• "Android": installing applications on the memory card. How to install an Android application on an SD memory card. How to make sure everything is saved to a memory card

    Almost every owner of Android gadgets has encountered the problem of lack of internal memory in the device. The most effective solution is considered to be transferring games and numerous programs to a memory card.

    Saving to a memory card on Android

    You can transfer information to a memory card without third-party utilities. For this, the built-in tools provided in every phone or tablet running Android are quite sufficient. However, you need to take into account that the possibility of transfer will depend solely on the specific program that is installed on your device.

    In order to check the possibility of transferring the program, in the Android settings you need to do the following:

    1. In the main menu, find the “Applications” item.
    2. Check if the “Move to SD card” button is available. If it is active, then you don’t have to worry about how to save files to the memory card.

    Using Third Party Applications

    To transfer programs to a memory card, you can use the AppMgr Pro utility. It features an intuitive interface and an impressive range of functionality. This program is capable of automatically sorting applications installed on your Android device, depending on the parameters set by the user (size, installation date, etc.).

    How to transfer cache to SD card?

    The described methods are quite effective, but we must not forget about one small nuance. Many applications leave a cache in the internal memory. It should be noted that its size sometimes exceeds the size of the application itself. In this situation, it is recommended to use the FolderMount program.

    The cache transfer procedure involves several basic steps:

    1. Launch the FolderMount program.
    2. Click on the plus sign located in the upper corner of the panel.
    3. In the menu that appears, write the name of the program whose cache you need to move.
    4. In the “Source” line, mark the folder in which the cache is located.
    5. In the “Destination” line, select a folder on the memory card (indicate the location where you want to move the cache).
    6. After filling out all the required fields, confirm your actions by clicking on the checkmark located at the top right.

    If you do everything correctly, you will immediately be able to work with the program that you moved to the SD card.

    Transfer files to SD card via PC

    To save various files (photos, videos, audio recordings) to the memory card of your Android device, you can use a special card reader. If it is missing, then use a regular USB cable. Using it, connect your Android device to your personal computer in removable disk mode and send all the necessary files to the SD card.

    In addition, you can use the method of wirelessly sending files to your PC. For this you will need a Bluetooth adapter. It should be noted that many modern laptops already have this device. If you work with a desktop PC, you will have to purchase it separately. With it, you can send files to an SD card using the usual bluetooch transfer system.

    The internal memory on smartphones is not endless, and photos, videos, documents and applications take up quite a lot of space. This is why most devices have an SD card slot - this allows you to significantly expand your memory reserves.

    And yet, users are faced with the following problem: the phone has external storage installed, but all applications are automatically downloaded to the internal memory. Because of this, a notification constantly appears that there is not enough space. On Android, this problem can be solved in several ways.

    How to download games and applications to an SD memory card

    There are several ways to use an external card to download applications and games to it. So, you can set the SD card as the default memory, move applications using standard settings or memory consolidation.

    Setting the default external SD drive

    You can set the SD card as the default memory, and then the smartphone will determine it as a priority for storing data.

    To do this:

    Some applications will still be saved in the internal memory, this is determined by their settings.

    Using Settings to Move Apps

    Unfortunately, in the settings there is no option to select automatic installation of applications on external media. But you can manually move some of them (not all applications support such a transfer).

    To do this:

    There is another option: you can transfer applications not separately, but all together. To do this:

    Combining internal and external memory

    This method is available for smartphones with Android version 6.0 and higher installed.

    Video: how to set up downloading games and applications to an SD card

    Video: Moving games to an external drive using Apps2SD

    Using an SD card and the methods described will help significantly relieve the internal memory of your smartphone. They are quite simple, so any user can handle them, even if he is not very well versed in technology.

    The built-in memory of Android devices often runs out quickly, so users have to store large amounts of information on microSD. But what to do if Android does not save downloaded content to the memory card - applications, photos, music, and other files?

    This article is suitable for all brands that produce phones on Android 9/8/7/6: Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Fly, Alcatel, Xiaomi, Nokia and others. We are not responsible for your actions.

    Problems with the memory card

    First of all, you need to make sure that the memory card is working and ready to accept files. What to do:

    The memory card may be incompatible with the smartphone - for example, it may exceed the capacity allowed for a particular phone model. If the flash drive is larger than a certain size of gigabytes (32, 64, 128, etc.), then it simply does not recognize it, because not programmed for such volume. In this case, the only way out is to use another microSD storage device with a smaller capacity.

    If no card is detected, it makes sense to contact the service center. There may be hardware problems with the phone that prevent it from working with external drives.

    Wrong folder in browser

    If problems with saving occur while downloading files in the browser, you should check the destination folder. It may be specified incorrectly, which is why the browser does not understand how to save photos, music, videos and other content. Let's look at the example of UC Browser:

    1. Open the "Downloads" section in the main menu.
    2. Click Settings.
    3. In the "Download Path" field, specify the folder on the memory card.
    Increase

    After such a short setup, files in the browser will be downloaded only to the specified directory on the card, without filling up the internal memory.

    Files cannot be transferred to a memory card

    This most often applies to built-in Android applications. In the phone they can only be stored on the internal storage, otherwise the smartphone will not work. At the same time, any application from a third-party developer can be moved to the microSD.

    1. Open Android settings, go to the “Applications” section.
    2. Find the program you want to transfer to the memory card along with all the files.
    3. Click "Move to SD".
    Increase

    If the button is inactive, then the application cannot be moved. If it says “Move to phone” instead of “Move to SD,” this means that the program files are already stored on the memory card.

    The settings for transferring files to the memory card have gone wrong

    In Android settings, you can manually specify which memory is used by default - internal or external. Depending on the selected value, files will be downloaded to your phone or microSD card. After updating the system, the settings may be lost, so it’s worth checking them.

    Not every model or manufacturer has such a setting. Check it out for yourself.

    1. Open Android settings.
    2. Go to the "Memory" section.
    3. In the "Installation location" or "Default memory" field, select "SD".
    Increase

    When there is no setting

    If it is not possible to set the default location for saving files, then the applications themselves will come to the rescue. In the same Samsung Internet browser, it is possible to set the storage location:


     Increase

    Look in your application where you are going to save files from, whether it is possible to select a save location in the settings. If this is not the case, you will have to manually move files from the internal memory to the microSD card.

    Installing applications on a memory card is required by almost every owner of an Android device, especially if the internal storage is designed for a small number of files. Regardless of the purpose for which you use your device - for work, study, entertainment, games, the allocated memory capacity may not be enough. If you are interested in how to install an application on a memory card in Android, then you can use two methods - system functions or special utilities. Which we will now look into in more detail.

    Android system capabilities

    The Android platform, starting with version 2.2, provides a system function for moving content from external memory to a card. This feature does not always work, since its functionality also depends on the properties of each specific program or game.

    How to install applications on a memory card in Android:

    1 . It is assumed that you already have apk downloaded and installed on your device, which now needs to be moved to SD to free up memory. Open your device settings and go to the applications tab.

    2 . The new window should contain several items - downloaded, located on the SD card and all programs. We need the first point.

    3 . The downloaded section contains all the software that you downloaded and installed yourself. Now you have to work with all the programs displayed in the list separately, since it will not be possible to transfer all of them at once.

    4 . To move applications to the memory card, select any of them in the list and click on it. The display will show all the information about it, including the required amount of memory, access to data and other information.

    5 . If a certain program has a function for installing on external storage, then the “ Transfer to SD" will be active - click on it and the moving operation will start.

    6 . If the button is not active, then the system tools are powerless in this case - you will have to use third-party utilities.

    It is worth noting that the above instructions apply exclusively up to platform version 4.2, including it, but how to save applications to a memory card in Android if the device runs on newer versions of the platform? These include the following OS: 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0.

    In such a situation, you will have to find an additional utility. It may also be necessary to have root rights. However, in version 4.4, in some cases you can still do without additional programs, but a lot depends on the model of the mobile device. For example, Sony made sure that the devices included installation of programs on the memory card in Android directly without additional applications and utilities.

    Using third party applications

    There are quite a lot of special utilities that solve the problem of installing software on SD, but only a few of them can effectively help the user. The most interesting applications for transferring applications to an SD card should be noted:

    • App 2SD
    • Link 2 SD
    • Total Commander

    App 2SD

    This is one of the most popular utilities among Android owners, which greatly simplifies working with content. The latest version of the program has a redesigned and improved design.

    Basic functions:

    • moving programs;
    • software management;
    • hiding programs.

    Directly in the utility, all content on your device is divided into two categories - that which is already located on SD, and that which can be moved there. On Android, transferring applications to a memory card is possible for one selected program or all existing software. If you install a program that can be moved, App 2 SD will notify you about it.

    Every owner of an Android device is extremely dissatisfied with the presence of a large number of unnecessary system applications on his device. There is no way to get rid of them in the usual way - to remove them you need to have root rights. However, you may accidentally touch important files, which may cause the device to malfunction. There is a way out of this situation, thanks to the functionality of the presented program. App 2 SD can hide system content, due to which it will not load the system.
    As for managing downloaded applications, thanks to App 2 SD you can remove programs (while performing a full system scan for unnecessary data), clear data and cache.

    Download Apps2SD program possible ->
    Instructions for working withApps2SD ->

    Link 2 SD

    The program is designed as a functional application manager, with its help you can not only transfer content to storage, but also clear cache files. The program has the usual software installation function, as well as moving with advanced functionality, which requires two partitions on SD and .
    Link 2 SD is suitable for experienced users who understand the features of file systems and SD partitions. Main functions:

    • moving apk., lib., dex files. to SD and back;
    • automatic installation to SD;
    • transfer even of content that does not provide this feature;
    • choosing a location to install new applications;
    • notifications about the possibility of transfer;
    • “freezing” embedded content;
    • clearing cache and data;
    • converting user programs into built-in ones.

    Download Link 2 SD program possible ->

    Total Commander

    Total Commander– a well-known manager among Android and PC owners. The manager provides a huge number of functions that are designed to manage various data in the system. Main functions:

    • moving, copying, renaming, deleting files/folders;
    • data transfer via Bluetooth;
    • selecting and sorting files;
    • built-in archiver;
    • text editor;
    • search for files and data;
    • audio and video player;
    • support for functions provided by root rights;
    • changing file properties, etc.

    The functionality does not provide a special option for installing applications to external storage, however, it is thanks to the support root rights it becomes available.

    Download Total Commander possible ->

    Conclusion

    Now you know how to transfer applications to a memory card, what may be required for this, what difficulties users encounter most often. It should be noted that this function is considered very useful, since over time the amount of available memory in the device becomes less and less, and you don’t want to get rid of important programs. Unfortunately, automatic installation of programs on SD is not possible, so after each installation you will have to move the content to external storage yourself.



    Unfortunately, the lack of space on the internal storage of Android devices has been felt quite strongly lately, because with the development of the capabilities of the operating system itself, many programs and games have become much more demanding of free resources and the amount of memory of gadgets. That's why many people use removable SD cards. But they don’t always want to install Android applications on a memory card.

    General installation information

    In any version of the Android OS, installation of applications on the memory card is disabled by default. In principle, if the device itself and the OS version support this feature, as they say, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. After digging a little into the settings, you can set your own parameters.

    This is a relatively short and simple process, which will be discussed a little later. You can install applications on the memory card in other ways. Let's focus on these situations for now.

    Downloading applications to a memory card

    Before solving the installation problem, let's consider downloading content to a removable device. The fact is that in Android, installing applications on a memory card in most cases should be in close connection with the process of downloading installation distributions, since they can also have quite large volumes.

    Almost all Android devices support downloading content to an SD card, regardless of the version of the OS itself or the installed firmware. To set the location for saving files on the memory card, just log in, for example, to an Internet browser and in the advanced settings specify removable media as the storage location. The same can be done in the case of creating photos, when you need to use the settings of the application itself to configure it.

    You can do it even easier by downloading applications using a laptop, and then copying them to an SD card. In principle, the download location can also be changed in any file manager.

    Methods for installing and relocating applications to SD cards

    Now about the most important thing. Using installed or already installed applications from a memory card is not so difficult. First of all, you need to see whether the device itself supports such capabilities. It also happens that the transfer, and even more so the installation, of applications to removable media is simply blocked by the gadget manufacturer. What to do in this case?

    For the Android OS, installing applications on a memory card can be done in several ways. For example, you can first install a program or game using the standard method on the internal drive, and then transfer it to another location (in this case, to an SD card).

    For direct installation on the card, you can use third-party utilities. It is clear that creating applications for Android in most cases implies the ability to install or transfer them to another location.

    Using system settings

    If there is a need to install an Android application on removable media, you first need to take into account several aspects. First of all, you need to go to the settings, where you select the “Applications” item, and then go to the application settings themselves. There is a special line “Move to SD card”. If the device or application installed on the internal memory supports this function, the transfer will be completed within a couple of minutes, after which an active “Move to phone” button will appear for each transferred program or game.

    As is already clear, in Android OS the application will be launched from the memory card after the transfer process is completed.

    But don't rush to rejoice. Sometimes both the mobile devices themselves and the creation of Android applications simply do not provide for the use of such functions. In addition, you may even need root rights or use of “super user” mode.

    Best programs

    Today there are a lot of programs for transferring either direct games or games to removable media. As a rule, almost all programs of this type are classified as freeware. True, here it is worth paying attention to the fact that some utilities are very easy to use, and with some professional programs you will have to tinker with it to understand what’s what.

    Among the simplest means of transferring programs to removable media are popular packages like AppMgr Pro.

    This application automatically analyzes the data of installed applications, and then provides the result in the form of a sorted list, which separately identifies Android applications that can be easily transferred to the memory card. After selecting the required applications and confirming the actions, the transfer will be carried out automatically without any damage to the system.

    No less interesting is the Link2SD utility. But the average user will have to deal with it for quite a long time, because he will need to split the card into partitions from the computer, for example, using the MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition software package, one of which should have (Primary), and the second - ext2 (depending on the device and version "OS" it can be ext3/ext4). It is in the second section that portable or installed programs will be stored.

    The most extreme case is the use of a mobile device connected to a computer or laptop via a USB interface. To install applications on a memory card, you will first need to install the program on both your smartphone and your computer. After connecting and synchronizing, you can install applications directly from the control program window from a computer terminal.

    There are a large number of software products of this type. We should also highlight, say, Mobogenie or My Phone Explorer, and the second utility supports not only Android devices. Working with such programs is quite simple. You just need to select the installation file and indicate the installation location of the program (again, if such support is available for both the device and the program).

    Forced installation of programs on a memory card

    In some cases, you can try to use another non-standard method. In Android operating systems, installing applications onto a memory card using this method is called forced installation.

    The essence of the process itself is to install the ADB RUN program on the PC. On a smartphone, when connecting via a USB port, it must be enabled.

    After launching the application on your computer, you will need to enter the following commands:

    Su - if present (if not, the command is skipped).

    pm getInstallLocation(“0” by default).

    pm getInstallLocation 1- installation into the device’s own memory.

    pm getInstallLocation 2- installation on a memory card.

    pm getInstallLocation 0- return to default settings.

    In principle, there are few commands, but you can see for yourself that this is not the most convenient way. Although in some cases it can be used quite effectively when other methods do not help.

    Application performance issues

    It is believed that in the Android OS, installing programs on a memory card is not all. After installing or transferring an application, you need to run and test it. If the launch does not occur, or the program does not work as it should, you will have to repeat the above steps from the beginning. You can try moving the application to the initial location and check its performance there. If everything is fine, then the problem is either in the program, or in the memory card, or in incorrectly performed transfer or installation operations.

    Conclusion

    To summarize, we can say that the simplest and most common methods of transferring and installing applications to removable memory devices have been discussed here. Naturally, each utility has its own characteristics, as well as portable or installed programs. Even different modifications of mobile gadgets, not to mention Android OS versions or firmware, can play a very significant role. But in most cases, at least one method will be effective for many.

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