hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A company uses a custom Android app that stores…
A company uses a custom Android app that stores data locally. After a recent OS update, the app fails to write data to the internal storage, but it can read existing data. The app has all necessary permissions. What is the most likely cause?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The OS update introduced scoped storage restrictions that the app does not support.
This question tests advanced knowledge of Android storage changes. Starting with Android 11, scoped storage restrictions limit how apps access shared storage. Even with permissions, apps may need to use specific APIs (like MediaStore or SAF) to write files. The app likely needs an update to comply with the new storage model.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The internal storage is full and cannot accept new data.
Why it's wrong here
If internal storage were genuinely full, the application would typically fail to write new data, but it would still be able to read existing data without issue. The scenario implies a specific problem with *writing* new data, while *reading* existing data is unaffected. A full storage condition usually results in a distinct "out of space" error, which isn't indicated as the primary problem here.
- ✓
The OS update introduced scoped storage restrictions that the app does not support.
Why this is correct
Android's scoped storage, introduced in Android 10 (API level 29), restricts apps to their own app-specific directories or specific media types, preventing broad access to shared storage. An older custom Android app, not updated to target a newer API level or implement the new storage access APIs, would lose its ability to write data to previously accessible shared locations after an OS update, even if it can still read its own existing files.
- ✗
The app's cache needs to be cleared to free up space.
Why it's wrong here
Clearing an app's cache primarily removes temporary files that the app uses for faster loading or operation, potentially freeing up a small amount of space or resolving minor performance glitches. However, this action does not alter the fundamental permissions or API-level restrictions imposed by the operating system on how an app can access persistent storage. It would not resolve an issue related to new OS-level storage policies preventing data writes.
- ✗
The device's SD card has been removed.
Why it's wrong here
The problem description explicitly states that the custom Android app stores data on the device's *internal storage*. The presence or absence of an external SD card, which is a separate storage medium, would therefore have no direct impact on the app's ability to write data to the internal storage. Issues with an SD card would only affect apps configured to use that specific external storage.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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