Newer Galaxy Tablets and moving apps to SD card - General Questions and Answers

Greetings,
I just picked up a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) from Costco, and have encountered a problem of not being able to transfer apps to the SD card. My 2017 Samsung Galaxy Tab A allows this option just fine. I have already enabled developer options and selected the option to force apps to SD card. I also go to the app information where I would see how much space it is using and then move eligible apps to SD on my old device. This new new device doesn't have that as an option. 3rd party apps like "App to SD card" do not work even after giving them permissions and selecting the developer option I explained above. One final point should be that I did format the SD card and there was not the option to format SD card as internal storage.....
Has Samsung sneakily removed this functionality from their newer devices? If so, are there any options for me?
Super disappointing. - Only 16 GB of internal memory and it does not allow me to transfer apps to the "included" SD card.
Does anybody have further information or advice?
Thank you so much,

Related

SDHC Card Recognition on Galaxy Tab 7.7 (GT-P6800)

Hi All,
I've seen questions similar to mine here but no answers so, at the risk of being repetitive, here's the problem that I would very much appreciate help with.
I have a new SGT 7.7 running ICS which can't be rooted so what seems to be the standard response to getting the Tab to recognize the micro SD card (in this case a 32GB Samsung Class 10 SDHC) doesn't apply. The card has been reformatted to FAT32 but I still the message, "The device does not have a real primary external storage, or the primary external storage is emulated. Moving app to SD function may not be supported by this device." The only thing that does show up on the SD card is a wallpaper butterfly I downloaded, but no apps, even those purported to be able to be moved. The move to SD card option never appears.
Kies for Mac is on my iMac and I've moved a few songs from iTunes onto it and it appears they are now on the card. However, the music does not appear anywhere on the Tab so the card is still not being recognized.
I'm totally frustrated and at wit's end. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong or need to do to fix this so that I can move suitable apps, music, and photos onto the card?
Thank you so VERY much!
somebody please help me,,after upgrading from 3.2 to 4.0 ics my korean version tab cannot connect internet,,,the apn setting didn't work ,,,i guess i need to change back to honeycomb,,it works well on 3.2
EBryant said:
Hi All,
I've seen questions similar to mine here but no answers so, at the risk of being repetitive, here's the problem that I would very much appreciate help with.
I have a new SGT 7.7 running ICS which can't be rooted so what seems to be the standard response to getting the Tab to recognize the micro SD card (in this case a 32GB Samsung Class 10 SDHC) doesn't apply. The card has been reformatted to FAT32 but I still the message, "The device does not have a real primary external storage, or the primary external storage is emulated. Moving app to SD function may not be supported by this device." The only thing that does show up on the SD card is a wallpaper butterfly I downloaded, but no apps, even those purported to be able to be moved. The move to SD card option never appears.
Kies for Mac is on my iMac and I've moved a few songs from iTunes onto it and it appears they are now on the card. However, the music does not appear anywhere on the Tab so the card is still not being recognized.
I'm totally frustrated and at wit's end. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong or need to do to fix this so that I can move suitable apps, music, and photos onto the card?
Thank you so VERY much!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi...
First thing first... Ofcourse u can root yr P6800 w ICS. Read the universal root thread
Then hopefully Yr dilemma is solved. FYI, moving apps to SD not supported on p6800.
EBryant said:
Hi All,
I've seen questions similar to mine here but no answers so, at the risk of being repetitive, here's the problem that I would very much appreciate help with.
I have a new SGT 7.7 running ICS which can't be rooted so what seems to be the standard response to getting the Tab to recognize the micro SD card (in this case a 32GB Samsung Class 10 SDHC) doesn't apply. The card has been reformatted to FAT32 but I still the message, "The device does not have a real primary external storage, or the primary external storage is emulated. Moving app to SD function may not be supported by this device." The only thing that does show up on the SD card is a wallpaper butterfly I downloaded, but no apps, even those purported to be able to be moved. The move to SD card option never appears.
Kies for Mac is on my iMac and I've moved a few songs from iTunes onto it and it appears they are now on the card. However, the music does not appear anywhere on the Tab so the card is still not being recognized.
I'm totally frustrated and at wit's end. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong or need to do to fix this so that I can move suitable apps, music, and photos onto the card?
Thank you so VERY much!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you want to use app2sd software... it wont work on 6800...
Rooting P6800
Hi Whomever You Are,
No, I can't root the tablet. I'm a 67 yr. old Android novice and doing this on my old Mac is beyond my ability. I've seen nowhere that I can have it done. Also, the third direction says, "Put the created folder at your External Micro SDcard." As you noted, the SD card can't be used. Finally, the tablet is now back in Hong Kong for repair -- defective battery. Thanks anyway.
You can put the zip in internal SD. It still works.
Internal SD?!?
skycruzer said:
You can put the zip in internal SD. It still works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Skycruzer,
That's interesting. I know what an external SD (card) is and what internal memory is but I've never heard of internal "SD."
What is it; where is it; and how do you put zips into it? I'm afraid there's more to this tablet than I'll ever master. Maybe
when it gets back from Hong Kong I should just send the Tab to you to root and do whatever with. How's that sound? LOL
Elena
the internal memory is call Internal SD on samsung device... same thing...

External SD card access (move apps + apps writing to SD) in Lollipop and Marshmallows

With Lollipop, does the Z5 (without rooting):
allow apps to be moved to an external SD card?
allow apps to write to the external SD card?
With the Z3 and Kitkat, point 2 was possible with root, but I haven't figured out point 1, not even with root.
I read somewhere that Lollipop should allow (2), but it should depend on the implementation of each phone.
Also, do you know if these two points are supposed to change in any way with Marshmallows?
Yes to both. The Z3 does both too.
jeremy_inc said:
Yes to both. The Z3 does both too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mmm, my Z3 with Kitkat does neither without root. Are you sure the Z5 does?
In my Z3:
There is no 'move app to SD card' option.
As for getting apps to write to the external SD card, I only managed to achieve it with root (there's a way to modify write permission which you can only change if you are rooted). Before this change, for example, Titanium Backup couldn't write backups to the external sd card
Sorry, Z3 on Lollipop I meant
Well apps on SD Works on z5
Just like on z1. I don't know if all apps work this way but:
You have to go to your app menu and check those checkboxes under the SD card page
I believe it'll work the same on z3
For apps to write on SD card it's need to be implemented in the app
For example total commander does this:
Once you try moving to SD card it opens the default android dialog and chose SD card
Bare 2 things in mind:
1. The whole app wont be moved over. Some can still take a load of space up on main storage.
2. When you update an app the system moves the whole app back onto the main storage.
This was from my Xperia z3 experience on lollipop.
Sent from my E5563 using Tapatalk
JKWR said:
Bare 2 things in mind:
1. The whole app wont be moved over. Some can still take a load of space up on main storage.
2. When you update an app the system moves the whole app back onto the main storage.
This was from my Xperia z3 experience on lollipop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does (2) apply to all apps, or does it depend on how the app was coded by the developers?
I'm thinking of apps where it makes sense to keep the app/engine separate from additional data required (as is the case for games, dictionaries, etc.).
It totally defies the purpose...
To be honest I only remember the biggest culprits which were the big apps, namely:
Ms Word, Excel, PowerPoint. (probably a gb there that you have to mess about with all the time as it seems they are updated at least once a week)
Nearly all Games like plants vs zombies 2, angry birds 2, rayman fiesta run, angry birds transformers, jetpack joyride.
So basically you have to make sure you always have 3-4gig free on your main mem to stop these regular updates from eating every last bit up or getting a long list of update messages saying canot install due to insufficient memory. It drive me nuts on the z3 16gb.
I may have to skip the z5 32gb main mem for this purpose as well. Im a heavy app/game user though so 32gb might be OK for you
Sent from my E5563 using Tapatalk
cdl2 said:
With Lollipop, does the Z5 (without rooting):
allow apps to be moved to an external SD card?
allow apps to write to the external SD card?
With the Z3 and Kitkat, point 2 was possible with root, but I haven't figured out point 1, not even with root.
I read somewhere that Lollipop should allow (2), but it should depend on the implementation of each phone.
Also, do you know if these two points are supposed to change in any way with Marshmallows?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - Yes - Go to Settings > Apps > Scroll right one to ON SD CARD tab > tick which app(s) you want moving to the SD card. Not everything is moved though, but enough. The Z3 on Lollipop is exactly the same.
2 - Unrooted, the rules are, as far as I can tell - System apps (like File Commander) have full access to the SD card, so can read and write to/from the SD card. If you install a 3rd party app, like another file manager from Play Store, it will not be able to write to the SD card as it is a user app. Certain 3rd party apps can write to the SD card, but their data is stored in a system sub folder on the SD card, and they are restricted to that location only. If you delete the app, the data is also deleted.
I used to use the SD Fix on KitKat, but I just rooted my Z3, and my File Manager can read/write the SD card. Not really sure how we are going to go with rooting Locked Bootloader Z5's yet, so we'll just have to see.
SD card access is changing again in Marshmallow, and should be better, going by what I've heard. You can now choose to treat your SD card as you do now, or as an 'extension' of your internal memory, but I think if you do choose to extend your internal memory, then it will be encrypted for use in that device only. If you don't use it as an extension, then I'm not yet sure what the permissions will be for general read/write access.
MickieH said:
1 - Yes - Go to Settings > Apps > Scroll right one to ON SD CARD tab > tick which app(s) you want moving to the SD card. Not everything is moved though, but enough. The Z3 on Lollipop is exactly the same.
2 - Unrooted, the rules are, as far as I can tell - System apps (like File Commander) have full access to the SD card, so can read and write to/from the SD card. If you install a 3rd party app, like another file manager from Play Store, it will not be able to write to the SD card as it is a user app. Certain 3rd party apps can write to the SD card, but their data is stored in a system sub folder on the SD card, and they are restricted to that location only. If you delete the app, the data is also deleted.
I used to use the SD Fix on KitKat, but I just rooted my Z3, and my File Manager can read/write the SD card. Not really sure how we are going to go with rooting Locked Bootloader Z5's yet, so we'll just have to see.
SD card access is changing again in Marshmallow, and should be better, going by what I've heard. You can now choose to treat your SD card as you do now, or as an 'extension' of your internal memory, but I think if you do choose to extend your internal memory, then it will be encrypted for use in that device only. If you don't use it as an extension, then I'm not yet sure what the permissions will be for general read/write access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, fellows, has anyone solved the problem of writing to external SD cards on marshmallow?

Even with SD card set as primary storage most apps still reside on local storage

When I first got the phone I set the 32 gb SD card as the primary storage because I read the phone lacks the feature at least in 4.1 to manually manage moving apps to SD card. I thought everything was fine but now I notice in the details of almost all of my apps that they are stored on the local storage. Without an option to move these items to SD how can I force them to move to SD card. I downloaded HiSuite and got it working after I enabled everything but don't see a way to move apps to SD and most of the apps on the play store just direct you to the section where you'd traditionally move the items to SD and the feature isn't there. Is there something I can do to get some of these games/apps to SD card or any chance that once I get nougat in the next month or two I'd at least be able to do so then? Thanks. These forums have been real lifesavers a number of times even though I mostly lurk.
I think ever since Android 5.0 (Lollipop) google stopped allowing apps to be installed to an SD card, therefor you need tricks or apps like Link2SD, which has a paid feature to make symbolic links to the sd card.
I bought a 128gb card, which is basically overkill if nothing can be installed on it. Nice for music I guess, but spotify als refuses to store stuff on the sd card.
eddoc said:
When I first got the phone I set the 32 gb SD card as the primary storage because I read the phone lacks the feature at least in 4.1 to manually manage moving apps to SD card. I thought everything was fine but now I notice in the details of almost all of my apps that they are stored on the local storage. Without an option to move these items to SD how can I force them to move to SD card. I downloaded HiSuite and got it working after I enabled everything but don't see a way to move apps to SD and most of the apps on the play store just direct you to the section where you'd traditionally move the items to SD and the feature isn't there. Is there something I can do to get some of these games/apps to SD card or any chance that once I get nougat in the next month or two I'd at least be able to do so then? Thanks. These forums have been real lifesavers a number of times even though I mostly lurk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
select External SD as default storage which is present in Settings (settings > advanced settings > memory & storage > last second option > default Location - change it to external MicroSD ..
As I said in my post one of the first things I does was set sd card as default
However when you look at the details on apps almost all of them are still installing themselves to internal. The size on my sd card has only dropped a bit.
Bhargav7 said:
select External SD as default storage which is present in Settings (settings > advanced settings > memory & storage > last second option > default Location - change it to external MicroSD ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
eddoc said:
However when you look at the details on apps almost all of them are still installing themselves to internal. The size on my sd card has only dropped a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if this is the case.. i too want to find & learn the solution.. !! Hope we get some real solution..
I've installed XInternalSD (xposed & root [i think] required), which seems to have done the trick. Games like Asphalt 8 now fully install their data on the external sd card.

My phone shows internal storage as Storage card and transferring apps to my sd card doesn't work

Using an admittedly old app, DiskUsage, it shows internal storage as "Storage Card" and my SD Card as "/storage/24BA-#####" (Not giving the last 4 digits in case it's sensitive information). This isn't really a big issue in and of itself, it's just kinda weird...
But the actual issue is this:
When I transfer an app to my SD Card (Enabled the ability to do so in developer mode), it lets me do it - it lets me choose between Internal and SD Card. But when I choose SD Card, it "Transfers" it with a progress bar and then closes. When I open the app info again it now says it's on external storage.
But when I check DiskUsage again, or put my SD Card into my PC - that app is nowhere to be found. When I check internal storage (Which, again, for some reason is called "Storage Card") - it's still there.
How can I get apps to actually transfer to my SD Card? Apps like the camera or PocketCasts let me use the SD Card. I can read from it just fine (Music, pictures, videos, etc.), podcasts play from it properly, everything works on it just fine... But apps don't actually transfer to it even though Android claims they're on the SD Card.
This is something I need to be able to do - Spotify has a bug that's been around for years where it will automatically redownload all your songs to internal memory on reboot if they were on the sd card, and delete them off the SD Card. I've pretty much just given up and let it keep my music on internal storage - but that's taking up a lot of space.
My phone: Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5g
Android version: 11
Kernel version: 4.19.113
Android security patch level: September 1, 2021
No responses? Did you figure out how to do it? I need apps moved as well

"Force allow apps on external" not working on Motorola G Power 2021

So I recently ran out of storage on my Motorola G Power 2021, so I bought a micro SD to move some of my less-used but not quite expendable apps. Originally I'd planned to format as internal storage, but my phone doesn't appear to allow this and doesn't even show the option to do so. So I opted for the next best thing, migrating some of the app data over by going to Apps & notifications > All Apps > (app) > Storage & cache, but there's no option to move the app to the external storage device. As per the title, I also turned "Force allow apps on external" in developer settings to no avail. Could Motorola be blocking this too? I've done a little searching, and I can't seem to find any examples of this other than this one which was on a completely different phone brand and this one which seems to have been caused by misunderstanding and resolved.
What I've tried:
Restarting phone - didn't help
Checking other apps - checked about a dozen and none had the move to external storage option
Rooting - can't unlock bootloader as per Motorola's website
Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this, if I can work around it, or even if I can somehow format as internal storage? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Installing apps over to the microSD card isn't supported by all apps. In fact, many don’t support this feature at all. Some manufacturers - namely, Samsung and LG - reviously allowed users to format microSD cards as internal storage. That meant apps and games would be installed there by default. Sadly, this feature is no longer present on newer devices.
Technically, it’s still possible to install apps on the microSD if you’re willing to go through the trouble of rooting your Android phone and afterwareds use Link2SD to move the apps from internal storage to exernal storage.
xXx yYy said:
Installing apps over to the microSD card isn't supported by all apps. In fact, many don’t support this feature at all. Some manufacturers - namely, Samsung and LG - reviously allowed users to format microSD cards as internal storage. That meant apps and games would be installed there by default. Sadly, this feature is no longer present on newer devices.
Technically, it’s still possible to install apps on the microSD if you’re willing to go through the trouble of rooting your Android phone and afterwareds use Link2SD to move the apps from internal storage to exernal storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the purpose of "Force allow apps on external" was to be able to transfer any app regardless of the developers' wishes. Is this not the case?
you already gave the answer yourself
Wrig9 said:
Originally I'd planned to format as internal storage, but my phone doesn't appear to allow this and doesn't even show the option to do so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
alecxs said:
you already gave the answer yourself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it have to be formatted as internal storage to be allowed to transfer apps? I guess I didn't really think about that.
Edit: Just to be sure we're all on the same page, the SD card is formatted, just not as part of the internal storage. I can access any files on it, but I can't put any apps there. I was under the impression that if you formatted as internal storage the SD card would act as a direct expansion somehow and automatically install data there once the integrated storage filled.
I haven't tested that specific option but afaik it overrides android:installLocation="preferExternal" in app manifest. that would allow to move the apk to Adoptable Storage, but requires MicroSD Card formatted as internal.
Only new apps are installed external automatically (based on that setting), for existing apps the "Migrate Data" option is offered.

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