What is a .NOMEDIA file?
A .NOMEDIA file is a special kind of file used on Android phones and tablets. It doesn't have anything inside it - it's an empty file. But, it has a very important job. When you put a .NOMEDIA file in a folder on your Android device or on a memory card, it acts like a "Do Not Enter" sign for apps that look for photos, videos, or music. This means that any app that tries to find media files to show you, like your photo gallery app or a music player, will ignore any folder that has a .NOMEDIA file in it. This is useful because sometimes there are folders you don't want showing up in your gallery or music app, like folders with private pictures or folders used by other apps that contain images or sounds you don't need to see.
To make a folder invisible to media apps, you don't need to give the .NOMEDIA file a name. You just create an empty file and name it .nomedia.
There are a few apps that can open or manage .NOMEDIA files on Android devices. Some of these are File Viewer for Android, g(x) labs Nomedia, and Droida Nomedia. These apps can help you see where .NOMEDIA files are or delete them if you decide you want a folder to be visible to your media apps again.
Why would you want to use a .NOMEDIA file? There are a couple of reasons. Maybe you have some private photos or documents you don't want popping up in your gallery. Or, if you have a lot of media files on your device, having some folders marked with .NOMEDIA files can make your media apps run faster because they have fewer files to look through.
Also, some apps automatically create .NOMEDIA files in their folders to keep their files hidden. This could be for privacy reasons or to keep things tidy. For example, an app with ads might hide those ad files so they don't show up in your gallery or music player.
If you ever change your mind and want a folder to show up in your media apps again, you can just delete the .NOMEDIA file from that folder. You can do this with a file manager app on your Android device or with one of the specific .NOMEDIA management apps mentioned earlier.
Verification
Our goal is to help people find the most up-to-date information about file extensions for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. We researched over 10,000 file extensions and their respective programs that open those files. If you want to suggest edits or updates about .NOMEDIA file formats, example files, or programs that are compatible. Please contact us.