Using phone to upload from SD card to LR - iPhone vs Android

[Toddster]

I have been using an iPhone to upload photos from my camera's SD card to Lightroom CC; the process works perfectly. If I have WiFi I prefer to use my tablet or computer but the iPhone is great for the times when only cellular data is available. I recently tried the same thing with an Android phone. Again, the transfer goes as expected but Android loads a bunch of new directories onto the SD card. The directories are mostly empty, it's not attempting to move data, just creating a bunch of useless directories. The camera doesn't seem to mind the new directories and an in camera format wipes them out anyway; so there is no real problem other than it bugs me.

Does anyone here know if there is some setting in Android that will keep it from creating directories on every single card that gets attached?

Title of the post asside, please don't turn this into a iPhone vs. Android battle. They both have benefits and flaws, lets just leave it at that.

Thanks in advance.
Todd

 

[Taneli]

Hi Todd!

I always transfer through WiFi on Android myself, but using a third-party app called My Phone Explorer:

MyPhoneExplorer | Functions

www.fjsoft.at

You need the PC-application as well. But then just start the app on your phone. Go over to PC-app, select the images you wanna transfer, drag and drop them right onto Lr (in library view). Works very easy I think and good transfer speed.

 

[John King]

Android File Manager+ allows direct access from tablet/phone to wired/wireless PCs on your home network.

I also recommend MyPhoneExplorer. Used it for many years.

Android writing junk on cards also irritates me! It's my device, not bloody Google's!

 

[Toddster]

Thanks @Taneli and @John King I had used My Phone Explorer in the past when I was still using Windows, now however My computer are Mac but my phone is Android. I know there are a couple of programs for Mac that let me transfer files by connecting to the computer. I’m not trying to do that though. I want to be able to take the memory card out of my camera, attach it to the phone and have LR uploaded the files. I can do it, but Android also writes a bunch of crap to the cameras SD card. I can do the same thing on IOS without the junk getting written to the card.

Surly to goodness there is some way to keep Android from writing files to a card that I only want it to read. Not exactly one of life’s biggest problems but as John said it’s my bloody card.

 

[John King]

Thanks @Taneli and @John King I had used My Phone Explorer in the past when I was still using Windows, now however My computer are Mac but my phone is Android. I know there are a couple of programs for Mac that let me transfer files by connecting to the computer. I’m not trying to do that though. I want to be able to take the memory card out of my camera, attach it to the phone and have LR uploaded the files. I can do it, but Android also writes a bunch of crap to the cameras SD card. I can do the same thing on IOS without the junk getting written to the card.

Surly to goodness there is some way to keep Android from writing files to a card that I only want it to read. Not exactly one of life’s biggest problems but as John said it’s my bloody card.

There isn't, Todd.

For some obscure and probably megalomaniacal reason, both Apple and Google (and Samsung ... ) seem to believe that they have part ownership of our devices. Bastards, is all I can say, all that's printable anyway ...

What you need is the Apple version of an OTG cable (On The Go), and an appropriate card reader to plug into it. I have a few OTG cables for USB mini and USB-C, and a USB3 card reader for my (Android) tablets.

Here these are readily available at any Officeworks store for about AUD $20. Double the price for Apple ones ... .

 

[Taneli]

aha, yes, the phone puts a standard folder set and structure on the card thinking you will use it as storage medium. The best way would be, I think, to mount it through a OTG cable and card reader as John says. You could even connect your camera directly to phone this way if you want.
(I have this fantastic USB-C hub device with 4 USB ports and card reader also built in (and LAN + HDMI), it works directly, no OTG cable needed)

 

[John King]

aha, yes, the phone puts a standard folder set and structure on the card thinking you will use it as storage medium. The best way would be, I think, to mount it through a OTG cable and card reader as John says. You could even connect your camera directly to phone this way if you want.
(I have this fantastic USB-C hub device with 4 USB ports and card reader also built in (and LAN + HDMI), it works directly, no OTG cable needed)

All well and good, but is almost certainly device/port type specific.

 

[Toddster]

Thanks guys. I do have the cables/adapters required. I can actually do the upload no problem from the Android phone or iPad tablet. The only issue is all of the extra files loaded onto the card when doing it with the Android phone.

There isn't, Todd.

Thanks John. I certainly get that we share the same frustration. In the past we actually had control of our devices and operating systems. Not anymore. And unfortunately no one seems to care, in fact I think most people prefer it. They just want it to work and don’t care at all about what is going on behind the curtain. Even if it means all of their data is being shared mined stolen.