Android SharedPreferences: Data accessible but shared_prefs folder missing

Question

I'm using SharedPreferences in my Android application to store information. I can successfully read and retrieve data using SharedPreferences. However, when I access the /data/data/myapplication/* directory with root privileges, I can't find the shared_prefs folder. Here's what I've done so far:

1. Implemented SharedPreferences in my app to store and retrieve data.
2. Verified that the data is being saved and can be read within the app.
3. Accessed the /data/data/myapplication/* directory using root privileges.
4. Searched for the shared_prefs folder, but it's not there.

My questions are:

• Where are my SharedPreferences being stored if not in the shared_prefs folder?
• Is there a reason why the shared_prefs folder might not be visible even with root access?
• Are there any specific Android versions or devices where the storage location for SharedPreferences might be different?ent?

Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!