How to transfer Android applications to an SD card


Is it worth it to store applications on the SD card.

The internal memory on your device may not be enough for all the applications that you need. Modern programs and especially games are very voluminous. This problem can be solved by moving them to the SD card.

But there are pitfalls. Cards are slower than internal memory. Therefore, games and other resource-intensive applications after the transfer can slow down. To reduce the loss of performance, it is advisable to choose a card with a minimum speed of 10 MB / s. The higher the better.



In addition, moved applications will stop working as soon as you remove the memory card. And when you insert it back, it is possible that some of them will begin to fail and give errors.

Thus, applications should be moved if you are willing to sacrifice their speed and stability for the sake of free space.

Can you transfer applications to a memory card


It is important to understand that not all devices provide such an opportunity. There is no list of models that support migration. To find out if your device belongs to them, you just need to try moving the applications to the card. This process is reversible and uncomplicated.

In addition, even if your gadget allows you to carry out the transfer, you will not be able to do this with all applications. Some games and programs allow only part of their data to be transferred to the card, and many do not support transfer at all.

How to transfer applications to an SD card


Although the process of moving games and programs on different firmware is slightly different, the procedure is similar everywhere. This generalized instruction should suit everyone.

Manually

First, make sure the memory card is inserted in the device. Then open the Android settings and select the "Applications" section. In the list of games and programs, click on the one you want to transfer to the card.

When the menu of the selected application appears on the screen, find the navigation button and use it. After transferring in the same menu, you can return the application back to the internal memory.

If the button is missing or not pressed, the program may not support moving. Repeat these steps with other games and applications. If nothing can be transferred, most likely this feature is not available on your device.

Automatically

Some devices on Android 6 or newer versions of the OS allow you to use the card as part of the internal memory. This option makes it possible to transfer all applications at once.

To make the card work as part of the internal storage, go to the settings and open the section for memory management. Find the SD card menu in it. Use the “Format” command, select the option “Like internal storage” and follow the prompts of the system. If there is no such option, this feature is not available on your device.

Formatting will erase all data from the card. After that, it cannot be used on other devices until you format it again.

After confirming the transfer of applications to the card. From this moment, the device will begin to perceive it as part of the internal storage, transfer the old applications and install new ones on the card.

To return the program back to the device’s memory, you need to use the “Format” command again, choosing the option “As portable storage”. Before formatting, the system will prompt you to transfer applications to internal memory.

Using third-party programs


If your device does not support any of the above methods, but root-rights are unlocked on it , you can try transferring applications using third-party programs. For these purposes, there are, for example, Link2SD and App2SD utilities. But even their creators do not guarantee the operability and stability of this method. So be careful.