Moving/force-installing apps onto the SD card?

[muddlemand]

I've set my removable SD card to be used as internal storage. Some apps still install to the "original" internal storage (and I get it, some apps do, thanks How-To Geek for explaining).

I'd like to move some of them to the SD card, as I'm already running out of space again and have barely made a dent in my list of apps that I had on the old phone. But I can't see how even though I think I should be able to. Help please.

Also, is it possible to force apps to install on the SD card, instead of installing and then moving (if even that's possible)?

My phone is a Moto G2 running Android 6.0.

 

[puppykickr]

Yeah, not a good idea.
Not any of it.

Lollipop was the last OS that natively allowed you to install apps onto an SD card.

And in truth, only about half of the app was actually moved.
Your data and anything that would be changed or updated regularly would be stored on the phone itself anyway.

And there are very good reasons for this.

An SD card is not the same thing as the internal memory.

It is not as fast, for one thing, and the big deal here is that a SD card has a limited lifespan that is measured in write cycles.

Each time you write to it, you have brought it one step closer to death.

If it has been formatted as internal memory, then your phone will treat it as such, and will be writing and erasing (which counts as another write cycle) on it all the time- even while you are not using the device.

I don't think that I need to tell you that your device is doing innumerable things while you are doing whatever you are doing.

Some of these things are happening without your attention.

Suffice it to say that a SD card could die in a matter of months (like mine did, when I was in your shoes) and everything that was on it was instantly gone without warning.

And the card was unuseable.

This is on top of the fact that the apps I put onto the card had issues with speed, widgets disappearing, and also icons disappearing from the homescreen after restarts.

Also, when formatted as internal, all data on the card has now become only accessible via the device that it was formatted on.

The card is now mated to the device, and you cannot simply take the card out and stick it into a new device later on.

This is why it is so important to treat a SD card as they are designed to be used- as disposable, portable memory devices.

That is how they will last the longest.

Now, to answer your question- keeping in mind that I advise against doing any of this, and it may not work good or at all- there is a setting (possibly) in your Developers Options that will allow the moving of any app (supposedly) onto the SD card.

This, along with having the SD card formatted as internal memory should do the trick.

Keep in mind that most developers don't include code anymore that allows the moving of the apps to a card.

This can still be a stopper.

For that, I used to (past tense, remember) use an app for that, called Apps Movable from SteelWorks.

If you have an app that won't move, there is a way to send the apk of that app to them, where they will add whatever it is that is deemed necessary to make the app moveable.

Sometimes this worked, sometimes not.
Sometimes the new apk worked, sometimes not.

Also, the old version of the app must be uninstalled first- just to see if the new one works or can even be moved- so all your data for that app will be lost.

I hope I don't need to say just how frustrating this all was for me.

Not to mention that it never is a good idea to install apps that have not been compiled by the actual developer or something like F-Droid.

So- let me know what your decisions, and the results of your decisions turn out to be.

As for me, it was much less grief to just have more than one device.

I have some that are only on Wi-Fi, and one that is used as a normal cell.

The Wi-Fi devices are divided by what I use them for.

There are a few things that they all share, of course, and if I want to quickly transfer files I use NitroShare.

 

[muddlemand]

Yeah, not a good idea.
Not any of it.

Thank you for your detailed and very clear explanation! But oh dear...

I knew that the SD card couldn't be used as an external storage again, and knew it could make apps slow, but didn't know I was shortening the card's lifespan. Is there a way of turning it back into a normal SD card I decide to do that? I'm thinking I want to now.

I was struggling with space with 12GB on my old G1, so finding that the G2 only had 5GB was horrifying until I read about using the SD card in this way. So far I've kept the G1 for calendar and some other things... I haven't even got half my old apps onto the G2 - not even Wikipedia - not even Greenify fits.

In theory I could live with two or more devices, but that means more to replace as they die over time, and I haven't got the budget for one let alone more! The G1 was my first ever, a refurb that I got when my brick gave up the ghost, and I've kept it alive this long by means of low cunning and lots of fun learning... the G2 cost me nothing, I inherited it. (And it has something undiagnosed making it glitchy, at that!) Also, with variable health (the why of having no budget to play with), on bad days carrying the extra weight would be a problem.

But it sounds like it's going to be the only way, unless the latest devices on the market have oodles of space - I could find out, and cost it up in case it's a better option thinking long-term. Of course I haven't the budget for new SD cards every few months either.

Can't go back to a brick now, most of my social life is on WhatsApp and most of my daily life depends on customised reminders. (The reason I switched is that alarms and notifications from multiple apps had started to have delays, sometimes of hours - the G1's still going strong otherwise.) Besides, I'd really miss smartphone tweaking now that I'm into it.

It's the first time I've found How-To Geek less than thoroughly helpful. Surprised that article doesn't even mention how it affects the card physically.

 

[svim]

If you do have your microSD card set up as 'internal', at that point the card is maintained by the Android OS on your phone. It's no longer a different storage media that you can readily access, the card is essentially a part of your internal storage. You can have limited access to it via your Settings >> Storage menu but using something like a file manager app will no longer detect the card.
If you want to return it back to portable, you can use your phone's Settings >> Storage manager and just reformat it. When it's internal, the card is reformatted to use ext4, the same file system your phone uses for internal storage, and it gets encrypted with encryption key directly linking the card to your phone. When your re-format the card back to portable, it gets reformatted back to FAT32 or exFAT, and the encryption is of course wiped. This returns the card back to its original state.
Regarding 'shortening card's lifespan' that was an issue a decade or so ago, newer cards are much more robust so unless you have a really, really dated card (which will be of limited capacity and slow read/write capability anyway), it's just not that big a deal anymore.

 

[muddlemand]

If you want to return it back to portable, you can use your phone's Settings >> Storage manager and just reformat it.

Oh, of course! Duh.

Regarding 'shortening card's lifespan' that was an issue a decade or so ago, newer cards are much more robust so unless you have a really, really dated card (which will be of limited capacity and slow read/write capability anyway), it's just not that big a deal anymore.

The G2 and presumably the SD card dates back to 2016 if not earlier. I'll have a look and see if I can find out exactly what card it is and how it's likely to react. Good to know I'm not wrecking it in the few days I've used it as internal storage!

However I'm still running out of space without installing even half of the apps I find to be my minimum for functioning, because most insist on installing to the main phone anyway. So I'm still looking at working with two or more phones from now on.

Thanks, svim.

 

[MrJavi]

You may be able to force apps to install on external sd provided you device is rooted, you have the Xposed framework with the Xposed installer and download an app/model called "InstallerOpt".

 

[muddlemand]

You may be able to force apps to install on external sd provided you device is rooted, you have the Xposed framework with the Xposed installer and download an app/model called "InstallerOpt".

Hm, looks a bit beyond what I want to get into. I'm not a developer, only someone who enjoys playing with code when I have leisure time (rare) or else a justifiable reason to spend the time on it. This looks like a learning curve I'd be keen to take on if only I didn't have other things taking my attention. I'm not keen to root my phone until I can give it obsessive attention for a while, as I don't trust myself not to do something stupid in a brainless moment if I had access to the possible stupid somethings.

I had a feeling I might be asking to do something above my station!! Story of my life...

But - in your screenshot, the settings option to install to external storage - does that mean only if the external card is formatted as internal storage, or does it mean it works when the SD card is still treated as external? I'd imagine the former, but it isn't clear from the little explanation in the screenshot.

 

[MrJavi]

Hm, looks a bit beyond what I want to get into. I'm not a developer, only someone who enjoys playing with code when I have leisure time (rare) or else a justifiable reason to spend the time on it. This looks like a learning curve I'd be keen to take on if only I didn't have other things taking my attention. I'm not keen to root my phone until I can give it obsessive attention for a while, as I don't trust myself not to do something stupid in a brainless moment if I had access to the possible stupid somethings.

I had a feeling I might be asking to do something above my station!! Story of my life...

But - in your screenshot, the settings option to install to external storage - does that mean only if the external card is formatted as internal storage, or does it mean it works when the SD card is still treated as external? I'd imagine the former, but it isn't clear from the little explanation in the screenshot.

The model works if sd card is treated as external storage but it has some drawbacks. For instance, it will download system apps to sd if not disabled beforehand. If your not careful you may wind up in a bootloop. Having a custom recovery and backups of all your partitions is a must.
Yes, properly rooting you device will be time consuming. Its not for everyone, thats for sure. My philosophy is always look before you leap". Its not enough of "a justifiable reason to spend the time on" in my opinion.

Welcome to Android Forums @muddlemand

 

[svim]

Hm, looks a bit beyond what I want to get into. I'm not a developer, only someone who enjoys playing with code when I have leisure time (rare) or else a justifiable reason to spend the time on it. This looks like a learning curve I'd be keen to take on if only I didn't have other things taking my attention. I'm not keen to root my phone until I can give it obsessive attention for a while, as I don't trust myself not to do something stupid in a brainless moment if I had access to the possible stupid somethings.

Again, when you formatted the card as internal, you don't have any practical access to the card any more. If you want to manually copy files and/or apps to it, you need to reformat it back to portable. Once the card is set up as internal, the Android operating system on your phone considers the card to just be a part of the internal storage media. You no longer transfer files to or from it directly, it's a part of the overall file system -- the Android OS manages what goes where and why the same way it manages the internal storage media.

Since it sounds like you really want to this card to function as an external media again, reformat it back to portable or you're just going to get more and more frustrated trying to make the card work the way it used to.

 

[Deleted User]

What I never understood fully with threads like this is wouldn't the OP just see one storage volume if the card became internal?

Great, in fact stupendously good posts here BTW, explaining the facts, and I've read many over on AC over the years.

 

[puppykickr]

I think that the best thing to do at this point is to eliminate some apps.

A great browser, such as Lightning, can take the place of Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Gab, Instagram, Amazon, Uber, and any other app that has a website that is mobile friendly- and most are.

Simply save these sites as bookmarks in the browser, and each bookmark takes the place of an app.

You will save a ton of space doing that.

 

[puppykickr]

What I never understood fully with threads like this is wouldn't the OP just see one storage volume if the card became internal?

Great, in fact stupendously good posts here BTW, explaining the facts, and I've read many over on AC over the years.

It depends.

It did sometimes, and then not othertimes, depending on what app I was using.

I even have an app that shows internal and external as a combined number.

Now, that can get confusing.

Android has kept on with its old (and quite crusty) way of labeling the different memories on the devices.

Originally it made sense (kind of), but after some drastic upgrades they never changed the names of the memories to be what would be naturally expected.

Notice how there is Internal, External, and External?

 

[Deleted User]

It depends.

It did sometimes, and then not othertimes, depending on what app I was using.

I even have an app that shows internal and external as a combined number.

Now, that can get confusing.

Android has kept on with its old (and quite crusty) way of labeling the different memories on the devices.

Originally it made sense (kind of), but after some drastic upgrades they never changed the names of the memories to be what would be naturally expected.

View attachment 150123

Notice how there is Internal, External, and External?

That's what I thought, that it would be a combined number. I can't remember if I ever tried it briefly with an old card.
I was informed Google wanted to back out of the adoptable option, it was always a bad idea.
So that the Storage information changed with later OS or would explain some threads to me.

Anyway, that's great. thanks for the info.

 

[Deleted User]

Thank you for your detailed and very clear explanation! But oh dear...
I was struggling with space with 12GB on my old G1, so finding that the G2 only had 5GB was horrifying until I read about using the SD card in this way. So far I've kept the G1 for calendar and some other things... I haven't even got half my old apps onto the G2 - not even Wikipedia - not even Greenify fits.

In theory I could live with two or more devices, but that means more to replace as they die over time, and I haven't got the budget for one let alone more! The G1 was my first ever, a refurb that I got when my brick gave up the ghost, and I've kept it alive this long by means of low cunning and lots of fun learning...

Sorry to make your day even worse OP, but I had a Moto G 2013 (G1) that I had to rely on fully after I sent my main Moto X Style / Pure to Moto's UK repairer for a quoted new screen and never got back (watch out for my upcoming autobiography for details!). I was broke and out of work for a few months, and when I got a new job where I needed a smartphone's full features - it died.
A very good repair store didn't charge me when they found the PCB / Motherboard thingy was burned out. I managed to buy the superceded G4 at a good price.

It seems on motorola forums and other sites that they (G1) are known to die after 24 - 36 months of use, though they were many sku variants so you might be alright, but back up and expect the unexpected with that one.
One good thing about even 8GB and 16GB Motos is they would take as many apps as Storage will allow, unlike some OEM''s who could limit apps to 1 or 2 GB at one time.

I don't use most of the apps you list, even on my 64 GB Nokia, so the advice here is very good, if inconvenient. Use a browser for some of those.

Have you accounted for all the app and remaining space taken on the G2? you might have another issue if I read that right.

 

[muddlemand]

The model works if sd card is treated as external storage but it has some drawbacks. For instance, it will download system apps to sd if not disabled beforehand. If your not careful you may wind up in a bootloop. Having a custom recovery and backups of all your partitions is a must.
Yes, properly rooting you device will be time consuming. Its not for everyone, thats for sure. My philosophy is always look before you leap". Its not enough of "a justifiable reason to spend the time on" in my opinion.
Welcome to Android Forums @muddlemand

Thank you and yes, if I had time to play and could risk making a phone comatose while I learnt... ah me, those were the days! ... but definitely not the thing to do in the real world, unless something makes me really need to.

 

[muddlemand]

Again, when you formatted the card as internal, you don't have any practical access to the card any more. If you want to manually copy files and/or apps to it, you need to reformat it back to portable. Once the card is set up as internal, the Android operating system on your phone considers the card to just be a part of the internal storage media. You no longer transfer files to or from it directly, it's a part of the overall file system -- the Android OS manages what goes where and why the same way it manages the internal storage media.
Since it sounds like you really want to this card to function as an external media again, reformat it back to portable or you're just going to get more and more frustrated trying to make the card work the way it used to.

I'd be happy to keep it as internal if it helped, but most apps still want to install onto the real internal storage. (I can see which is where in the Storage settings.) I read that it's the apps themselves that allow or don't allow installation on the card, which is what brought me here with my question. Since it doesn't look possible to get round this, then yes, I'm going to format the SD card back to what it was designed to be.

 

[muddlemand]

What I never understood fully with threads like this is wouldn't the OP just see one storage volume if the card became internal?

Me too, thanks for asking this and thanks @puppykickr for explaining it.

 

[muddlemand]

Great, in fact stupendously good posts here BTW, explaining the facts, and I've read many over on AC over the years.

It's the way I ask them.

 

[muddlemand]

Sorry to make your day even worse OP, but I had a Moto G 2013 (G1) that I had to rely on fully after I sent my main Moto X Style / Pure to Moto's UK repairer for a quoted new screen and never got back (watch out for my upcoming autobiography for details!). I was broke and out of work for a few months, and when I got a new job where I needed a smartphone's full features - it died.
A very good repair store didn't charge me when they found the PCB / Motherboard thingy was burned out. I managed to buy the superceded G4 at a good price.

It seems on motorola forums and other sites that they (G1) are known to die after 24 - 36 months of use, though they were many sku variants so you might be alright, but back up and expect the unexpected with that one.

Actually this makes me rather pleased with myself! I've had this G1 since Feb 2017 and it was a refurb then. Mid-2018 it slowed down and everyone I knew told me that's all the lifespan I should expect, but instead that's when I had a nose around the internet, found this forum and revived the phone. Spent time on it, but learning is never wasted and is almost always a pleasure, and I enjoy spending time far more than I enjoy spending money. I inherited the G2 in Feb 2018 and kept it as a spare (and have taken it out of the drawer now only because the G1 became unreliable with alarms/notifications - not much point when a 6am alarm tries to wake me at 2pm) - I'm very glad to have a "freebie" spare. The old files I took off the SD card dated back to at least 2016 so if it lasts the rest of this year, I'll take the cost of a new phone on the chin as I've done pretty well on the cheap so far.

And I'm careful to stay backed up in case one or other keels over without warning.

One good thing about even 8GB and 16GB Motos is they would take as many apps as Storage will allow, unlike some OEM''s who could limit apps to 1 or 2 GB at one time.

Heavens, that's a scary thought.

I think that the best thing to do at this point is to eliminate some apps.

A great browser, such as Lightning, can take the place of Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Gab, Instagram, Amazon, Uber, and any other app that has a website that is mobile friendly- and most are.

Simply save these sites as bookmarks in the browser, and each bookmark takes the place of an app.
You will save a ton of space doing that.

I don't use most of the apps you list, even on my 64 GB Nokia, so the advice here is very good, if inconvenient. Use a browser for some of those.

I can't get rid of:
- an antivirus;
- a file explorer app (FX is only 10 MB)
- Greenify because without it my battery life was literally half as good (only 4.4 MB);
- AirDroid because I use it all the time;
- AccuBattery because it is lengthening my battery's lifespan, and it's less than 6 MB;
- WhatsApp because the website can't be used without the phone app connected;
- Messenger Lite (only 18 MB) because the browser won't view FB messages but redirects to the Play store for the app (luckily I don't use FB very often so I might uninstall this after all);
- Business Calendar 2 because I live entirely through it(!) on an hourly basis;
- SleepyTime which with a sleep disorder is essential (4 MB);
- Naked Browser, which is unaesthetic and clunky but does allow tabbed browsing and is less than 2 MB!!
- iPrint&Scan which at 75 MB is huge by my standards, but without getting a different printer I have no option;
- Podcast Addict - well, in theory I could *but*... 24 MB not counting the downloaded podcasts;
- Notepad (2 MB);
- some banking apps and a fuel discount app, because you can't do online banking / get the money off without having the apps (and they're far from space efficient, grrr).

I could in theory get rid of:
- Equate calculator but it's only 1.3 MB;
- YNAB - but the whole point is that you log spending as it happens;
- App Manager, 7 MB, but so much more useful than android Settings;
- FairEmail, 13 MB and beautifully customisable;
- Textra, though i'd hate to be without it, it's so much the best thing for SMS;
- a weather app, but I'll be without forecasts (I can never catch them on the radio);
- a gallery app, though Android's own is next to useless;
- Puzzles, but it's my only "game" type app and it's only 6 MB.

I'm already living without:
- my favourite keyboard (I hate the native one);
- any password manager; backup; junk cleaner;
- internet speed check (Ookla won't work in the browser);
- anything to record voice notes/dictation; anything for audio editing;
- an archiver;
- any time/project management; habit tracker; multi timer (linked series of countdown timers, which I used to call can't-live-without); alarm clock that's customisable;
- anything that does anything with PDFs, any video editor;
- not only Wikipedia but all reference apps, dictionaries, subject-specific etc;
- BBC iPlayer; BBC Sounds (and I just realised I've probably lost my downloads when I uninstalled this);
- Facebook (though I had FB Lite anyway, which iirc is about 1/3 the size of the standard app);
- any "socialising" apps except WhatsApp - inculding messaging, forums, Skype, Zoom - I'm even without Tapatalk, though my social life is almost all through it;
- banking/shopping apps (except the banks I mentioned that force it on you);
- Google Home - but if I'm ever to use my chromecast I'll have to install it;
- Mondly, which I was hanging onto in the hope I'll get back to learning Greek sooner or later;
- any apps I had for for fun and/or interest. eg games!!

I clear the cache at least daily, and seek n destroy sent images etc (the ones where they copy themselves) as needed.
I've stopped keeping any photos on the phone and send them all to my laptop as soon as I've taken them.
I don't store music on the phone - was planning to start doing so, but never mind.
I've reduced podcast settings to keep maximum two episodes of each podcast (so now I keep missing episodes! - my listening's always sporadic).
I miss Wikipedia as the app rather than the website, because I'm used to leaving lots of articles open in tabs.
I miss doing text adventures in bed (not the same sitting at the laptop), and if I ever have leisure time again, I'd love to get back into graphics-rich RPGs!

I don't feel I'm wasteful in what I like to keep on the phone. (Wikipedia was the one thing I fantasised about carrying around in my pocket, before I had a smartphone!)
My phone is currently telling me "You're running low on storage" and that I have 691 MB available. - actually that does look as if it's limiting me to a GB.
All of the "can't get rid of" apps come to about 410MB. All of the "could get rid of" add up to another 108 MB. More if I download lots of podcast episodes, but they'd go on the SD card anyway.

Sorry if I'm a bit defensive on this point!

I wish all the Google bloatware could be uninstalled - News, G+ etc, YouTube, Chrome. They're obese and I hardly use any of them. And what's with this new one, Google Play services?!

 

[muddlemand]

Have you accounted for all the app and remaining space taken on the G2? you might have another issue if I read that right.

I clear the cache all the time - couldn't fit a more thorough junk cleaner onto the phone. Haven't found anything that looks dodgy to me, except a Tencent folder which reappears when I delete it, which I can't explain as I haven't had a Tencent app for at least two years (and never on the G2), but that folder only takes up 32 B. If there's something else going on, taking up space, I'll be glad of suggestions.

 

[Deleted User]

I clear the cache all the time - couldn't fit a more thorough junk cleaner onto the phone. Haven't found anything that looks dodgy to me, except a Tencent folder which reappears when I delete it, which I can't explain as I haven't had a Tencent app for at least two years (and never on the G2), but that folder only takes up 32 B. If there's something else going on, taking up space, I'll be glad of suggestions.

Hi. Nice replies. I can try a few of those while I have time, but I don't know a lot.

Did you want to uninstall the antivirus app. They're not necessary in the view of most.

Do you have the 8GB Moto G 2014 but have a 16GB Moto G 2013, unlike my 8GB defunct one.
Does the apps list in Storage account for all the space in the G2. (ignore if OK or post a screenshot).
You don't need a junk cleaner (not good) just clear cache in recovery mode.
It's hard for a brain like mine to follow the info, but you seem to have very little apps in the G2, I had around 4 GB in my G1 (iirc), and have 7.56 GB of apps in my 16GB Moto G4.
You have 691 MB available after around 500mb of apps (it's fairly normal for the OS to give a warning or not allow more apps as it needs some headroom for updates).

So the main issue is identifying your storage problem because you can't account for the lost space in Settings?

Some screenshots if you can always help someone better here identify the issue.

(sorry for the delay and it's the end of the day chez mois again).


My Moto G4 and Nokia 7 Plus Storage:

 

[muddlemand]

Hi. Nice replies. I can try a few of those while I have time, but I don't know a lot.

Did you want to uninstall the antivirus app. There not necessary in the view of most.

Really? I hadn't heard that - mind you, i haven't been keeping up with popular opinion on suchlike. Does it depend what phone, or what version of Android?

Do you have the 8GB Moto G 2014 but have a 16GB Moto G 2013.

Yes, exactly.

Does the apps list in Storage account for all the space in the G2. (ignore if OK or post a screenshot).

You don't need a junk cleaner (not good) just clear cache in recovery mode.

I thought some cleaners freed up more space than clearing the cache through the phone's settings - but admittedly I haven't found one that impresses me. I haven't got a junk cleaner at the moment, happy not to need to look for one.

But what is recovery mode?

It's hard for a brain like mine to follow the info, but you seem to have very little apps in the G2, I had around 4 GB in my G1 (iirc), and have 7.56 GB of apps in my 16GB Moto G4.

Sorry about the long list, I got carried away. Indignation does that to me! I got carried away again today, adding up which apps were taking up my space, but I won't list them this time. I hate it when people list things in that way...

You have 691 MB available after around 500mb of apps (it's fairly normal for the OS to give a warning or not allow more apps as it needs some headroom for updates).

So the main issue is identifying your storage problem because you can't account for the lost space in Settings?

Some screenshots if you can always help someone better here identify the issue.

I'm attaching a screenshot showing that the apps account for less than half the space used. There's a lot the system isn't telling me, I suppose. (Come to that, I don't know why there's always a couple of MB of cache remaining after I've cleared the cache - I had just cleared it before I took this screenshot.)

I found out today that there are 69 apps taking up more than 2 GB, of which 20 are apps I've installed and they take up 0.43 GB. Another 14 apps, 0.35 GB, are apps I'd very happily uninstall if only it were possible - that makes them bloatware for me, though I know some are useful to some people. But for example, the email app I like is 13 MB, but the basic native one is 9 MB plus there's *also* Gmail at 23 MB which I can't get rid of. Maps is too laggy to be useful. And I found Pinyin input taking up 34 MB for no reason - and a Korean keyboard!

(sorry for the delay and it's the end of the day chez mois again).

No, I do delays too especially as my health sometimes cuts out unpredictably and I lose a day or three. I've given up warning people, i just pop up later and continue where I left off and it's up to them to adjust their walking pace to fit mine.

 

[muddlemand]

PS I want to delete the Korean and Pinyin things - any reason that I could be messing something up if I just delete the files shown in the attached screenshots??

An odd thing happened - when i'd just taken these screenshots, I couldn't find them. But I could still view the last one from the notification. Searching for part of its filename, I got an error: "The item /external/images/media/11263" was not found. So I took both screenshots again, and now both of them AND both of the first attempts are sitting there, pretending they were never hiding from me.

I'm wondering if this G2 is already behaving oddly and maybe on its last legs, and not worth the time I'm putting into getting it to hold enough apps to live with.

 

[puppykickr]

Actually this makes me rather pleased with myself! I've had this G1 since Feb 2017 and it was a refurb then. Mid-2018 it slowed down and everyone I knew told me that's all the lifespan I should expect, but instead that's when I had a nose around the internet, found this forum and revived the phone. Spent time on it, but learning is never wasted and is almost always a pleasure, and I enjoy spending time far more than I enjoy spending money. I inherited the G2 in Feb 2018 and kept it as a spare (and have taken it out of the drawer now only because the G1 became unreliable with alarms/notifications - not much point when a 6am alarm tries to wake me at 2pm) - I'm very glad to have a "freebie" spare. The old files I took off the SD card dated back to at least 2016 so if it lasts the rest of this year, I'll take the cost of a new phone on the chin as I've done pretty well on the cheap so far.

And I'm careful to stay backed up in case one or other keels over without warning.

Heavens, that's a scary thought.



I can't get rid of:
- an antivirus;
- a file explorer app (FX is only 10 MB)
- Greenify because without it my battery life was literally half as good (only 4.4 MB);
- AirDroid because I use it all the time;
- AccuBattery because it is lengthening my battery's lifespan, and it's less than 6 MB;
- WhatsApp because the website can't be used without the phone app connected;
- Messenger Lite (only 18 MB) because the browser won't view FB messages but redirects to the Play store for the app (luckily I don't use FB very often so I might uninstall this after all);
- Business Calendar 2 because I live entirely through it(!) on an hourly basis;
- SleepyTime which with a sleep disorder is essential (4 MB);
- Naked Browser, which is unaesthetic and clunky but does allow tabbed browsing and is less than 2 MB!!
- iPrint&Scan which at 75 MB is huge by my standards, but without getting a different printer I have no option;
- Podcast Addict - well, in theory I could *but*... 24 MB not counting the downloaded podcasts;
- Notepad (2 MB);
- some banking apps and a fuel discount app, because you can't do online banking / get the money off without having the apps (and they're far from space efficient, grrr).

I could in theory get rid of:
- Equate calculator but it's only 1.3 MB;
- YNAB - but the whole point is that you log spending as it happens;
- App Manager, 7 MB, but so much more useful than android Settings;
- FairEmail, 13 MB and beautifully customisable;
- Textra, though i'd hate to be without it, it's so much the best thing for SMS;
- a weather app, but I'll be without forecasts (I can never catch them on the radio);
- a gallery app, though Android's own is next to useless;
- Puzzles, but it's my only "game" type app and it's only 6 MB.

I'm already living without:
- my favourite keyboard (I hate the native one);
- any password manager; backup; junk cleaner;
- internet speed check (Ookla won't work in the browser);
- anything to record voice notes/dictation; anything for audio editing;
- an archiver;
- any time/project management; habit tracker; multi timer (linked series of countdown timers, which I used to call can't-live-without); alarm clock that's customisable;
- anything that does anything with PDFs, any video editor;
- not only Wikipedia but all reference apps, dictionaries, subject-specific etc;
- BBC iPlayer; BBC Sounds (and I just realised I've probably lost my downloads when I uninstalled this);
- Facebook (though I had FB Lite anyway, which iirc is about 1/3 the size of the standard app);
- any "socialising" apps except WhatsApp - inculding messaging, forums, Skype, Zoom - I'm even without Tapatalk, though my social life is almost all through it;
- banking/shopping apps (except the banks I mentioned that force it on you);
- Google Home - but if I'm ever to use my chromecast I'll have to install it;
- Mondly, which I was hanging onto in the hope I'll get back to learning Greek sooner or later;
- any apps I had for for fun and/or interest. eg games!!

I clear the cache at least daily, and seek n destroy sent images etc (the ones where they copy themselves) as needed.
I've stopped keeping any photos on the phone and send them all to my laptop as soon as I've taken them.
I don't store music on the phone - was planning to start doing so, but never mind.
I've reduced podcast settings to keep maximum two episodes of each podcast (so now I keep missing episodes! - my listening's always sporadic).
I miss Wikipedia as the app rather than the website, because I'm used to leaving lots of articles open in tabs.
I miss doing text adventures in bed (not the same sitting at the laptop), and if I ever have leisure time again, I'd love to get back into graphics-rich RPGs!

I don't feel I'm wasteful in what I like to keep on the phone. (Wikipedia was the one thing I fantasised about carrying around in my pocket, before I had a smartphone!)
My phone is currently telling me "You're running low on storage" and that I have 691 MB available. - actually that does look as if it's limiting me to a GB.
All of the "can't get rid of" apps come to about 410MB. All of the "could get rid of" add up to another 108 MB. More if I download lots of podcast episodes, but they'd go on the SD card anyway.

Sorry if I'm a bit defensive on this point!

I wish all the Google bloatware could be uninstalled - News, G+ etc, YouTube, Chrome. They're obese and I hardly use any of them. And what's with this new one, Google Play services?!

I hate paper, and you made go get some, and a blasted pencil, too.

I don't want to get into all of what you listed, but I will touch on most and give alternatives.

These are what I use, on my 8 and 16GB devices.

Antiviruses are junk.
They really are, and only slow your device down.
Most of them are actually security dangers themselves.

For a file manager, use Simple File Manager

Greenify is great, I love it.

As for AccuBattery, be sure it is actually doing anything good. I have never seen a 'battery' app that is not worthless- or worse.

WhatsApp is insecure. There is no debate about this.

As for Facebook and Messenger, use Frost. It is a great combination of the two, and you can even customize the theme.

I did not like Naked Browser. Clunky is being too nice. Try Lightning instead. It is much faster and more capable.

For a notepad, try Notepad from Panagola. It is less than 1MB. If you want more, try Simple Notes from Simple Mobile Tools.

Weather apps are insecure, intrusive, and horrible... just horrible. Et on your browser, and bookmark https://emergencyemail.org It is great.

Simple Gallery Pro is an excellent gallery with editing capability.

I use two keyboards, both are small. Simple Keyboard is my favorite, but sometimes I like to use Hacker's Keyboard. Between the two you should be covered.

Bitwarden is an amazing password manager. It also syncs between all your devices.

A junk cleaner is not needed. Now, to be honest, on a new device they won't do a thing good for the device.
That being said, if the OS is Lollipop or older one can be beneficial.

For Lollipop (5), there are two that work wonders, Fast Task Killer and Fast Optimizer, both by the same developer.
For Marshmallow (6) or newer, I would use Systweak (Android System Cleaner).
If you have Marshmallow (6), Nougat (7), or Oreo (8) then I recommend an older version that has no ads. The newer versions for 9, 10, and up have ads.

Now give me a minute, (or more) and I will make another post that gives all the links to the above apps.

I will answer any questions about these apps, as I use them myself- many for years.

 

[puppykickr]

I hate paper, and you made go get some, and a blasted pencil, too.

I don't want to get into all of what you listed, but I will touch on most and give alternatives.

These are what I use, on my 8 and 16GB devices.

Antiviruses are junk.
They really are, and only slow your device down.
Most of them are actually security dangers themselves.

For a file manager, use Simple File Manager

Greenify is great, I love it.

As for AccuBattery, be sure it is actually doing anything good. I have never seen a 'battery' app that is not worthless- or worse.

WhatsApp is insecure. There is no debate about this.

As for Facebook and Messenger, use Frost. It is a great combination of the two, and you can even customize the theme.

I did not like Naked Browser. Clunky is being too nice. Try Lightning instead. It is much faster and more capable.

For a notepad, try Notepad from Panagola. It is less than 1MB. If you want more, try Simple Notes from Simple Mobile Tools.

Weather apps are insecure, intrusive, and horrible... just horrible. Et on your browser, and bookmark https://emergencyemail.org It is great.

Simple Gallery Pro is an excellent gallery with editing capability.

I use two keyboards, both are small. Simple Keyboard is my favorite, but sometimes I like to use Hacker's Keyboard. Between the two you should be covered.

Bitwarden is an amazing password manager. It also syncs between all your devices.

A junk cleaner is not needed. Now, to be honest, on a new device they won't do a thing good for the device.
That being said, if the OS is Lollipop or older one can be beneficial.
For Lollipop (5), there are two that work wonders, Fast Task Killer and Fast Optimizer, both by the same developer.
For Marshmalow (6) or newer I would use Systweak (Android System Cleaner).
If you have Marshmallow (6), Nougat (7), or Oreo (8) then I recommend an older version that has no ads. The newer versions for 9, 10, and up have ads.

Now give me a minute, (or more) and I will make another post that gives all the links to the above apps.

I will answer any questions about these apps, as I use them myself- many for years.