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Can apps be moved to sd card on android?

How can I move apps to my SD card on an Android device?

By Aymeric DelaplacePublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Can apps be moved to sd card on android?
Photo by Yura Fresh on Unsplash

Apps in android can be moved to sd card but there are apps on your phone that cannot be moved to sd card. These apps can be moved to sd card on Android phones.

For a long time, android apps could only install themselves on your internal storage.

The answer is yes, but it's not as simple as you may think. For a long time, android apps could only install themselves on your internal storage. This means that if you ran out of space, you couldn't download any more apps until you deleted something else. So what can you do if you want to use an SD card with your Android phone? The first thing to check is whether your phone has an SD card slot.

If it does, then all you need to do is insert an SD card into the slot and then format it so that it appears in your file manager as external storage (not internal storage). If your phone doesn't have a slot for an SD card, then there are some other options available: Use a cloud storage service – Dropbox or Google Drive will allow you to store large amounts of data on their servers and access them from any device with internet access.

You'll need to make sure that the files are backed up regularly though! Buy a USB OTG cable – these cables allow you to connect USB devices like keyboards, mice or external hard drives directly to your Android phone or tablet with no extra software required.

Luckily, as of android 6.0 marshmallow, you can configure your sd card as your default install location for apps and games.

When you insert an sd card for the first time, you’ll be prompted to format it so that android can use it properly.

You can move the app to your SD card, but not the data that it uses. If you have an SD card in your phone, you can use it for apps and other files. For example, if you install a game on your phone, it will be installed on internal storage by default.

But if you want more space, you can move it to the SD card by using “Move to SD card” option in the app settings. When you insert an sd card for the first time, you’ll be prompted to format it so that android can use it properly. After formatting, all apps installed on internal storage will automatically be moved to the SD card without having to do anything manually.

After moving the app to your SD card, Android will ask you whether or not you want to keep data associated with this app on internal storage or on external storage as well. If you choose not to keep any data on internal storage then this app will be completely uninstalled from your phone and all its data will be removed from internal storage too.

Apps you’ve moved to your sd card won't appear in your app drawer until you insert the card into your phone.

The first time you open an app that's stored on your SD card, you'll be asked if you want to move it to the phone's internal storage. You can make this decision for each app individually, or set up a default location for all apps by going to Settings > Apps and tapping Default storage.

You can move most of your apps to your SD card, but some system apps and preloaded apps can't be moved. Some games may also refuse to run if they're not in their usual location (such as /system/app), so it's best not to move them unless they absolutely need it.

In Brief...

You can move apps to sd card on your android. There are several different ways to do this, but if you want to move just a few select apps and aren't sure how, this is for you. Below we explain several methods you can use to move apps to the sd card on android phones including how to transfer from an old phone or how to move from a computer.

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About the Creator

Aymeric Delaplace

💬 Hello, I'm Aymeric 📱. 👋 I write about apps, software and businesses for kids for publications like TechCrunch 🌟. 🤔Have a question? DM me on Twitter or e-mail my email address. 👈❤️

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Comments (7)

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  • Hector Allemand3 months ago

    Just when I thought my phone's storage was as packed as my pre-diet jeans, Aymeric comes to the rescue! With a sense of humor no less. Moving apps to the SD card is now my new cardio. Great read, Aymeric! Keep these techno-gems coming.

  • Whoa, Aymeric! Juggling apps onto an SD card, thanks to your witty and splendid piece. Now my Android behaves like a well-trained circus animal. Who knew tech life could be this delightfully quirky? Looking forward to more gags with gadgetry. Long live Android humor!

  • Laurette Baillieu4 months ago

    Aymeric, your article literally "moved" me, just like how apps get tucked into an SD card's digital hammock. Who knew my phone could lose some digital weight and breathe easier? Kudos on a great read - I'm a big "appreciator" of your work! Keep them coming!

  • Jean-Paul Boulle4 months ago

    Aymeric, you've managed to make moving apps to SD card sound as exciting as a high-tech heist movie - "Mission: Data Relocation" anyone? Your article was more compelling than my phone's 'low storage' warnings! Keep those runaway apps coming, we've got plenty of SD card real estate here. Well done!

  • Pauline Boudon4 months ago

    Aymeric, your piece is as enlightening as a 64GB SD card in a storage-hungry world. You’ve offered Android users a golden ticket out of 'storage nearly full' nightmares! Surprised though that you didn't work in a 'move it like Mobile-gascar' pun, missed opportunity my friend! Keep up the fantastic work!

  • Armel Corne5 months ago

    Aymeric, your piece was like an epic saga of apps finding their true home - the SD card! Keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel though, "Can Apps Be Moved to Cloud?" Until then, I'll be transferring apps with a newfound gusto. Stellar write-up! #ApplauseForAymeric

  • Max Gachet9 months ago

    Aymeric, you've hit the nail on the head with this delightful article! SD card space is like that cozy extra bedroom in a house - you never really appreciate it until you've got some apps hogging up all the room! Thanks for shedding light on this storage-saving secret. I'm ready to make some room for more cat videos now!

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