Give Termux Access to Shared Storage With termux-setup-storage

By default Termux cannot see your phone’s shared folders (Downloads, Photos, DCIM). termux-setup-storage asks Android for permission and creates handy links under ~/storage/. This is a deep dive—Medium only because Android 11+ permission quirks show up often.

What You Need

Grant storage and explore ~/storage

1. 01

   Step 1: Run termux-setup-storage

   termux-setup-storage

   Built into Termux—no separate pkg install for this command. Android should show a permission dialog; tap Allow.

2. 02

   Step 2: Confirm the symlink folder

   ls -la ~/storage

   Typical links (names can vary slightly by Android version):

   • shared — shared storage root (often /sdcard)
   • downloads — Downloads
   • dcim — camera / DCIM
   • pictures, music, movies — media folders
3. 03

   Step 3: Browse and copy a file

   cd ~/storage/downloads
   pwd
   ls
   cd ~
   echo "hello from termux" > ~/note-from-termux.txt
   cp ~/note-from-termux.txt ~/storage/downloads/
   ls ~/storage/downloads/note-from-termux.txt

   Open the Files app → Downloads: you should see note-from-termux.txt. Import works the other way: cp ~/storage/downloads/some.pdf ~/.

4. 04

   Step 4: Android 11+ “Permission denied”

   If ls ~/storage/shared fails after you thought you allowed access:

   1. Open system Settings → Apps → Termux → Permissions.
   2. Revoke Files and media / Storage, then grant it again (on some builds choose Allow management of all files if offered).
   3. Return to Termux and re-run termux-setup-storage.
5. 05

   Step 5: Re-run safely

   Running termux-setup-storage again is fine—it recreates the symlinks if missing. If ~/storage never appears, fix permissions (step 4) first.

Official docs