• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Who decides which apps can be moved to SD card

A

Asphaltcowboy

Newbie
I installed the new update earlier today. So I decided to go into application manager and noticed a new section for apps on sd card. So I checked off those four apps and moved them to the card. Then I looked under the downloaded section and noticed that I couldn't move any of the apps in there even though they were from the play store. Who or what determines which apps can be moved to the sd card. Kind of seems pointless if you can't do the ones you want.
 
im not all knowing in this but i know that even some apps from the play store cant be moved to sd the app usually tells you if it can be moved to sd or not
 
It's pretty much up to the developer, however certain things like live wallpaper and widgets can never be moved.
OB
 
Sometimes, you can split the baby with some apps. You can move most of them to the SD card, but a part will have to remain on the internal memory for it to work.

Background: The stock Android OS, since v4.0 (ICS), doesn't have the native ability to move applications to external memory anymore. Samsung came up with their own proprietary way to re-institute this function for some apps. They did that after they received so much blowback about the fact that their Touchwiz suite of applications took up so much of the internal memory (where all applications and DRM content has to reside) that their 16 GB SGS4 only had about 8 GB of usable space. In short, people couldn't load the applications they wanted to use or download movies to their phones because there wasn't enough memory left. So Samsung was accused of false advertising and even had some TV and mainstream media criticism for that. So the App-to-SD functionality is as much a technical fix as a PR fix. :pcguru:
 
At this point in time there are apps that can help you move most to the SD when you have root! I like that option most.

If we follow the way the question is presented the way that is decided is by developer and the function of the app. If you need to read or write a lot of data fast it stays on the internal completely. If it require minimal read/write you should be able to move. Widgets require constant update and do not do good with SD card which cannot provide fast read. Personally I don't like being told what I can't and can do with my phone so I choose root. Symbiotic links between apps on internal and data on SD is nice and it works fine!
 
Even with a fast SD card, if your widgets or live wallpaper are on the card they won't work, Android loads them before the card is mounted, unless you use link2sd! :D
OB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom