How to make a flash drive as memory for an Android phone. What does sdcard is mounted mean? How to swap memory on Android? What to do

The problem of lack of memory is one of the fundamental ones for both PCs and mobile devices. With a small amount of free memory, the system usually begins to slow down, freeze, and is unstable and unreliable. This is especially true for Android devices, many of which initially have a rather small amount of main memory (the so-called “Internal Storage”). In such a situation, some users may have the idea of trying to use an external SD card as the main memory on their Android device. In this material, I will tell you how to make an SD card the main memory on Android gadgets, and what methods will help us with this.

Let's look at how to make an SD card the main memory on Android

To accomplish this task, you will need a high-speed SD card (preferably class 10 or faster). Cards of 6, and especially 4 and 2 classes are not suitable for such purposes; your system, due to their use, will significantly slow down its operation, which is unlikely to please any of the users.

It is also important to understand that the lifespan of such an SD card due to the active load on it will be significantly less than if the load on the card was in standard mode.

Method number 1. Changing the contents of the Vold.fstab file

The first of the described methods involves changing the contents of the system settings file “Vold.fstab”. After making these changes, the Android OS will consider your SD card as the internal memory of the device, but keep in mind that a number of previously installed applications may stop working.

It is important to know that this method only works on rooted devices running Android OS below (!) than version 4.4.2. In Android OS versions 4.4.2 and higher, most likely you simply will not find the specified file.

Also keep in mind that an error in the implementation of this method (in particular, adding extra characters to the required lines) can have a very sad effect on the performance of your device. Therefore, carefully weigh the possible risks, and if, after all, you have made a decision, then proceed to implement it.

So, to implement this method, do the following:

For example, these could be lines like this:

dev_mount sdcard/storage/sdcard0 emmc@xxxxxx
dev_mount sdcard2/storage/sdcard1 auto/xxxxxx

To make the necessary changes, we need to swap the path in the specified lines, that is, simply put, instead of 0, put a 1 in the first line, and in the second, instead of 1, put a 0.

After the changes, these lines will look like:

dev_mount sdcard/storage/sdcard1 emmc@xxxxxx
dev_mount sdcard2/storage/sdcard0 auto/xxxxx

Save the changes you made, and then reboot the gadget.

Another option on how to make a memory card the main one on Android:

Method No. 2. We use the settings of Android OS 6.0 and higher

In addition to the first method, in which I looked at how to switch the phone's memory to a memory card, there is another method that works only on the settings of Android OS 6.0 (Marshmallow) or higher, and allows you to use the SD card as the main one for saving files and working with them . To implement it, I recommend making a copy of the data from your SD card (if any on it), since this card will be formatted by the system.

Android: An easy way to link an external SD card and internal memory to free up space

Let me make a reservation right away that we are not talking about programs like link2sd. The principle is similar, but we will link not program directories, but the data directories of these programs, for example /sdcard2/Navigon -> /sdcard/Navigon or /mnt/extSdCard/Books -> /sdcard/Books, etc.
In addition, we need root (where would we be without it). By the way, after I found out about this program, this is another argument for me for root.

Many owners of Android smartphones or tablets with small built-in memory have probably encountered the following problem: a large SD card is inserted (for example, 16, 32 or even 64 GB), but after installing several heavyweight programs, our device or another program boldly declares that there is no memory on the card. enough space. Sometimes the program itself is small, but after installation it goes online and pulls gigabytes of data onto your smartphone.
Once again, having received the message “No space” and looking at the card, we see that it is almost empty, but the internal memory of the device is filled to capacity.
This is because internal memory is often used as the default directory for many programs. The fact is that it is mounted as /sdcard, which historically has always been an external SD card (it used to be the case on all smartphones). The external SD card is mounted in this case as /sdcard2, /mnt/sdcard2, /mnt/extSdCard or even /sdcard/.externalSD. As I understand it, this is done by the manufacturers so that the device works out of the box, i.e. no SD card at all.

Many “unscrupulous” programs always want to read/write data from/to the /sdcard/NameInsert directory. Rarely can this be changed in the program settings.
As a result, we have what we have, and several opportunities to improve the current situation:
The last two methods are also not a panacea, because... require certain skills from the user, in addition, they are not “clean” enough, for example, problems are known when connecting a smartphone to a computer via USB (cannot be unmounted), etc.

The DirectoryBind program, which a good person slig from xda wrote for himself and posted on the forum for public use, will help improve the situation.

QR code

Although the audience here is technically savvy, a couple of explanations need to be made for inexperienced readers of the habr. As he himself wrote (the not idiot-proof program), i.e. unlikely to pass the fool test.

After installation, run the program (the first time, naturally, we permanently allow Root rights), click the menu, then “Preferences” and set the default paths to the external memory “Default data path” for example /sdcard/external_sd/ and the internal memory “Default target path” /sdcard/ . We exit the menu.

Click menu, then “Add new entry”

Now let's create a new directory link, for example, move the CamScanner folder to an external card. Long pressing on the folder path opens a small built-in file manager where you can create and/or select a folder. The folder on the external card should be created (and empty).

By checking the “Transfer files from target to data” checkbox, files and folders will be transferred from the /sdcard/CamScanner/ directory to the /sdcard/external_sd/CamScanner directory.

It should be noted that connections are not automatically activated after creation (gray floppy disk icon, as in the screenshot below for gameloft). To complete linking folders, select the required links by checkboxes and click menu -> “Bind checked”. The active (linked) folder icons should turn green.

By the way, if you want to attach the entire external card, I fully recommend doing it not with /sdcard/externalSD/, but with a dot in front /sdcard/.externalSD/. This will save you from such troubles as double thumbnails in galleries, etc. True, it will not help for all galleries and players, because... some also search for media in hidden directories.
After suffering, I decided for myself to link only individual directories.

UPD. By the way, an external SD card is much slower than the internal memory, so transferring program data to an external SD naturally slows down the operation of this program. This should be especially remembered by those who decide to completely change the mount points of internal and external memory, because... Chances are your entire device will run slower than before.

I hope this program will complement your collection of useful utilities for Android devices.

The small amount of internal memory on cheap Android smartphones and tablets, the main problem is the inability to install applications. In such cases, replacing the internal Android memory with a memory card can help you.

For those who don’t understand from the title what this article is about: let’s assume you have 400 MB of internal Android memory, which is very little (about 12-20 installed applications), then you can think about replacing the main memory with a memory card.

Risks and what you need to know

Replacing Android internal memory with a memory card only occurs if you have root rights installed (no root, method doesn't work)! For those who don’t know what Root is and how to get it:

Besides this you obliged know the Android file system structure.

Memory substitution is only possible if your Android device has a system file vold.fstab on the way /system/etc , if you don’t have one, then this method is unfortunately not for you! Use alternative methods (link 1, link 2, link 3). Also if Android does not have its own memory, then this article also not for you. The article is mostly for devices with a Mediatek (MTK) or Rockchip processor.

Since the system file will be edited there is a risk that you may make a mistake and device won't boot, in order to fix this you need to reflash the device, and also the memory card may fail and you will encounter the same problem, firmware will also help.

With a replacement internal memory on a memory card, the latter's service life is greatly reduced (due to frequent reading/writing), and the speed of Android may also drop if the class is very low microSD cards.

Instructions for replacing internal Android memory

to a memory card

1. Install the file manager Root Browser (if you chose another one, then do not write “smart” questions in the comments “I don’t see” “does not edit”)

2. Launch the Root Broswser file manager and follow the path:

/system/etc/

3. Looking for a file vold.fstab and open it (click on the file and select Edit)

4. On file vold.fstab we see approximately this picture:

# Regular device mount

Format: dev_mount
label – Label for the volume
mount_point – Where the volume will be mounted
part – Partition # (1 based), or ‘auto’ for first usable partition.
– List of sysfs paths to source devices
#

# Mounts the first usable partition of the specified device
#/devices/platform/awsmc.3/mmc_host for sdio
dev_mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard auto /devices/virtual/block/XXXXXX
dev_mount extsd /mnt/extsd auto /devices/platform/XXXXXX/XXXXXXX
/devices/platform/sunxi-mmc.0/mmc_host
dev_mount usbhost1 /mnt/usbhost1 auto /devices/platform/sw-ehci.1 /devices/platform/sw_hcd_host0 /devices/platform/sw-ehci.2 /devices/platform/sw- ohci.1 /devices/platform/sw- ohci.2

In this example, note that two lines are highlighted; if you carefully read the structure of the Android file system before these, then you already know that /sdcard or /sdcard0 this is internal memory, and /extsd or /external_sdcard, /sdcrad1, /sdcrad2, /external_sd This is external memory, that is, MicroSD.

All you need to do is swap these two lines:

dev_mount extsd /mnt/extsd auto /devices/virtual/block/XXXXXX
dev_mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard auto /devices/platform/XXXXXX/XXXXXXX

Often you have to face the situation that the internal memory is not enough to install all the desired applications. You can, of course, clean your device and remove outdated applications, but it is not always possible to do this. In this case, you can try replacing the main internal Android memory with a memory card.

Let's try to analyze in detail what it is. First, make sure you have root rights to make changes to Android system settings. In addition, before making such changes, it is recommended to study the structure of the Android file system.

The memory replacement method described below is only possible if you have the vold.fstab system file located in the /system/etc folder.

It should be cautioned that when performing a memory replacement there is a risk of making an error, since system files will be directly edited. You also need to be prepared for the fact that the life of the memory card will be greatly reduced, and the speed of Android may also drop significantly. Reflashing the device will help resolve the above problems. So we advise you to weigh the pros and cons before making systemic adjustments.

Algorithm for replacing Android internal memory with a memory card

Usually, for these purposes, we use the Root Browser file manager, when opening it we go to the /System/etc/ folder. Next, find the vold.fstab file and open it. To do this, use a long hold, and then click Edit.

After this, the internal Android file system opens, which we have already studied. In the structure that opens, we find the lines that contain the definition of main memory. The strings may vary significantly on different devices.

Let's give an example for a general understanding of what you should pay attention to. As you know, the internal memory of Android is usually called sdcard or sdcard0, while the external memory can be called extsd, external_sdcard, sdcrad1, sdcrad2.

Replacing names in internal system files will automatically replace the default memory. Therefore, we look for lines that mention the above designations and swap them, but before that, carefully study again how memory is designated directly in your device.

After replacing and saving the results, you need to reboot the system, after which you can start working with the increased memory size.

Most owners of Android devices sooner or later face the problem of lack of internal space for storing files. Regular installation of applications gradually reduces the amount of free space in the gadget, which leads to slowdowns, incorrect operation, or even a complete failure of the system to work normally. In this case, replacing the internal Android memory with a memory card will help. How to do this and what other ways there are to deal with such a nuisance, we will consider further.

Before delving into the settings and transferring all applications to a flash drive at once, you need to understand what types of memory generally exist on your Android device:

operational - necessary for the correct operation of applications, programs and other processes that run on a phone or tablet;
ROM - stores information about the operating system during firmware and this data cannot be transferred to third-party media;
internal - applications are installed here automatically, as well as any user information; the system reports how much free space is left when installing new software;
expansion card - external drive, which is designed to expand the internal memory of the device and store applications and user information.

Why can't I save apps to my SD card?

In many gadgets, it is not possible to automatically allow the installation of new applications on a flash drive. This applies to phones and tablets from version 4.4.2 to 6.0.1. In this case, replacing the internal memory with an SD card is simply necessary, and this can be done in several ways (including using third-party applications). But first you need to find out the version of Android that is installed on your gadget. To do this, click sequentially on:

Menu;
Settings;
About the phone.

The OS version will be indicated in the list that opens.

Programs for transferring applications to a memory card

The developers took care of the users and created programs to make the flash drive memory the main one on Android. This is especially useful for older versions of the system, such as 2.2 or even earlier.

Convenient software that contains all the necessary tools for transferring information from internal memory to an external drive. The interface is intuitive and simple. Applications available for moving are marked with icons, which, when clicked, opens all available information about them, as well as possible actions (move, copy, delete).

Move2SD Enablerv

This software is interesting to users for two reasons. The first is that it is compatible with different versions of Android (including later ones). And the second is the ability to transfer data and applications that are marked in the system as “unacceptable for transfer.”

Another interesting development that simplifies the life of Android gadget users. The main advantages are simple software installation (without the need to additionally download scripts and libraries) and the ability to transfer information not as complete libraries, but only as parts of them.

What other methods are there?

There is another option to make an SD card into the internal memory on Android. If the version of your gadget is from 2.2 to 4.2.2, then the instructions are extremely simple, click on:

Settings;
Memory;
Default recording disk;
SD card.

A check mark or circle will appear opposite the flash drive, indicating that the settings have changed. Now installation of applications will automatically go to the flash drive.

For users of Android KitKat and higher, the process will be more complicated and tedious. The main problem is that you will need to root your device. You can do this at home, but there is a risk of turning your device into a “brick” that either cannot be repaired, or will only be restored to life at a service center for an additional fee.

Remember that by installing root rights yourself, you void your device’s warranty and act at your own peril and risk. Whether it's worth it or not is up to you to decide. Maybe it's less risky to manually migrate new applications each time?

What do you think? Tell us in the comments if you had to get root rights, whether it was successful, or maybe you know other ways to switch the memory of a tablet/phone to a memory card.

The DirectoryBind program, which a good person slig from xda wrote for himself and posted on the forum for public use, will help improve the situation.

QR code

Click menu, then “Add new entry”

By checking the “Transfer files from target to data” checkbox, files and folders will be transferred from the /sdcard/CamScanner/ directory to the /sdcard/external_sd/CamScanner directory.

I hope this program will complement your collection of useful utilities for Android devices.

If you decide to swap internal and external memory, i.e. reassign the external sd card to /sdcard and there is no such option in the device settings - if you have root, this can be easily done by performing the following operation:
In Root-Explorer we mount "/etc" as R/W (if R/O), find the file "/etc/vold.fstab", save a copy and open (long click) it in the Text Editor.
In the next two lines we change the names of the mount points: dev_mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard emmc@fat /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.0 ... dev_mount sdcard /mnt/external_sd auto /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.1 ... to dev_mount sdcard /mnt/external_sd emmc@fat /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.0 ... dev_mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard auto /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.1 ...
You can read more. They also suggest, as an alternative, to use another interesting program Root External 2 Internal SD.
I will add that in both cases, before switching, you need to copy the entire contents of the /sdcard folder to an external SD card.
Remember that after the switch, your entire system may work better than before.
Be careful- you need to understand that everything you do as root is done at your own peril and risk, and for example, saving the wrong “vold.fstab” can lead to the inability to boot the device and for treatment you will need to boot into recovery and edit “vold.fstab” already there.

This method can be used in conjunction with DirectoryBind, only now it’s the other way around: “Default target path” (/sdcard) and all connections created in DirectoryBind will point to an external card.

Before delving into the settings and transferring all applications to a flash drive at once, you need to understand what types of memory generally exist on your Android device:

operational - necessary for the correct operation of applications, programs and other processes that run on a phone or tablet;
ROM - stores information about the operating system during firmware and this data cannot be transferred to third-party media;
internal - applications are installed here automatically, as well as any user information; the system reports how much free space is left when installing new software;
expansion card - an external drive that is designed to expand the internal memory of the device and store applications and user information.

Why can't I save apps to my SD card?

Menu;
Settings;
About the phone.

The OS version will be indicated in the list that opens.

Programs for transferring applications to a memory card

Move2SD Enablerv

What other methods are there?

There is another option to make an SD card into the internal memory on Android. If the version of your gadget is from 2.2 to 4.2.2, then the instructions are extremely simple, click on:

Settings;
Memory;
Default recording disk;
SD card.

A check mark or circle will appear opposite the flash drive, indicating that the settings have changed. Now installation of applications will automatically go to the flash drive.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments if you had to get root rights, whether it was successful, or maybe you know other ways to switch the memory of a tablet/phone to a memory card.

Almost every application on Android is installed in the internal memory of the device. But it’s not rubber, so it tends to fill up. So any user can face this situation. An SD card will come to the rescue, the volume of which can reach tens or even hundreds of GB. Now we will tell you in detail how to transfer the application and cache to an SD card.

It is also worth noting that not every card is suitable for replacing internal memory with external memory. It's all about the speed classes of SD cards, which vary from slow (C2 and C4) to fast (C10 and C16). If the procedures discussed below are performed on slow SD, then the data transfer will affect the overall performance of the device, therefore it is recommended to use only fast flash drives.

There are not so many ways to replace internal memory with external memory, so we will focus only on the most effective ones, and they will be described sequentially: from simple to more complex.

Cache transfer for Android versions 4.0+

It is worth noting that this method does not require ROOT rights, but is not suitable for all applications. So, if the application description does not contain the necessary buttons, you should not be upset, because this was the easiest way. For even greater ease, you can use a utility or similar, where all applications are conveniently structured, which speeds up the search for the ones you need.

ATTENTION! The methods presented below can only be used on devices with RUT rights. All further operations are done at your own peril and risk; no one gives a 100% guarantee that in case of failure you will not receive a brick. We also do not accept any responsibility for the loss of personal data.

Transfer using third-party programs

If the application does not support standard data transfer, then you can do it forcibly using third-party utilities, such as:

The principle of operation of these programs is very similar, so let’s consider the method using Link2SD as an example.

This method, unlike the next one, does not require special knowledge from the user, except for basic concepts about Root rights.

Complete transfer of Android applications to SD memory card

An attentive user was able to notice that Link2SD and other similar utilities have an interesting “Send” function. With its help, not individual parts of the program are transferred, as in the previous paragraphs, but absolutely all data. In this case, the program will consider that it is working in the internal memory of the device, which for some of them is an important condition for normal operation.

To implement this method, the SD card must be “split” into two sections, after which all data will be deleted from it, so be careful and make a backup copy of important information.

Partitions on a memory card can be made as on a computer, using programs such as Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server or MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition. But this is a rather labor-intensive process, and therefore we will do everything right on the smartphone, using.

Download and install the utility.
In the device settings we find the “Memory” section, where we click “Eject SD”.
We go directly to AParted and in the first tab Create, click ADD twice.
In Part 1 we leave Fat32, and in Part 2 we select ext2 or any other format, if you know what they are needed for.
Make sure that the Format field is checked and select the required memory size for each partition. In this case, Part 1 will remain our standard “flash drive”, but Part 2 will be referenced by applications.
Click APPLY and confirm the action.
We patiently wait for the process to complete.

Now applications and games can be safely linked to the second section of the memory card using the corresponding Link2SD function or its equivalent.

Transferring cache to a flash drive

This method is useful for users who like games with a large cache. Now many large projects (for example, a series of games) occupy several gigabytes. The same goes for navigation maps. Not all devices can boast this amount of built-in memory, so FolderMount comes to the rescue. It allows you to create virtual folders so that the system still thinks that the application data is in the internal memory, although in fact all the files are located on the flash drive.

We install.
Launch and grant Superuser rights.
Open the pull-out menu on the left side of the screen.
Go to the “Application Analyzer”, look for the desired game and click on it.
In the window that opens, we see the volume that the application data and its cache occupy separately.
Click the “Create pair” button next to the cache size.
Answer the question “Yes” and click the checkmark at the top of the screen, after which you must answer “Yes” again.
You will be able to see the process of file transfer in the notification bar.
As soon as the transfer is complete (reaches 100%), open the pull-out menu again and select “List of pairs.”
All that remains is to press the switch next to the name of the game you transferred.

Replacing internal memory with external memory

This method allows you to deceive the system, i.e. Android will consider the SD card to be the device’s memory. One of the main advantages is the fact that all applications will be automatically installed on the flash drive. Ideal for devices with very little internal memory. To implement this, you will need a file manager; it is best to use Total Commander. The point of the method is to swap the paths to the device memory and the flash drive.

Install
Click on the file, then “Edit”.
The file contains many lines that begin with # (the hash character). But we need a line that starts with the words “dev_mount” and without (!!!) a hash at the beginning.
There should be 2 such lines: the first indicates internal memory, the second - external.
For example, if your lines are:
dev_mount sdcard/mnt/sdcard
dev_mount extsd/mnt/extsd
Then they should become:
dev_mount sdcard/mnt/extsd
dev_mount extsd/mnt/sdcard
That is, the most important thing is to swap the words after /mnt/.
You don’t need to change anything else, click the “Save” button (floppy disk icon).
Reboot the device.