To transfer memory to a memory card on Android, special applications and programs are usually used that allow you to carry out the procedure in one click. In early versions of the operating system, there was a feature that allowed you to combine internal and external resources, but over time it disappeared. What are the proven ways to transfer memory from the drive to the phone (and vice versa), and how to install applications on the SD card? Read about it below in the article.
What is an SD card?
Most inexpensive smartphones have a rather meager amount of internal memory, which is why many owners of electronic devices are wondering about transferring data to a memory card on Android. Although in some cases, even 16 gigabytes is not enough for users, because they want as many photos, videos and games as possible on the phone. In thatIn this case, SD cards come to the rescue, allowing you to store gigabytes of useful information.
After installing an external drive, you need to set a new path to save files downloaded from the Internet. To do this, go to the settings and select the "Applications" section. In it you will find a line that determines whether new files will be saved to the internal memory of the smartphone, or whether the system will give preference to the SD card. Although, if everything was so simple, then people would not have questions about how to transfer memory to a memory card on Android.
Do the move functions work?
In Android 6.0, transferring memory to and from the card could be done using the internal tools of the operating system. It was enough just to go to the "Settings" section, and then select "Application Manager" in the list. However, after updating devices to Android 7, the transfer of memory to the card was removed for some reason. Perhaps the developers found this feature too useful, since it was easier to buy an SD card than a phone with 16 gigabytes of internal memory.
If you are a happy owner of a smartphone with Android 6.0 installed, you can safely use the built-in application manager to move not only free memory, but also various programs that have already been installed on an external or internal drive. As for more advanced versions, you will have to resort to other methods.movement.
Download files to SD card using PC
One of the easiest ways to transfer programs to a memory card on Android. Also, the method allows you to easily move various multimedia files (music, video, photos) to an external SD drive.
- Connect the device to the computer using a USB cable.
- Go to the folder with the operating system of the smartphone and look for the desired file.
- Cut out a picture or a video clip. Then we put it in the SD card folder.
When viewing the contents of drives, it is also possible to create additional folders for the convenience of finding the necessary files. Just click on the right mouse button in the desired section and select "Create Folder".
There are also special applications that allow you to manipulate the transfer of multimedia files without using a computer. The best option for novice users is File Manager, which can be downloaded for free from Google Play.
Memory transfer apps
Since we are talking about third-party programs, we should mention a couple of interesting utilities that allow you to transfer several gigabytes from an SD drive. For example, a good application for a novice user is AppMge III, which allows you to transfer memory to an Android memory card (or vice versa) in a matter of seconds.
Also quite a useful addition is the function to move installed applications. The user can mark several programs at once that need to be transferred to the SD card, or click on the "Move All" button. Also, this way you can simply check the list of installed applications and their size.
However, it should be understood that not all applications can be moved from the built-in drive to an external one. As a rule, such restrictions are set by the developers of the operating system or the program that the user has downloaded. A striking example is the social network Facebook and the WhatsApp messenger - it will not be possible to move these applications to the SD card.
Link2SD
Besides the aforementioned AppMge III, there are other programs that allow you to transfer applications to a memory card on Android 8 and higher. One of the most striking examples is a utility called Link2SD, which has many useful features, but requires detailed configuration. For example, the application will require you to give it root access, as well as create a hidden area in the file system on the SD card, which will be used for emulation.
A few words about the application itself. Link2SD not only allows you to move files and installed programs from your smartphone's internal memory to an external drive, but also has the following functions:
- create desktop shortcuts;
- reinstall and uninstall programs;
- distribution of installation APK;
- clear RAM;
- freeze applications.
All theseThe utility provides features absolutely free of charge, however, owners of the extended version of the manager can automatically clear the cache, as well as remove annoying ads that appear at startup.
Creating a hidden area
Link2SD is quite good in its way, but even experienced users often have questions about using the program. Especially often people are interested in how to create a hidden area in the phone, which is necessary for the normal operation of the application. We answer: you can do this using the Recovery mode built into your smartphone. It is activated on different smartphones in different ways:
- press the unlock button, and immediately after that - the volume button;
- we press both volume buttons together with the power button of the smartphone;
- simultaneously press the power button, volume and "Home".
Once in Recovery, you need to select the Advanced mode, then click on the Partition SD Card section. After that, you just need to create an ext3 file system. You will have to specify the size yourself. It is best to spare no memory and allocate 1 gigabyte (1024 megabytes) to the hidden area. Otherwise, applications that are too large will not be able to move from the phone to the SD card. In the swap file column, you must set the value to zero.
Creating an emulation with a program
Many users are hesitant to experiment with Recovery features, but creating a hidden area is a mandatory task that should bedone before using Link2SD. You can also create emulation using a third-party computer program - EaseUS Partition Master, originally intended for working with hard drives, but now the tool is used, as a rule, to create ext3 file systems.
After installing the utility on a desktop computer or laptop, you need to connect a smartphone with a built-in SD card. In the main window of the program, you should find the partition with the external drive, then right-click on it and select the Delete Partition function, which deletes all data on the flash drive. After that, all that remains is to click on the Unallocated file system and select the Create Partition function, which is necessary to create an ext3 system.
How to transfer cache to SD card?
Many smartphone owners are wondering if app data that has been moved from internal storage to external storage is transferred. Especially for such people, we answer: no, but this can be done using third-party programs. One of the best utilities for this purpose is FolderMount - it boasts a fairly user-friendly interface, many additional features, as well as a nice design.
Why do you need to transfer cache data to a USB flash drive, if it only loads the operating system? Well, some users want to save their game progress or leave app settings. Yes, the cache consumes quite a lot of RAM, but somepeople spend years rocking characters in some MMORPG, then to show off them to their friends. It will be quite a shame to lose all your progress after transferring the game to the SD card.
How to move apps on Samsung Galaxy?
Now you know everything about how to transfer files to a memory card on Android. However, owners of expensive smartphones often wonder if it is possible to move applications on their devices. Yes, you can. But the developers of Samsung Galaxy provided that their customers can use third-party utilities to transfer memory instead of purchasing a phone with 32 or 64 gigabytes.
Proceed with the transfer in the same way as described earlier, however, do not remove the SD card under any circumstances after the applications have been placed on it. Otherwise, the programs will simply become inactive, after which they will have to be installed again. However, this only applies to applications. Photos, movies, video clips, music and text files can be moved to external storage without fear of loss if the SD card is removed.
Conclusion
I would like to recommend our readers to watch a short video, the author of which talks about the two mentioned methods of transferring applications to an external drive in more detail. In a specific example, information is always perceived much more clearly.
We hope you now have a better understanding of how to transfer memory to a memory card on Android. In fact, inthere is absolutely nothing complicated about it. Of course, for such an event, you will need to properly prepare and install third-party applications, however, owners of smartphones with old firmware can easily move several gigabytes to and from the drive using built-in functions. For everyone else, we recommend using the proven methods described in our article. You can easily achieve the desired result.
