfers, even though both technically use MTP.   
   --   
   Apple products are designed mainly for profit, where user utility is a   
   vastly secondary consideration, whereas most operating systems differ.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)