Using an SD Card on Android
One of the reasons why you would want to use an SD card as an installation memory of your android device is because your device storage is about to be filled up or you can't install apps anymore because of low storage. The fix to this is by using your memory card as internal storage for your phone.
Memory cards are slower than internal storage, so you may notice slightly worse performance for more resource-intensive apps. When picking a card, go for the fastest and largest one your phone can support check your phone’s specifications to see what cards it’s compatible with. (Be sure you know how to spot a fake microSD card to avoid getting scammed).
It isn't possible to move preinstalled apps without rooting, and even some third-party apps may not support it. Also, on older versions of Android, you might not be able to use widgets associated with apps you've moved to your memory card.
With all this in mind, let’s see how to move apps to an SD card.
Use an SD Card as Internal Storage
In the recent android devices, you can now set microSD cards to work as internal storage. Instead of having internal and external storage existing as separate spaces, Android views the card as an extension of the built-in memory.
Data and apps can write to either as needed, and it all happens seamlessly. As a result, you don’t need to worry about where your apps are stored.
You have to set it up first. Your card will be wiped in the process, so make sure you’ve backed up any data you need:
- Insert the card into your phone. When the New SD Card notification appears, tap Set Up.
- Next, you need to choose how your phone should use the card. Select Phone Storage on Android 9, or Use as Internal Storage on older versions. Alternatively, go to Settings > Storage, tap the card, tap the menu button, and select Storage Settings. Tap Format as internal.
- In the next screen tap Format SD Card, or Erase & Format. This will wipe your card.
- On Android 9 you’re offered the chance to move your content including apps onto the card. It also shows you how much space you’ll save. Hit Move Content to complete.
This feature is called Adoptable Storage, and it requires you to keep your card in your phone permanently. The card is also encrypted, so you cannot put it in another device to copy the data.
How to Move Apps to an SD Card on Android
If your phone doesn’t support adoptable storage, it’s quick and easy to transfer apps to an SD card on Android Pie manually. Just remember that you can’t do it for every app, and not at all for the pre-installed apps.
- Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App info.
- Find the app you want to move in the list and tap it.
- Select Storage. If the app supports being moved to a card, you’ll see a button here labeled Change. Tap this.
- Select the SD Card in the Change storage dialog box. This brings up a confirmation screen. Tap Move to begin.
To move the app back to internal storage, repeat the steps above but select Internal shared storage in the final step. You should always do this when you want to change or remove your memory card.
How to Move Apps to an SD Card Using Link2SD
If your phone doesn’t support moving apps to the SD card, or if you want to move an app that doesn’t support it individually, there are a few third-party apps that can help you out. Apps2SD is a popular option, as is FolderMount. Both require a rooted Android phone.
We’re going to look at another choice, Link2SD, which has both root and non-root features. You can use it to move apps to your card in bulk, to “force-move” apps that don’t normally allow it, and to offload data folders for larger apps and games to your external storage.
First, launch the app and grant root permissions if your phone is rooted. Then tap the app you want to move and select an option:
- Link to SD Card. This requires root and moves the entire app and its data to your card.
- Move to SD Card. This doesn’t require root and only works if your phone supports moving apps to external storage. If you do have root, you can also force-move apps that don’t otherwise support it.
- Link to SD Card (Data and Cache). Moves data files, and requires root.
To move more than one app at a time, tap the menu button in the top right corner, and choose Multi-select. Now tap all the apps you want to move, hit the menu button again, and choose either Link to SD card or Move to SD card. These are the same options as described above.
