NOMEDIA File Extension
Have a problem opening a .NOMEDIA file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what NOMEDIA files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.
Have a problem opening a .NOMEDIA file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what NOMEDIA files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.
The .nomedia extension is found in empty placeholder files that change indexing behavior of certain applications within an Android-based system. Strictly speaking, '.nomedia' is not an extension, it is a filename. In Unix/Linux-based systems like Android, filenames with leading dots are considered hidden and not generally shown in directory listings. Such files are often used to store settings and preferences.
Files with the '.nomedia' filename are specifically used in Android to exclude any directories from being indexed by the image and music gallery application. A directory is excluded from indexing and does not show in the gallery if an empty .nomedia file is present in that directory. On the system level, a NOMEDIA file marks the directory as not containing any media.
However, on some devices (mainly, Samsung Galaxy) this works only for newly created directories, while directories already indexed will remain listed in the gallery.
Presence of a .nomedia file inside a directory does not affect behavior of any file manager in any way.