How do I access my apps on my Samsung Galaxy S?

[mommyof2]

Sooo I walked into the room to discover my phone in the mouth of my 6month old. Now the little icon on the bottom of my screen that I would have normally tapped to take me to the file of all my applications, is gone. I can't access it at all. I tried hitting settings and going into the applications settings, but I'm not technologically talented, so I really have no clue what I am doing, and would prefer to not inadvertently ruin something else along the way. Help please?

 

[D-U-R-X]

Oh dear - that's not great!

I am unable to advise on your device - I am sure, however, that someone in the sub-forum for your device will be able to offer some help... you should check in the correct sub-forum for your device (not sure which one to suggest, as there are so many varients):

• Samsung Galaxy S2 (AT&T) - Android Forums
• Samsung Galaxy S2 (T-Mobile) - Android Forums
• Samsung Galaxy S2 (Sprint) - Android Forums (AKA Epic 4G Touch)
• Samsung Galaxy S2 (International) - Android Forum

Hope that you find the answer you need!!

 

[mommyof2]

I will try. I didn't realize this was an "introduce yourself" forum, and was trying to figure out how to delete my post when you responded Like I said, technological moron.

 

[lunatic59]

Hello and welcome to Android Forums!

Kids, huh?

Long press on the home screen and choose launcher actions. Select "open/close app drawer" then you can drag it back to your launch bar if you want.

 

[D-U-R-X]

I will try. I didn't realize this was an "introduce yourself" forum, and was trying to figure out how to delete my post when you responded Like I said, technological moron.

Honestly, don't worry... everyone comes in here, says hi and asks a question! If we can help, then we do, otherwise we tend to link people to where they can get the info from!

Sorry I can't help in this instance, but I'm sure that you'll find the info you need!

 

[D-U-R-X]

Hello and welcome to Android Forums!

Kids, huh?

Long press on the home screen and choose launcher actions. Select "open/close app drawer" then you can drag it back to your launch bar if you want.

Thanks Lunatic - couldn't remember and wasn't sure if it was device specific!

 

[lunatic59]

Honestly, don't worry... everyone comes in here, says hi and asks a question! If we can help, then we do, otherwise we tend to link people to where they can get the info from!

Sorry I can't help in this instance, but I'm sure that you'll find the info you need!

Got her covered D-U-R-X. Deleting the app drawer icon is always a head scratcher the first time you do it. Don't tell me you've never accidentally deleted it?

 

[D-U-R-X]

Got her covered D-U-R-X. Deleting the app drawer icon is always a head scratcher the first time you do it. Don't tell me you've never accidentally deleted it?

Not deleted it, but on my DHD I have managed to hide it before... found that a swipe from the bottom of the screen brought it back. That was on a Sense based ROM and I run CM7 (with Go Launcher) and that doesn't work, which is why I suggested the device sub-froums!

You learn something every day though... cheers again Luna!

 

[mommyof2]

Hello and welcome to Android Forums!

Kids, huh?

Long press on the home screen and choose launcher actions. Select "open/close app drawer" then you can drag it back to your launch bar if you want.

Oh, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I no longer have to give my son away.

 

[D-U-R-X]

Oh, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I no longer have to give my son away.

lol - I'm glad, for your son, that we were able to sort you out!

As you said you were a "technological moron" (which I'm sure isn't true), the sub-forums I listed are your best place for tips on getting the most out of your phone!

Thanks again for stopping by @ AF!!

 

[mommyof2]

Got her covered D-U-R-X. Deleting the app drawer icon is always a head scratcher the first time you do it. Don't tell me you've never accidentally deleted it?

1 more quick question - and I will go ask in the proper forum if need be - but I have a stupid app that is supposed to transfer all of my apps to my Internal SD card (? I have no idea what this means, but I am assuming it will stop the "no more memory" message from popping up when I try to down load another app!) but when it tries to transfer it, or if I do manually, each app one at a time, it tells me still no memory on the internal device. But I have nothing saved on it. Any idea why, or what I can do to fix it?

 

[D-U-R-X]

Apps2SD is something that, as you say, transfers from apps from the internal memory to the SD card which is, in effect, external (as it can be removed). I am not entirely sure why it goes to move them and then tells you that there's not enough room.

If, from your home screen, you press the following, you can find out how much space there is on the device: "menu=>settings=>storage" - this should then tell you how much space there is on the SD card in total, how much is available and then also the same info for the internal storage.

If you have a look at this, let us know what the results are and we can try to help you further!

 

[mommyof2]

Apps2SD is something that, as you say, transfers from apps from the internal memory to the SD card which is, in effect, external (as it can be removed). I am not entirely sure why it goes to move them and then tells you that there's not enough room.

If, from your home screen, you press the following, you can find out how much space there is on the device: "menu=>settings=>storage" - this should then tell you how much space there is on the SD card in total, how much is available and then also the same info for the internal storage.

If you have a look at this, let us know what the results are and we can try to help you further!

Ok, it says "External SD card - total space: Unavailable; Available space: Unavailable". "Internal SD Card - total space: 13.03GB; Available space: 12.97 GB" and "Internal Phone Storage - Available space: 1.13 GB". This is essentially gibberish to me.

 

[D-U-R-X]

Right... that means that there isn't an external SD card (there isn't always). The internal SD card has plenty of space, so I don't know why you're not able to move apps to the SD card!

I'm not sure what to suggest though... I've never used APPS2SD and don't understand why it's not working, as you appear to have plenty of space!

 

[mommyof2]

Right... that means that there isn't an external SD card (there isn't always). The internal SD card has plenty of space, so I don't know why you're not able to move apps to the SD card!

I'm not sure what to suggest though... I've never used APPS2SD and don't understand why it's not working, as you appear to have plenty of space!

I thought that was the "perk" about the Galaxy S - that the internal SD card is supposed to function as an external? I may make no sense whatsoever, but thats what I understood. I know if I hook it up to my computer, it shows it as an external drive. Gah. I don't know.

 

[D-U-R-X]

Yeah - when you hook it up to your computer, it shows as an external drive, as it is external to the computer. I may have confused things slightly, as I'd referred to the SD card as being external - sorry!

As I said, I've not really used the APPS2SD function on my Desire HD, so I can't really help, I'm afraid! Sorry!

 

[lunatic59]

I thought that was the "perk" about the Galaxy S - that the internal SD card is supposed to function as an external? I may make no sense whatsoever, but thats what I understood. I know if I hook it up to my computer, it shows it as an external drive. Gah. I don't know.

Older phones with no storage other than an external MicroSD card would always mount the card at /sdcard, leaving the system and apps on internal memory. Newer phones that include large amounts (by current mobile standards) Like the S2 (and my other phone, the Captivate) often partition them so that you don't have a huge amount of system memory that wouldn't be accessible for file storage. On the S2 Samsung has a 4 GB partition for the system and the remaining 12 GB partitioned and recognized as an sd card by making its mount point /sdcard.

Therein lies the confusion. The path to external storage within Android is /sdcard so apps that are installed to external storage will be there, which is actually the internal sd partition, not the removable sd card. On the S2 the path to the removable MicroSD card is /sdcard/external_sd and on the Captivate the path is /sdcard/sd_external.

Since storage is always /sdcard, whether internal or external, it is the default location for apps to store data and media files. It's also the only location you can move apps to. Removable cards are only for files, but it comes in handy for things like backups and large media libraries.

 

[D-U-R-X]

Lunatic - you are a veritable encyclopedia on all that is Android!

 

[lunatic59]

Lunatic - you are a veritable encyclopedia on all that is Android!

An old dusty encyclopedia with a few missing volumes, maybe

 

[mommyof2]

Older phones with no storage other than an external MicroSD card would always mount the card at /sdcard, leaving the system and apps on internal memory. Newer phones that include large amounts (by current mobile standards) Like the S2 (and my other phone, the Captivate) often partition them so that you don't have a huge amount of system memory that wouldn't be accessible for file storage. On the S2 Samsung has a 4 GB partition for the system and the remaining 12 GB partitioned and recognized as an sd card by making its mount point /sdcard.

Therein lies the confusion. The path to external storage within Android is /sdcard so apps that are installed to external storage will be there, which is actually the internal sd partition, not the removable sd card. On the S2 the path to the removable MicroSD card is /sdcard/external_sd and on the Captivate the path is /sdcard/sd_external.

Since storage is always /sdcard, whether internal or external, it is the default location for apps to store data and media files. It's also the only location you can move apps to. Removable cards are only for files, but it comes in handy for things like backups and large media libraries.

so in layman's terms this means.....????? I don't need to transfer them there after all? Sorry if I am making this more complex than need be. Now here is another thing - when I ordered this phone, it was with my ATT upgrade, and I ordered the Samsung Captivate. The back of my phone says Samsung Galaxy S. THe phone info says Samsung-sgh-I897, firmware version 2.2. So what the hell kinda phone do I have?!?!? lol I thought it was the Captivate. OMGoodness this tech stuff is enough to make me wanna go back to the old school just-flip-open-and-dial phone!

 

[lunatic59]

so in layman's terms this means.....????? I don't need to transfer them there after all? Sorry if I am making this more complex than need be. Now here is another thing - when I ordered this phone, it was with my ATT upgrade, and I ordered the Samsung Captivate. The back of my phone says Samsung Galaxy S. THe phone info says Samsung-sgh-I897, firmware version 2.2. So what the hell kinda phone do I have?!?!? lol I thought it was the Captivate. OMGoodness this tech stuff is enough to make me wanna go back to the old school just-flip-open-and-dial phone!

That was layman's terms.

It just means that you have two "sd cards" one is internal as part of the phone. You can't remove it and it is the default location for most of the sd card functions. You're second sd card is the little card stuck in the back of the phone next to the sim card and you can put music, movies or pictures there. You can take that one out so if the phone were to break any data would be able to be recovered. That's why it's important to back up important pictures, messages, emails, etc. Because they are most likely stored on the internal sd card and if the phone were to break, it's next to impossible to get the data back.

You got all three phones.

The Galaxy S class of phone is sold under different names for different carriers. If you buy an unbranded phone with no carrier contract, it will just be Galaxy S. The Captivate is the Galaxy S phone sold through AT&T. SGH-i897 is Samsung's model number.

 

[mommyof2]

That was layman's terms.

It just means that you have two "sd cards" one is internal as part of the phone. You can't remove it and it is the default location for most of the sd card functions. You're second sd card is the little card stuck in the back of the phone next to the sim card and you can put music, movies or pictures there. You can take that one out so if the phone were to break any data would be able to be recovered. That's why it's important to back up important pictures, messages, emails, etc. Because they are most likely stored on the internal sd card and if the phone were to break, it's next to impossible to get the data back.

You got all three phones.

The Galaxy S class of phone is sold under different names for different carriers. If you buy an unbranded phone with no carrier contract, it will just be Galaxy S. The Captivate is the Galaxy S phone sold through AT&T. SGH-i897 is Samsung's model number.

Okay. And one last stupid question, I promise (actually, that is a lie, because I guarantee I will have another problem eventually). So I have music saved in my Music file, and I can get it to play one song at a time, by individually selecting them. Once I select a song, I have to leave it on that screen, or it shuts off the music. Is there a way to make the music play continuously, one song after another, without me having to change it every time the last song ends? And is there a way to have my music playing in the background while I do other stuff on my phone?

 

[mommyof2]

Okay. And one last stupid question, I promise (actually, that is a lie, because I guarantee I will have another problem eventually). So I have music saved in my Music file, and I can get it to play one song at a time, by individually selecting them. Once I select a song, I have to leave it on that screen, or it shuts off the music. Is there a way to make the music play continuously, one song after another, without me having to change it every time the last song ends? And is there a way to have my music playing in the background while I do other stuff on my phone?

NEVERMIND! I figured it out all on my own!!! Woohoo. lol

 

[D-U-R-X]

NEVERMIND! I figured it out all on my own!!! Woohoo. lol

And I thought you'd said

I'm not technologically talented

See - you're not as bad as you thought!!