Many people think if they delete the DATA of their Gallery app, all their photos and videos will be gone. Or if they delete the DATA of their SMS app, all their messages would be gone.
FACT
Deleting DATA of apps only deletes the files or data of that app that is saved inside theAndroid folder. The files outside the Android folder are safe.
Your camera app saves all pictures and videos inside the DCIM folder, which is outside the Android folder. Same is true of files you download.
Do note that WhatsApp saves all its files, including photos and videos you receive and send, inside the Android/ media folder. So if you delete the DATA of WhatsApp app, all these media files, backups, etc. will also be gone!
Some other apps too may be saving your files inside the Android folder, so watch out for those.
Likewise, all your call logs and messages are saved in the'Phone and Messaging Storage' app's folder, which is a hidden system app. Deleting the DATA of your SMS app or Dialer app won't delete this data.
MYTH
A user wanted to move his SMS app inside the Secure Folder to keep them safe, but Secure Folder didn't provide the option to install the stock messages app inside the Secure Folder:
In the Secure Folder, you only install the app, not the actual messages.
Secure Folder protects the apps installed inside it, and their data withencryption. Your messages and call logs are saved in'Phone and Messaging Storage'. This app is NOT installed inside the Secure Folder.
Your SMS app only accesses the data stored in that app. That's why even if you delete the data of your SMS app, your actual messages won't be lost. Or if you delete the DATA of your dialer app, your call logs won't be lost. But if you delete the data of 'Phone and Messaging Storage' app, all your messages and call logs would be gone. Same holds true of the Contacts app. Your contacts are not saved in that app you see in your launcher, but instead in a hidden system app calledContacts Storage.
So even if you install the SMS app inside Secure Folder, the data it accesses is still outside of it.
Do note that it's not like anything outside the Secure Folder isn't safe. That too is safe, but only lacks encryption. It is still protected by Samsung's hardware based KNOX security.
