Can we remove(clear) shared preferences of one application from other application?

[Abhishek Kumar Gupta]

Currently I am working in ICS source. I want to remove(clear) the sharedpreferences of one application from other application.
I have tried the following code in the other application to remove preferences of application having package name "com.android.blesettings":

                    Context context = getActivity().createPackageContext(

                            "com.android.blesettings", 0);

                    SharedPreferences mSettings = mSettingsContext.getSharedPreferences(

                            "profile_preference", MODE_WORLD_READABLE);

                    SharedPreferences.Editor mSettingsEditor = mBLESettings.edit();

                    mSettingsEditor.clear();

                    mSettingsEditor.commit();
     
                    File file = new File(
                            "/data/data/com.android.blesettings/shared_prefs/profile_preference.xml.bak");
                    file.delete();

I am able to remove(clear) the value of the sharedpreference of application(that I have observed by looking the "profile_settings" file) but it is taking value(previously saved) from the .bak file of the sharedpreferences.

I am unable to delete the .bak file of the sharedpreferences(profile_preference) of application having package name "com.android.blesettings".

I have used the same sharedUserId inside the manifest tag of AndroidManifest.xml of both applications (e.g.android:sharedUserId="android.uid.system")

 

How to resolve this issue?  Is it possible with SharedPreferences?
Any help or guidance will be well appreciated. 

[Dianne Hackborn]

No you can't do this.  And obviously this:

                    File file = new File(
                            "/data/data/com.android.blesettings/shared_prefs/profile_preference.xml.bak");

is totally wrong.  If you are writing fixed paths like this, you are going to break in certain situations in the future, I guarantee.

More generally, except under special situations (shared user IDs), two applications can not get direct access to each others' files at all, and this is enforced by the Linux kernel.

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Dianne Hackborn
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Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to provide private support, and so won't reply to such e-mails.  All such questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and answer them.

[Abhishek Kumar Gupta]

Hi Dianne Hackborn,

Thanks for the reply. Is there any way to clear the Shared preferences of another application? Or I have to use only Content Provider?

[Dianne Hackborn]

You'll have to talk with the developer of the other application for what they would allow you to do.  You can't directly poke at anything in another application unless it is providing something explicitly to let you do this.

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