KirbyStar776
Lurker
the title says it all but i want to download an app, and save it to the micro sd card in the phone, is there a way to do that?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
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Help is there a way to store apps on the micro sd card?
- Thread starter KirbyStar776
- Start date
psionandy
Extreme Android User
Yes.. but the method may depend on which version of Android you are running..... (and how nicely the particular app will play with the SD card)
With a little bit more information, i'm sure someone can give you the answer you're looking for,
(and welcome to the forums
)
With a little bit more information, i'm sure someone can give you the answer you're looking for,
(and welcome to the forums
)KirbyStar776
Lurker
Yes.. but the method may depend on which version of Android you are running..... (and how nicely the particular app will play with the SD card)
With a little bit more information, i'm sure someone can give you the answer you're looking for,
(and welcome to the forums
where can i find the info?
I think he meant if you provide a little more information, e.g. which device and android OS version you are using, then we'll be able to give you the answer.
Two things to check:
1) If you go to Settings > Apps (may be named slightly different depending on manufacturer, e.g. Samsung call it "Application Manager" on my tablet), select an app that you downloaded (not a pre-installed one), does the application management screen have a "move to sd" button? If so then that's your answer. Not all apps allow this, so it may be greyed-out. If it is not there at all then your OS doesn't support it (it was officially deprecated in 4.0, though many manufacturers retained it for at least some devices, so it is possible that it won't be there). Note that this only moves part of the app to SD, and it's up to the developer whether an individual app can be moved.
2) If you are running Android 6.0 or later, do you have the option to format your SD card as "internal" rather than "external" storage (I don't have such a device so can't tell you exactly what it will be called). If so then "internal" will allow the SD card to be used as, well, internal storage, which means you can store apps there. The drawbacks to this method are that you need a fast card and you will no longer be able to use the card in another device or card reader (it will be encrypted). Not all manufacturers supported this feature though.
Those are the two options. If neither is present there are other ways, but they require rooting the phone first.
Two things to check:
1) If you go to Settings > Apps (may be named slightly different depending on manufacturer, e.g. Samsung call it "Application Manager" on my tablet), select an app that you downloaded (not a pre-installed one), does the application management screen have a "move to sd" button? If so then that's your answer. Not all apps allow this, so it may be greyed-out. If it is not there at all then your OS doesn't support it (it was officially deprecated in 4.0, though many manufacturers retained it for at least some devices, so it is possible that it won't be there). Note that this only moves part of the app to SD, and it's up to the developer whether an individual app can be moved.
2) If you are running Android 6.0 or later, do you have the option to format your SD card as "internal" rather than "external" storage (I don't have such a device so can't tell you exactly what it will be called). If so then "internal" will allow the SD card to be used as, well, internal storage, which means you can store apps there. The drawbacks to this method are that you need a fast card and you will no longer be able to use the card in another device or card reader (it will be encrypted). Not all manufacturers supported this feature though.
Those are the two options. If neither is present there are other ways, but they require rooting the phone first.
Just to add a bit of info to Hadron's post, on my M9 running version 6.0, it is shown as 'Format as internal' on the SD card details.
I also have the 'move apps to SD' option but accessing it has changed slightly in that it is in 'Storage' in 'App info'.
I also have the 'move apps to SD' option but accessing it has changed slightly in that it is in 'Storage' in 'App info'.
KirbyStar776
Lurker
no luck...i went into the storage and saw no move apps to sd option, my android is old anyway, thanks for the help!
billfalls
Lurker
Also worth noting: the total storage used by an app partially moved to the SD card is generally quite a bit (sometimes 25-50%) more than for the same app in internal storage alone. So if both types of storage are nearly full, the gain in internal storage may not be worth the effort. (Seaking from experience before I got a huge SD card!)
whatfindme5
Newbie
of course u can, but make sure that ur phone setting supports u download and launch the app to sd card, or u can not succeed.
There is no "of course" about it. Not all phones have the option, in which case you'd need to root (and anyway not all phones are rootable either). In fact you say yourself that the phone may not support it 