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[Q] Apps in SD card and custom ROMs

Hi all,
I'm not sure if this has been asked before.
I'm using Virtuous Unity 1.31. Let say I have several apps installed and I move them (via manage applications) to the SD card. All works fine.
Let's say a new version comes out and I flash the new ROM, doing a full data and cache wipe in the process.
When I re-install all the apps, they'll be installed in the phone memory by default, and not the SD card. Does this mean that the app data on the SD card from the previous install is redundant, since the OS will presumably recognise the app in the phone memory. Is there any way to determine which apps were moved to the SD card and subsequently, free up the space?
Cheers,

Bump?
Any one with any ideas? Or is my original post confusing? ;p

endlesstrail said:
Hi all,
I'm not sure if this has been asked before.
I'm using Virtuous Unity 1.31. Let say I have several apps installed and I move them (via manage applications) to the SD card. All works fine.
Let's say a new version comes out and I flash the new ROM, doing a full data and cache wipe in the process.
When I re-install all the apps, they'll be installed in the phone memory by default, and not the SD card. Does this mean that the app data on the SD card from the previous install is redundant, since the OS will presumably recognise the app in the phone memory. Is there any way to determine which apps were moved to the SD card and subsequently, free up the space?
Cheers,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct me if i'm wrong, but your problem is that you want to restore your data app from sd card and your are not sure cause they are already in phone memory? Or something different ? Because if you only want to put your apps from phone storage in sd-card again you can do it, you'll overwrite the older same apps..

You can try the app in my signature (SD Maid) to free up space.

Hanisa said:
Correct me if i'm wrong, but your problem is that you want to restore your data app from sd card and your are not sure cause they are already in phone memory? Or something different ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hanisa, my problem is that before I flash a new ROM, I usually do a wipe, which means when the new ROM is flashed in, it'll be "as stock" without any of my apps.
When I restore all my apps, either using Titanium Backup or the Android Marketplace, they'll be installed into the phone memory by default.
If for example I have Minisquadron installed and moved to the SD card before the wipe, when I re-install it, it will be in the phone memory by default. This means the data already on the SD card (before the wipe) is just wasted space.
Dark3n said:
You can try the app in my signature (SD Maid) to free up space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll give it a shot and see if it works for me.

only 200M left in internal phone memory

I was wondering the best way to clean this up. I have no internal space left. thanks

rosevilletoyota said:
I was wondering the best way to clean this up. I have no internal space left. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you already move your larger apps to your SD card?

I have a crapload of apps and I still have 900mb of internal. cant imagine what you've got going on lol..

regP said:
I have a crapload of apps and I still have 900mb of internal. cant imagine what you've got going on lol..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much is a crapload in ur eyes?
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

Just buy a class 10 memory card and move apps to that card.
Because it is class 10 the transfer rate of files will be much faster

rosevilletoyota said:
I was wondering the best way to clean this up. I have no internal space left. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had the same issue. I am assuming you are familiar with titanium backup for apps and you know how to make a nandroid backup of your current setup from cwm.
Use the batch feature in titanium and backup your user apps to your SD card. Remove your sd card. Then boot into recovery and format everything including emmc. This applies to 2.3 Roms only. Plug in your sd card complete with the rom you want to use. Reinstall your favorite 2.3 based rom and restore your user apps.
If you need help, let me know. I hope you find this helpful.

[Q] Galaxy R SD and USB Storage

Hi Friends,
I'm new to forum and bought new Galaxy R.
The partition in phone is divided into 3
1. phone memory 1.9 gb
2. USB storage 3.7 gb
3. My SD card 7.4 gb
Now the problem is I have download games and my USB storage is full.
I also I tried copying to SD card and playing it. but didn't work.
Since, This is my new phone I don't wanna root at early level since the company warranty is void if it is rooted as I have heard from friends.
I need help to copy into SD card and play without rooting
or atleast my game recognise the path of sd card where i have transferred.
I have seen previous post and tried many soft like apps2sd, etc.. nothing worked.
any alt solutions to copy in SD and play without rooting...
Thanks in advance..

Also when I try to transfer the files to SD Card using manager or other soft's but failed.
For example: Like I tried moving Gameloft Real football 2012 to SD Card. It only copies some 10 or 12 mb file which we download from market not the full files which we download later (i.e approx 400 mb)..

sajjadhussaini said:
Also when I try to transfer the files to SD Card using manager or other soft's but failed.
For example: Like I tried moving Gameloft Real football 2012 to SD Card. It only copies some 10 or 12 mb file which we download from market not the full files which we download later (i.e approx 400 mb)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try to reset your phone....
settings-> privecy-> formate

sajjadhussaini said:
Also when I try to transfer the files to SD Card using manager or other soft's but failed.
For example: Like I tried moving Gameloft Real football 2012 to SD Card. It only copies some 10 or 12 mb file which we download from market not the full files which we download later (i.e approx 400 mb)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no need to format dude !
Install this app GL to SD from Android market and move data to external SD. How to use this app is given in the following thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1328053

akshatsourav said:
try to reset your phone....
settings-> privecy-> formate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
format? LOL
I used GL to SD which can move huge data that we downloaded later into SD card.
but to me it is a bit confusing.. and sometimes i got 2 identical data both in my SD card and USB Storage.. im not sure if GL to SD support backup if you change your phone..

'cooleagle' said:
There's no need to format dude !
Install this app GL to SD from Android market and move data to external SD. How to use this app is given in the following thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1328053
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GL TO SD requires root. As given in the instructions, and i and the original poster doesn't want root.
Any other feasible option?

akshatsourav said:
try to reset your phone....
settings-> privecy-> formate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahaha.... Thanks for funny reply...
But, I don't wanna format
'cooleagle' said:
There's no need to format dude !
Install this app GL to SD from Android market and move data to external SD. How to use this app is given in the following thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1328053
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
krobar77 said:
format? LOL
I used GL to SD which can move huge data that we downloaded later into SD card.
but to me it is a bit confusing.. and sometimes i got 2 identical data both in my SD card and USB Storage.. im not sure if GL to SD support backup if you change your phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice friends, as I said.. I do not want to root but this application requires root.
Please, do let me know if any other option left
sagarwadhwa1 said:
GL TO SD requires root. As given in the instructions, and i and the original poster doesn't want root.
Any other feasible option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks bro.. It is pretty hard to get this stuff solved..
Also, I tried the application for Mount.. even these app needs rooting.. God knows what to do...

Hi Friends,
I found some important stuff regarding the USB Storage & SD card..
This is for "Non-rooted" mobile phones.
I installed ES file explorer & X-plore and also few other apps.. This is to check how arrangement of file system are in the phone.
Now what i absorbed is, In the display of phone memory it shows 1.9gb and for SD Card memory it shows 4.9gb which is USB storage not the one which I have installed 8gb SD Card.
So its like this..
" /mnt/sdcard " This is for USB 4gb space (Non extendable)
" /mnt/sdcard/external_sd/ " This is for my 8gb sd card (Extendable)
Hence, when ever any App wants to download additional data it goes to USB Storage (I.e /mnt/sdcard ) not to SD 8gb expandable storage card.
I want to configure or use the command to make the application to choose default location as " /mnt/sdcard/external_sd/ " to save in my extendable memory card without rooting.
IS THIS POSSIBLE... Please do let me know from the experts...
THANK YOU..

From what i have seen , u need a shadow copy or u need to bind the folders in some way, which requires root... I see no other way...
Sent from my GT-I9103 using XDA App

Insufficient storage available.

Hi,
I have an Android device. I bought it from our local cellphone shop, a Cherry Mobile phone. name of the unit is Jelly. Its Android Version used was 4.2.2. I have 165mb of internal storage(17.88mb available) and 14.87GB(13.28GB available) of SD card. I've rooted it using FramaRoot. I'm getting this error when I download or install an application using Playstore and APK installer.
"Error downloading. Insufficient storage available".
I tried clearing the cache. I've put it's Preffered install location to "SD card". Default Write Disk to "SD card" . But nothing worked! I really need help!
I cant download anything! I tried to download Link2SD(a 3mb file) to fix but nothing! I've tried installing Lucky Patcher apk. but it said "Insufficient ....................." .. How do I fix this?

I also noticed this when I was running out of storage, even though there was enough space for apps.
Try deleting some more data in your internal storage, not the SD card, and it should work again.

Basically, if u download an apps from the Play Store, the apps will be stored first in the internal storage. After that it will automatically moved to SD Card if u have root and set ur device.
Does the app which u want to download larger than the available internal storage?
If that so, u should free some memory in ur device.
Otherwise, u could try to enlarge the internal storage of ur device, try to find it in other part of this forum corresponding to your device.

17MB internal is the problem. It can't download an app directly to the SD, it has to pass through the internal memory first.
Clear some space on the internal memory.
Also, try dialing *#9900# and clicking on 'delete dumpstate/logcat'. Might give you a few more MB's.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk 2

8gb internal storage solutions

So I got the Moto G 1gb, 8 gigs of internal storage version.
I love this phone so far and I've pretty much set it up how I'd like it, but the 8gb internal storage has turned into an issue.
I got Appmanager III, moved pretty much everything to my 32 gig external, but I still have only like 600 mb to spare on the internal, with well over half of the external left over.
Is there another app that will allow me to move all the app data left over in the internal over to the external?
If that's not enough, I'd also be interested in knowing if there's any way I can force the system to use the external as the main storage for all the OS functions. I already used adb to set all the default downloads to the external.
Finally, I'd like to know if custom ROMs like cyanogenmod would use up less storage than the stock OS, or at least let me use more of my internal by reducing the amount of bloatware (why can i NOT get rid of google movies or google+??? come ON)
I'm rooted and have installed twrp so both root and custom recovery solutions are welcome. Thanks for your time and help!

If it were me, I'd make a Nandroid with TWRP on the external as well as a backup with Titanium and then use Titanium to delete unwanted bloatware. Wouldn't that help?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

bruce7373 said:
If it were me, I'd make a Nandroid with TWRP on the external as well as a backup with Titanium and then use Titanium to delete unwanted bloatware. Wouldn't that help?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
System apps, ie those that come with the phone such as google movies, live in the system partition. If they are updated then the update lives in the internal storage. Uninstalling via titanium will of course free up both system and internal storage space.
However just disabling them will be sufficient, this will remove all updates from internal storage and just leave the apk in the system partition. Its the internal storage that you want to be less full as this is where user apps, pictures etc all reside (assuming you haven't yet moved them to an SD card).
Disabling is less drastic than uninstalling and is maybe the preferred option in case you otherwise uninstall something that breaks your phone.

I've tried that, but for whatever reason if I disable, say, google play movie or whatever, my phone eventually ends up redownloading them? It's really odd and honestly pretty annoying.
I'd still like to know if there's any way to keep all the main app data on the external or something though. Are Cyanogenmod ROMs installers smaller? I don't need THAT much more space to feel comfortable, having 1 gigabyte would be ok with me. I just don't like having like 600 MB free at most...
EDIT: If I can just move the app data for a few games and Google Chrome, that should fix it, too. Those seem to be the real space hogs, so if I can move those I should be able to handle everything else
EDIT EDIT: Would an app like Link2SD work for this phone or has no one tested that yet?

Hi Tazzypilar, Yes Link2Sd wil work wery well. All wat you have to do is to install MiniTool Partition Wizzard Professional on your PC, then put your micro SD card in the cardreader on your desktop or laptop to make two partitions on your SdMicro card (card must be class 10). Start program MiniTool Partition Wizzard Professional and look for your microSD card on the list with disks. Right click on your removable disk (micro sd card) and you can resize your first Fat32 partition and make it smaller for at least 2 GB. After that you will have 2 GB unused space behind this Fat32 partition. Now click with right mouse on this unused space and choose „Create“ new partition and make it ext4 file system partition. You will be prompt „Are you sure that you want to make ext4 partiton because Windows can't see it ?“ and answare „Yes“ . So, one partition will be Fat32 and you can make it as big as you like depending on the size of your MicroSd card and second should be at least 2GB (or greater - also may be smaller, it's up to you) ext4 partition and there you will move your apps from the internal phone memory.
That's all, after that you have to install Link2Sd from playstore and link apps you like to move to your SdCard. Succes ! If you have more questions jut ask !
Greetz !
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Where did my storage go?
Just asked my self a very similar questions
I attachment a screen shot
From the 8gb 3,5 go to Android system
So 4,5gb for internal I thought., but no.
I installed about 2gb of apps and 200mb cache.
Ah I forgot to mention that this is a fresh install after factory reset and still I am missing alot of storage see screen shot
Is this normal? I am on stock not rooted with some apps already moved to SD Any ideas?

Upgrade to android M, use external SD as internal card
Why not upgrade to android M and use phone's feature to use external card as internal card.

sandipkc7 said:
Why not upgrade to android M and use phone's feature to use external card as internal card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am glad you brought this up, guess what I am already on M and using the SD card feature, unfortunately I can only a small portion of the apps move to the SD card the rest stays internal

Look for posts on link2sd, it needs to be a fast card and then formatted using both std FAT and ext (linux) partitions. Then you can move almost everything.
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Though Im using LG H502F. Correct me if Im wrong but I think thats because the internal storage is emulated. Ive been using Link2SD and it works well. I can link app data and external data to the mounted partition. The only difference I noticed was... When opening the app it takes a couple of second or more compared to the unlinked apps... Anyways. Try to check if your storage is emulated. If it is, then that 3GB available space for a stock rom is as good as it gets. Mine have 8GB rom but the end user is only 3GB something.
Sent from my LG-H502 using XDA-Developers mobile app

merlin2380 said:
I am glad you brought this up, guess what I am already on M and using the SD card feature, unfortunately I can only a small portion of the apps move to the SD card the rest stays internal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In android M you can "transform" your sd card in internal memory (in Settings>Storage>SdCard>Definitions). If you have a fast 32 Gb card, you can format it to internal and it is as you have 32 Gb internal memory, but your sdcard must "live" with your phone (can't be used as sdcard in other device).
I think that is what @sandipkc7 means.

I did that not very usefull

merlin2380 said:
I did that not very usefull
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried internal storage option in marshmallow and at first i taught it was rubbish, but i kinda left sdcard alone and install another ROM.
So stuff on my internal storage was nowhere to be found. I installed latest recovery (TWRP) Flashed another rom and this is where things started to get interesting.
When i first converted sdcard to use as internal storage my phone was still eating up the internal memory 8GB on the phone.
Now however android system decided to do away with internal 8GB memory and use sdcard as a main storage. my photos are stored there and all data i noticed that almost everything is installed on sdcard now. so my storage is not vanishing away. I have about 1.7GB used on there.
There are some apps that can be moved manually to sdcard storage (converted to internal) - for example some of the system apps and most of google apps stay in phones memory not on sdcard and they can't be moved manually.
So my advise is covert your card to internal memory and then do factory reset or install another ROM.
Option 2 as mentioned above in posts is to use app called Link2SD - it is worth to opt for paid version which gives you more options of what to copy to 2nd partiton of your sdcard.
i have amazon fire 7 (£50 tablet) setup with option 2 - same storage 8GB. It works well. due to lack of marshmallow for this device i cannot use internal sd as an option. I have 2GB used there and rest sits on sdcard. i have installed few resource (storage) hugging apps - 1.2 GB, 2 GB each (gameloft games) - all moved to sd with link2sd app.
on my moto g 2015 i use android build in solution and it works well. You have to keep in mind that with this solution you can't simply copy files to your computer. Sdcard is encrypted at device level and it can only be access via your phone. However you can use any wifi file transfer app to copy some files over or via phones hotspot (i use droid over wifi or web pc suite to name few).
hope this helped a little

sandipkc7 said:
Why not upgrade to android M and use phone's feature to use external card as internal card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
honestly, its not worth it to use sdcard as internal, despite the micro sd card being fast, it made my phone ridiculously slow..............

marsrolled said:
honestly, its not worth it to use sdcard as internal, despite the micro sd card being fast, it made my phone ridiculously slow..............
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because of this slow down i did a reset to default settings. This did help and now the phone works much better, just make sure you always have 500MB empty on the internal storage, anything less and tbe phone performance goes down imediatly.
All the talking about this no so vreat sdcardinteral storage feature was too much for my 32 GB samsung evo micro sd card, it died less than 6 months of service. This was already the 2nd from the evo series that hung up on me and let me to dataloss thanks to google drive all was backedup
I will now root the phone and get a custom rom, probaply cm offical

Did you ever find out how to recover that lost 2GB? I have the exact same problem and managed to maybe find the 2GB in the /data folder; however it is sys locked and I'm not ready to root a brand new phone yet.
I have 8 apps installed (not counting google/motorola pre-installed) on my Moto G3 and showing 3.72GB used of 4.53GB available internal. It then shows 1.36 GB used by apps, 1.71 MB by cache. Other 2GB is a mystery?Device storage shows only 16GB used of 37GB availabe due to SD card.