• Loading music onto a memory card: detailed instructions. How to install a game or application on an Android flash drive

    If your device has a small amount of internal memory and you are constantly faced with the need to delete applications, photos and videos in order to free up more space for installing large applications, then you need to read this article.

    In this article, we will explain in detail how to install or move Android apps to an SD card on a smartphone or tablet and how to get apps installed on an Android memory card.

    How to transfer apps to SD card?

    Currently, there are two ways to solve this problem:

    • Storing photos, videos and music in cloud storage
    • Using a microSD memory card

    If your Android phone or tablet allows you to install an SD card, then be sure to install an SD card. In this case, the external memory will be intended for storing photos, videos and music, and the internal memory will be for applications.

    However, there are situations when the owner needs applications to be saved to the SD memory card. So the question arises, how to install or transfer any suitable application to a microSD card?

    So, below we will describe in detail how to make applications installed on the Android memory card by default. As a result of such manipulations, the internal memory will be significantly freed up, which will have a positive effect on the operation of the Android system.

    Instructions for devices up to Android 6.0

    The instructions below may vary slightly from phone to phone. On some phones there may just be a button "Move to SD". So you need to pay attention to every word associated with "Move", "SD" etc.

    If your device needs to free up internal storage, move any number of apps, photos, or videos to the SD card. Also, open the app "Camera" and go to settings and set save to SD card. Instructions on how to move apps to Android memory card:

    • First, open the notification shade and click on the gear-shaped settings button. You can also login "Settings" through the application panel.
    • Open the tab "Device", go to the tab "Applications" and then "Application Manager". On some devices "Application Manager" has a name "All applications".
    • Then go to your apps list, find the app you want to move. We will be moving the APL app to the SD card.
    • Once you find the application, click on it, then click on the button "Change" as shown below. Select “Memory card” (Click on the picture to enlarge).

    It is worth noting that any game or application in which speed is important is best left on the internal memory, since the data transfer speed is much faster on the internal memory of the smartphone than on an SD memory card.

    Instructions for devices version Android Marshmallow 6.0 and higher

    In older versions of Android, the SD memory card worked as portable and removable storage. On devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and higher, a feature called Adoptable Storage has been added. So, when you insert an SD card into the device, the system will automatically sum up the internal memory and SD memory card capacity and display the total memory.

    The advantage is that all applications are automatically installed on the SD card. As a result, there will be no need to move applications manually.

    • Insert the SD card, open the notification shade and tap "Tune". You can use the SD card as portable storage or as internal storage. If you select the function, the system will format the SD card and then integrate with the device.
    • After this, all data on the smartphone will be installed on the memory card by default.

    However, using such a feature will completely integrate the SD card with the internal memory and will now not work with other devices. This means you can't just pull it out and plug it into your computer to download music, photos, or videos from your computer.

    Be sure to back up any data or information on your computer before selecting a feature "Use as internal storage", since Android will completely format the SD memory card.

    It's worth noting that at any time, you can go to settings according to our instructions above and move apps from the SD card back to the internal storage.

    Android 5.0 Lollipop and higher

    If you are using a smartphone or tablet running Android 5.0 Lollipop or higher. Your device will use the SD memory card as portable and removable storage. This means you can remove the SD memory card and download photos or music from your computer, and then install the SD memory card back into your Android device.

    In the event that you need to move applications to an SD memory card, use the instructions below:

    • Open the menu, select "Settings" and then "Applications" and move any app to SD card. To do this, simply click on the application and click on the button "Move to SD card".

    However, remember that applications that come with pre-installed software cannot be transferred to the SD memory card. Typically, applications installed from the Play Market can be transferred.

    Other methods (apps to transfer to SD memory card)

    There are many third-party applications in the Play Market that allow you to transfer applications to an SD memory card. Most of the applications, of course, require root access. But, there are several applications that allow you to transfer applications without root access.

    AppMgr III (App 2 SD)

    The most popular application that allows you to transfer almost any application to an SD memory card. It is worth noting that the application does not require root access, which is especially important for inexperienced users.

    Moreover, AppMgr III is feature-rich and provides many other useful features.

    • Download the AppMgr III application, wait for the automatic installation (takes 2 to 5 minutes).
    • Now open the AppMgr III application and wait for the list of installed applications on your phone to load. After that, click on the application that you want to move, select "Move", and then in standard Android functionality, move the application to the SD card.

    On phones with small internal memory capacity, there is a lack of free space. It is expanded with a memory card onto which photos, videos, music and other data are transferred. But what to do if there is not enough memory for programs, but there is nothing left to delete? The most rational option is to install applications on an Android SD card.

    This can be done using standard tools or using third-party software. We will look at simple methods that give almost 100% results.

    What applications can be transferred to a memory card?

    Unfortunately, not all programs can be transferred to MicroSD. Some developers do not optimize the software to work outside of system memory, so there is no way to make it work on a memory card. However, the vast majority of software works well on it. Therefore, even heavy applications can be transferred, freeing up space on the internal storage.

    Pay attention! The system allows you to transfer only downloaded programs. It will not be possible to change the directory of the built-in ones - they will not start.

    Also remember that the speed of writing and reading from a memory card is much lower than from the built-in drive. For this reason, it is not recommended to transport games and other software for which performance is important.

    Transferring apps using stock tools

    It has become possible to install applications on a memory card using built-in services, starting with Android version 2.2; for earlier builds you will have to tinker and transfer using a PC.

    Please note that the instructions are not completely universal. In some firmware, the names and locations of the items may differ, but the essence set out in the instructions remains unchanged. We will demonstrate transposition using the example of the AOSP system (naked Android) and the Samsung shell. We will also look at the nuances for versions up to 6.0 Marshallow and later builds.

    For AOSP (up to 6.0)

    Following these instructions, transferring one program will take about a minute:

    The shell will notify you when the application has been moved to the memory card.

    For Samsung (up to 6.0)

    Now we want to show the differences in the procedure using the example of Samsung firmware, but at the same time substantiate the thesis that the principle remains the same. So:

    Here, installing applications on the card is a little longer, but the main thing is to go to the programs menu, select the one you need and interact with the storage options. The same principle will apply to other firmwares, it’s just that the first time you may have to spend a couple of minutes to figure it out.

    For all firmware based on Android 6.0 and higher

    In this version, Google has revised the principle of interaction between smartphones and a flash drive. Previously, it acted as a portable data storage, now, in addition to this, a new feature has been added - Adoptable Storage. It integrates a memory card with internal storage, which is beneficial because by default all data will be installed on it. However, it will no longer be possible to insert it into your computer and easily transfer files.

    To activate the mode, you need:


    Try to make a backup of the data installed on the MicroSD, as everything will be deleted. Android will reformat it to suit its needs, add information encryption to improve security, and change the file system type. Consider carefully what will be more convenient for you, but remember that in the future you will be able to change the method of working with the flash drive, and the documents on it will be lost again.

    Moving all data to MicroSD

    Porting individual programs is useful. But what to do if your smartphone has little RAM and internal memory of 4, 8 or 16 GB and you urgently need to free it up? Android stock services will help with this too, because they provide tools for dumping all videos, pictures, music, software and even games onto a removable drive. To do this, take several steps, namely:

    The method is simpler than the previous ones and is suitable if you want to radically free up space on your phone from programs that have been installed for a long time and take up a lot of space.

    Transferring applications using third-party software

    It happens that it is not possible to transport software using standard means, but there are many alternative options. We propose to disassemble the two simplest ones: one using a PC, and the second through special programs, but you will need root rights.

    Pay attention! Read about how to get root on Android in the topics about your device to avoid problems.

    Using a computer

    The solution is not the fastest, but it is simple and accessible to everyone, even if there is no root rights. So:


    This can be done more easily through a device synchronization program, such as My Phone Explorer. First, it is installed on the phone from the Play Market, and then on the PC. The distribution should be downloaded from the developer's official website.

    Now start transposing the application to the Android memory card, for this you need:

    This completes the procedure and the application is ready for use.

    Using the app

    A lot of transfer applications have been developed; we suggest using the multifunctional Titanium Backup utility. To do this you need to do the following:

    If you want to put all the software on a flash drive, then after starting Titanium, follow these steps:

    Now wait for the process to complete.

    These were the most basic ways to install an application on an Android SD card, which will always work. If one of the methods does not help, we recommend using an alternative.

    I'm neither the first nor the last to encounter the annoying exclamation point icon on Android. There is not enough internal memory, and all applications are written there by default.

    You have to delete some possibly important files or transfer them to your PC. But there is a solution to this problem.

    You just need to make sure that all programs are saved on the flash card.

    How to make applications installed on an android memory card

    First of all, you need to find out the OC version, since there are methods that are suitable, for example, for Jelly Bean, but no longer work on Kit-Kat. To do this you will need to do the following:

    • go to the menu;
    • find the “Settings” icon;
    • at the very bottom of the list we find the “About device” item, which will display the current version of your operating system.

    Android 2.2 – 4.2.2

    Without leaving “Settings”, we find the “Memory” item, which in this case is located between “Battery” and “Screen”.

    Then click on “SD card” in the “Default recording disk” list. After clicking, a checkmark will appear in front of it or a circle will light up.

    Now try downloading something from PlayMarket, everything should be saved on the flash drive.

    Android Kit-Kat and higher

    With later versions of Android the situation is more complicated. In order for applications to be installed on the SD card, you need to have root rights. The fact is that Google no longer uses this function due to the fact that today there are “clouds” in which you can store all the necessary information.

    But in our country, the Internet service is not so developed that it is possible to instantly download all the necessary files from cloud services.

    It is better to obtain root rights by contacting specialists, as there is a possibility that your mobile phone will fail. You can also do this yourself, since there are many different articles on the Internet on this topic.

    I can only suggest a few utilities to gain full access to your device: GingerBreak, Baidu Root, 360 Root(without using a PC), SuperOneClick, RootkitZ(using a computer). I can't say which of these will help you, since they work differently on different devices.

    This was a small digression, now let's move on to the main thing - how to make applications installed on an Android memory card , Kit-Kat and above. To do this, you will need to follow the instructions below step by step:

    • after purchasing the rights, go to Google Play;
    • in the search we type in: “SDFix: KitKat Writable MicroSD”;
    • install (for now on the phone memory);
    • when you open the program, do not be alarmed that everything is in English, there is no need to read and translate, just click on the “Continue” button (blue screen);

    • on the purple screen, put a tick in front of the inscription informing about the improvement of your device;

    • within 2-3 minutes the orange display will appear, you will have to wait a little;

    • once the green color appears, you will be able to install all apps on Micro SD by default.

    A method for replacing the amount of built-in memory with the amount of a flash drive

    This method also assumes that you have superuser rights. In addition, you will need the Root Explorer utility. In it we find the /system/etc folder, where we click on the inscription “RW rights”.

    Using the editor, go to the vold fstab file and find the following entries in it (without the hash tag):

    dev_mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard emmc@fat /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.0 /devices/platform/mtk-sd.0/mmc_host

    dev_mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard2 auto /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.1 /devices/platform/mtk-sd.1/mmc_host

    In the first entry after /mnt/sdcard we put the number 2, in the second we remove it.

    After these simple manipulations, the volume of your internal memory will become equal to the memory capacity of the SD card, and you can safely write anything there from the Play Market, without fear that the free space will quickly fill up.

    Move2SDEnabler

    This software, in addition to allowing you to save installed applications directly to external media, makes it possible to transfer already used programs there (if they support such a function).

    And this method also assumes the presence of root, what can you do - our hands are tied without these rights.

    So, let's start by going to Settings. The next step is “Applications”, then “Development”. There you will need to check the box next to “USB Debugging”. This is done so that the application works normally.

    Now is the time to go into the application itself. We agree to all the rules by clicking on “I’ve read it” and “Next”.

    After this, select one of the proposed options:

    • Auto – the device automatically selects in which partition to save the downloaded content (in this case, the function of transferring programs to a flash drive does not work);
    • Internal – applications will be installed on the phone’s own memory;
    • External – the memory card becomes the main storage medium for installed programs.

    For our case, the third option is suitable. Click “Apply”, in the window that appears with a message about activating Move to SD, click “Yes”.

    If none of the suggested methods worked

    In theory, if you follow the method described above, then everything should work out, but anything can happen. Don't despair. I can suggest a method that will free up space by transferring programs to a flash card.

    In this case, the newly installed software will be saved in the same way as before, on the device, and not on external media.

    So, we follow the suggested path: Menu → Settings → Applications → Manage applications. Next, find the item “All” or “Third Party”, where we click on the application that needs to be transferred.

    The “Move to SD card” button will do the trick. If it is gray, it means that it is inactive, that is, the creators of this software did not provide a transfer function. Yes, this happens too.

    Well, that's basically it. I hope this article will help you solve the problem with limited internal memory.

    Today we will tell you how to transfer internal memory files and applications to the SD card of your Android phone or tablet. And also how to store files and photos on a microSD card to free up space in your smartphone’s memory. All the methods are simple and will help you avoid or delay the appearance of the “Not enough space” message on your Android device.

    What you need to know about micro SD cards

    Many inexpensive Android smartphones have a small amount of internal memory (4 or 8 GB). At the same time, 16 GB is not always enough, because few people limit themselves to a couple of movies and applications. Many users want their gadget to hold as many high-resolution photos and videos as possible, as well as all their favorite music tracks. Luckily, most Android smartphones support microSD cards.

    Before purchasing a card, you need to find out what the maximum memory capacity of the gadget is. Flagships usually reach 128 GB and higher, but many Android smartphones are limited to 32 GB. Frankly speaking, this amount of memory is enough for most users.

    After inserting a microSD card, you can set a new saving path for new applications, photos, videos, audio files and others; change the location where pictures are saved in the camera settings, as well as songs downloaded from the Google Play Music application. But what about applications that are already downloaded to the internal memory of the smartphone?

    How to move apps to SD card on Android

    Let's make a reservation right away: not all applications can be moved to a microSD card: some applications have protection that will prevent this from happening. In other words, users of smartphones with 4 and 8 GB of internal memory, who are accustomed to downloading and installing dozens of applications, may encounter the problem of lack of memory, even if they have a microSD card.

    The ability to move an application to a memory card is usually determined by the application developer, and sometimes by the device manufacturer.

    For example, one of the smartphones on which you can move applications to an SD card. But these applications will become unavailable when you remove the memory card.

    In order to find out whether it is possible to transfer a particular application to a microSD card, go to “Settings”, then to “Applications” and select the one you need. On some Android smartphones, the settings menu may have a different name and look, but the application settings should be there in any case.

    The first tab of the application settings menu displays all downloaded applications on the smartphone. On the tab to the right are those stored on the SD card.

    To move an application, go to the “Downloaded” tab and click on the application. For the example in the screenshots, we chose Clash of Clans.

    There will be an item “Move to SD card”, click on it. After which the message “Move” will appear, and at the end of the process the item will change to “Move to internal memory”. Now the application has appeared on the “on SD card” tab.

    It's also worth noting that many downloadable free apps are available to move around. And for those who often run out of available memory, we recommend deleting applications after use.

    How to Move Photos, Videos and Other Files to Android SD Card (Memory Card)

    In addition, you can also quickly and easily move photos, videos, audio and other files using a computer or laptop. To do this, you just need to connect your smartphone to your PC via a USB cable.

    Through the computer, you can view the contents of both internal and external memory (they will appear as two different devices). To move files on Mac OS, you can use Android File Transfer, which displays internal memory and SD card contents in different tabs.

    Here, to move files from internal memory to external memory, you just need to drag them with the mouse to any convenient place, including the memory of the computer itself. The main thing is not to accidentally capture system files of the Android operating system.

    File Manager

    You can also use a file manager. Many Android smartphones have this application installed by default. If you don’t have it, you can download a free file manager from Topnet999, but ES Explorer is the most popular among users of Android devices.

    At the very top there will be a “Memory” tab - click on it to see all the available types of memory on your smartphone. “sdcard0” refers to the internal memory of the smartphone, and “sdcard1” refers to the external memory. Let's start by moving photos.

    First, open “sdcard0” and go to the DCIM folder, then to Camera. Pictures taken with a smartphone camera are stored here. Click on the three dots at the bottom right and select “Select multiple files.” We mark the necessary photos that we want to transfer to the memory card. After that, select “Move”, go to the desired folder on the microSD card and click on “Insert”.

    This way you can move audio and other files on your smartphone.


    For modern mobile devices running the Android operating system, the problem of lack of space on the system partition of a smartphone is no longer as pressing as it was a few years ago. Manufacturers have long provided their phones or tablets with four, eight or more gigabytes of internal storage, a significant part of which is dedicated to the system. For most users, this space is enough so that applications can be installed without problems on the internal memory of the device, and not on an SD card.

    But appetites and, accordingly, the amount of space occupied by applications are also growing, and if you are an active user of your smartphone, then one day you may well find that the space on its system partition is running out, or during installation of an application you will encounter an error caused by lack of space for its installation. Don't worry too much about this. The Google Android operating system provides its users with the ability to transfer already installed applications or install new ones to an SD memory card, if one is present in your phone or tablet. And for special cases, there are non-standard, but quite simple solutions to bypass system limitations. So, in this short instruction we will tell you how to install applications on the SD flash card of your mobile device.

    How to install applications on an SD card for Android versions from 2.2 to 4.2.2

    The very first versions of the Android OS did not support the function of transferring applications to an SD card, although for the first smartphones with a small amount of internal memory it would have been most relevant. Starting from version 2.2, this function began to be included by developers as standard in device firmware. It is worth noting that not every application can be transferred to a memory card, even if you have the latest version of Android installed. This depends on the application developers, who simply may not provide such a function for it.

    So, how to install an application on an SD memory card if it provides such a function? If you want to free up space on the system partition of the device by transferring already installed programs to a flash drive, you need to perform the following sequence of actions:

    1. Open the menu of your device and go to “Settings”;

    2. Select "Applications";

    3. Go to the “SD card” item, you will see a list of all programs that support transfer to an SD card;

    4. If you have an old version of Android OS, you need to go to the “Application Management” item and go to the “Third Party” tab;

    5. Select the application that you would like to transfer to the memory card by tapping on it with your finger;

    6. You will see an application window, where it will be indicated how much space it takes up in the device’s memory, buttons for forced stop, uninstallation, etc. We are interested in the "Move to memory card" button;

    7. If this button is active, press it and your program will be transferred from the device’s internal memory to the SD card. An inactive button indicates that this application does not support the transfer to a memory card function.

    8. By re-entering the application window after the operation is completed, you can observe that some data still remains on the system partition. This is fine. The main thing is that most of the files were moved to the flash card, freeing up precious space for us.

    There are also specialized utilities that can install applications onto an SD memory card. One of them, which is also free, is AppMgr II I. This program can move applications, hide system applications, supports batch operations with applications and much more.


    Installing applications on an SD card for Android versions 2.1 and lower

    As mentioned above, in Android OS versions 2.1 and earlier, installation and transfer of applications to a memory card are not provided. But this problem can be circumvented if you have some patience and minimal knowledge to perform simple operations with your smartphone or tablet.

    Before installing the necessary specialized software and carrying out further manipulations with it, we strongly recommend that you make a backup copy of everything that is stored on your memory card. In the future, this may help you save a lot of nerve cells.

    Also, for applications that work with data transfer to function, you need to have Superuser rights (Root access) on your device; take care of this in advance if you have not yet “rooted” your smartphone or tablet.

    To work with a flash card, you need to download the free program MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition. After downloading and installing the program on your PC, perform the following steps:

    1. Connect your device to the computer with a USB cable as an external drive;

    2. Delete all partitions on the SD card;

    3. Create a Primary FAT32 partition on the flash card for your data;

    4. Create another primary partition ext2 (the new version also supports ex3/ext4 partitions), it will store the data of applications transferred to the memory card;

    5. Reboot your smartphone and make sure that the memory card is visible. Now you can copy your previously saved personal data to it from a backup copy;

    6. Application data is transferred to the memory card by a separate program. One of the most popular is the free Link2SD, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

    7. Install Link2SD, give the application root rights. The program is ready to work;

    8. Select the apk file that you want to transfer to your memory card and select "Create link". The selected application will be transferred to your SD card. To return it back, you must select the "Remove link" item.


    How to install applications on a memory card for Android 4.4.2 KitKat

    Due to the fact that Google, the developer of the Android OS, has changed the application protection algorithms in the new version of its Android 4.4.2 operating system, some device models may experience problems transferring installed applications to a flash card. Some developers of applications for mobile devices with the Android 4.4.2 operating system are concerned about solving this problem by promptly preparing updates to their programs that can bypass this problem. Also, some manufacturers have solved this problem in firmware updates for their devices, as, for example, Sony did for the Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia T2 Ultra Dual models.

    For those who want to be able to write programs to an SD card on Android 4.4.2, but this is not provided by standard capabilities, there is the SDFix application: KitKat Writable MicroSD

    We hope that the instructions we provided for transferring user programs to a flash card will be useful to you, and your applications will find their place on the memory card of your phone or tablet, freeing up valuable space on your device. Be careful when performing operations with a memory card and always back up your data before you start doing anything with your phone. Good luck!

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