Help Can't move apps to SD card

[zelaine2]

I've been following the instructions for moving apps to the SD card to free up space, but there are no options for changing storage location. Not grayed out -- there are no options at all. I tried a third party app that took me to the same screens, so no help there, but it did identify 10 apps as movable. My SD card seems to be working normally. I can move photos to there, but they don't take up much space.

Most of the used internal storage is the Android system and the apps (about 6-7 GB each). Clearing the caches and user data helps get a bit of space, but not much.

Moto e5 Play, Android 8.0.0, 16GB internal, 16GB SD card

 

[Hadron]

I don't know this phone, but not all phones have this option.

There are 2 versions of moving apps to SD: the old one which had a "move to sd" button in Settings > Apps > <whatever app it is>, and the newer one (since Android 6) that lets you format the SD card as "internal storage" and use it that way. The older one was actually dropped by Google a long time ago, but many manufacturers kept it on at least some of their phones. You only see the button when looking at an app that supports it (and fewer do these days than used to be the case), but if you are looking at an app that you know does support it and you still don't have the button I'm afraid your phone doesn't have that option. The other option, which I know from discussions here at least some Motos support, is more flexible, though it can slow the phone down if you have a slow card (which I'm sure is the reason why Samsung flagships never included it) and does mean you can no longer take the card out and put it in another device. If you want to try that one (which I expect will be in the storage menu) please back up the current content of your card first, because the card will be reformatted and everything currently on it will be deleted.

To be honest 16GB internal is inadequate these days, but of course replacing the phone costs money.

Good luck.

 

[zelaine2]

I don't know this phone, but not all phones have this option.

There are 2 versions of moving apps to SD....The other option, which I know from discussions here at least some Motos support, is more flexible, though it can slow the phone down if you have a slow card (which I'm sure is the reason why Samsung flagships never included it) and does mean you can no longer take the card out and put it in another device. If you want to try that one (which I expect will be in the storage menu) please back up the current content of your card first, because the card will be reformatted and everything currently on it will be deleted.

To be honest 16GB internal is inadequate these days, but of course replacing the phone costs money.

Good luck.

Thanks for the help -- great info! Haven't tried it yet, but it seems clear enough. I really don't use the phone for much, so 16GB should be okay until I have to replace the phone.

 

[lorar]

I have had this problem for a long time and I even forgot about the existence of the SD card