How to transfer Android applications to a storage card

How to transfer applications to a memory card with standard tools

The function of transferring applications to the SD-card appeared in Android 2.2 and disappeared in Android 4.4. True, in some firmware it still is. So try it.

Go to Settings → Applications. Select the application you want to migrate. In the settings window, click the “Transfer to SD card” button.

Remember: any developer guarantees the stable operation of his application only if it is installed on the internal drive.

This way it will not be possible to transfer system applications, widgets, live wallpapers and alarm clocks.

In Android 6.0 and above, a fundamentally different way of working with an external memory card appeared. Adoptable Storage allows you to use the card as part of the internal storage. True, with some limitations.

The system will automatically format (and therefore do not forget to copy all data) and encrypts the SD card to ensure the security of information. So inserting a card into the computer will be useless. Music, photos and documents can be opened only from the phone.

To activate the Adoptable Storage function, open the phone settings and select “Memory”. Click on the SD card, then select “Settings” → “Format as internal memory” → “Erase Format”. Select “Use as internal storage”, and then “Next” and restart the phone.

After these actions, the “Memory” tab will appear in the menu of third-party applications, with which you can move the applications to an external card.

Just remember: the method may not work in some firmware. In this case, special applications will help.

How to transfer applications to a memory card by software

Move to SDCard

The simplest program that can move applications to and from the memory card.

Select “Move to memory card” from the menu. In the list of opened applications, find the one you need. Click the icon for this application and select “Move.”

In addition to migrating applications, you can also:

• delete applications;
• manage APK files (install applications from third-party sources).

If you have root-rights, you can clear the phone of the pre-installed garbage. Simply allow the program to work with Android system applications, the change or removal of which is usually blocked. Granting of root-rights is automatically requested when switching to the “System applications” folder.

The program is installed free of charge, but you will have to pay 67 rubles for getting rid of annoying advertising.

AppMgr III (App 2 SD)

It allows not only to transfer applications from internal memory to external memory, but also to perform any manipulations with them.

In the menu, select “Move applications” and find the desired program in the list. Tap its icon and click on “Move application”.

In addition to the migration, AppMgr III allows you to:

• remove or hide the application;
• open his page on Google Play;
• go to its settings in Android;
• clear application caches.

If you have root-rights, the list of program functions will be even greater. Go to the menu and activate the line “root-function”, and then you can:

• uninstall applications without confirmation;
• freeze applications;
• after installation, automatically transfer applications to the memory card.

The full version of AppMgr III costs 179 rubles and allows:

• install the application widget on the home screen;
• simplify the cache clearing and display its size;
• remove advertising banners;
• update the program modules every hour.

First, create a hidden area on the memory card in the ext3 / ext4 file system. Link2SD will use it as emulation of the phone’s internal memory.

You can do this using both Android tools with Recovery and third-party applications for Windows.

Before breaking the SD card, be sure to copy all the data from it!

Creating a partition using the Recovery utility

Go to Recovery mode. In different smartphones this is done in different ways:

• simultaneously press the volume and power button;
• press the power button, and immediately after – the volume button;
• simultaneously press the Volume, Power On and Home button.

Different phone models have a different format for Recovery, but the structure is the same.

Once in Recovery, select Advanced. Click Partition SD Card.

Select the ext3 file system and specify its size. For example, 1024 MB. The size of the paging file (Swap) is set to 0, since it already exists on the system.

Reboot your smartphone. After rebooting, the memory card should decrease by 1,024 MB – this is how you created the hidden partition.

Creating a Partition with EaseUS Partition Master

Those who do not dare to experiment with Recovery, you can recommend a simple tool for working with partitions of hard drives and removable devices on Windows.

Install the utility on your home computer or laptop. Connect the SD card. In laptops for this purpose there is a special connector, owners of desktops will have to use a card reader.

The main window of the program displays lists of connected disks. Find the SD card (in our case it’s Disk 2).

Click on each of its sections with the right mouse button and select Delete Partition. Remember that this action will destroy all the data on the card.

Now the main window is the only partition with the Unallocated file system. Right-click on it, select Create Partition, set the Primary parameter, and specify ext3 as the file system type. A hidden partition is created.

The remaining place on the map is marked by the same principle. The size is set automatically, as the file system, select FAT32.

Press the Apply button.

Install EaseUS Partition Master →

Working with Link2SD

When prompted, grant root access and select the file system type of the second FAT32 partition. After that, the application will ask you to restart the phone.

You can transfer an application to a memory card in two ways.

1. Button “Send” (in the original it’s called Create Link) transfers the application to the hidden section of the memory card, leaving a link to it basically. Android thinks that the program will still be in the internal memory of the phone, so it does not mind even the transfer of system utilities.
2. Button “Move to map” transfers the application to the memory card with standard Android tools that are not available to users without Link2SD.

With Link2SD you can fully manage applications:

• convert to system;
• freeze;
• run, reinstall and delete;
• clear cache;
• erase data;
• create shortcuts on the desktop;
• Open the Settings page in Android;
• to send the installation APK-file.

All these features are provided for free, but the application also has an enhanced version – Link2SD Plus. It costs 100 rubles and allows:

• remove ads:
• automatically clear the cache;
• transfer external data of various applications (for example, folders with OBB files, most often necessary for games and taking up a lot of space).