Apps that can be pointed to the external SD

[AndyOpie150]

If you have a micro SD card installed and want to move apps, downloads, etc. to it, it is rather difficult, but can be done.
I think this would be a good place to post apps that can be pointed to the external SD card and still work.

Examples of info that should be in post are below. Be very clear as to how to set the path.

Lets try to just keep this thread for post on apps only. If having problems following posters instructions please pm poster.

 

[AndyOpie150]

App Manager III
Open up app. Wait for it to do it's thing. Close app. Using the file manager, move the App2SD folder to the external SD card.
Open up the app and in the settings, edit the path to Folder to read: /storage/external_SD/App2SD/export
Go back to the internal sd using the file manager and make sure the App2SD folder is not there.
Reboot phone.
Now you can really move apps to the external SD and have them function properly.

 

[AndyOpie150]

UC Browser
Open up browser. Go to settings. Change download path to: storage/external_SD/Android/data/com.UCMobile.intl/files.
Go to external sd and make those files that don't exist yet to complete the actual path.
Now anything I want to download from UC Browser will go there
Tested with a 91.99MB ROM download.

 

[AndyOpie150]

AppTyrant (really good for saving all apps in their apk form to the sd card).


Edit: I changed the path to point to the external, but it still wouldn't auto backup to it. So I changed back to point at the internal SD and ended up just backing everything up, then copying and pasting the folder over to the external sd. Whenever I install a new app, I just move the apk to the folder on the external. This way I still have a backup to install of that apk should the need to arize (bad update to app, or Titanium Backup hanging on install of an app) and I'm not taking up a lot a room on the internal SD.

 

[AndyOpie150]

The Stock Metro web browser:
Open it up and select the settings menu>advanced>change download location from internal to sd card.

I just never thought to check it. Who da thunk it?

 

[gtd2000]

App Manager III
Open up app. Wait for it to do it's thing. Close app. Using the file manager, move the App2SD folder to the external SD card.
Open up the app and in the settings, edit the path to Folder to read: /storage/external_SD/App2SD/export
Go back to the internal sd using the file manager and make sure the App2SD folder is not there.
Reboot phone.
Now you can really move apps to the external SD and have them function properly.

I've done all of this but it still does not give more space - the app still seems to take up the same space on the internal storage.

I've tried several times = each with the same result where it appears that everything "should" work but still run out of memory, despite supposedly moving to the external SD Card....

 

[AndyOpie150]

Did you delete the info from the internal storage that is now on the external (all but the Root Unistall folder which should now be empty, if you used that app)?

 

[gtd2000]

Did you delete the info from the internal storage that is now on the external (all but the Root Unistall folder which should now be empty, if you used that app)?

I did this:

App Manager III
Open up app. Wait for it to do it's thing. Close app. Using the file manager, move the App2SD folder to the external SD card.
Open up the app and in the settings, edit the path to Folder to read: /storage/external_SD/App2SD/export
Go back to the internal sd using the file manager and make sure the App2SD folder is not there.
Reboot phone.
Now you can really move apps to the external SD and have them function properly.

Now what actually happens for me is that inside the internal SD there is a listing for App2SD with the path shown as: /storage/external_SD/App2SD/export

I can delete the internal App2SD folder but it just re-appears...next time I launch File Manager and look...

 

[AndyOpie150]

Have you tried deleting the one on the internal, then rebooting phone?

 

[gtd2000]

Have you tried deleting the one on the internal, then rebooting phone?

Yes - what happens is that I can delete it then reboot the phone - File Manager will not show the internal Apps2SD folder.... until I launch the App Manager III app...then it shows after being launched?

 

[gtd2000]

I have 174MB free currently - trying to install MapFactor which is <10MB - downloads then says insufficient space...? So in this instance I have free space and don't get the chance to install the app and try to move using AppMGRIII.

Based on earlier installs, it might send the app to the Ext SD but the internal storage will still decrease by more than the downloaded app size...which is supposedly on the Ext SD?

 

[gtd2000]

Do you have to avoid using the Play Store to install apps perhaps?

 

[gtd2000]

I just installed Aptoide on the phone - no problem at all and App MGR III pinged to let me know that it could be moved the external SD card - I accepted that and now have 136.57MB of internal SD storage left....weird!

Edit:

Navigator could not be installed. Free up some space and try again...oh well.

 

[AndyOpie150]

Have you given any thought to rooting, then using Link2SD after making a 1GB ext.4 partition on you SD card (must be at least 8GB in size). This really frees up internal space.
I have 80 user apps installed and still have 695MB of free space on the internal storage.

 

[gtd2000]

Yeah, I guess I'll have to give that a try as this method doesn't seem to be working for me, unfortunately.

 

[Nintendo1889]

Have you given any thought to rooting, then using Link2SD after making a 1GB ext.4 partition on you SD card (must be at least 8GB in size). This really frees up internal space.
I have 80 user apps installed and still have 695MB of free space on the internal storage.

I created a 2GB ext4 partition on my 16GB sd card. Should it be 8GB?

If I get a 64GB sd card, can Link2SD use the first 32gb as the user "sd card" and the last 32gb as the system's?

My reasoning for the 2GB ext4 partition is that the files in /system occupy about 1.8GB. Although I used to be gaga over removing unnecessary system apps. If you need to know how much any root folder occupies, Disk Usage & Storage Analyzer by Mobile Infographics will say.

 

[AndyOpie150]

2GB is just right for a 16GB micro SD card.

Rule of thumb: You should use no more than 20% of the actual user space available for the partition, when SD card was new (my 16GB only had 14.97 free space).

 

[bart2201]

I've tried all this and still cannot get my phone to move some apps to teh sd card. I still get not enough storage space message. I've moved the backups folder to teh external sd card and changed the folder in Titanium B/U to reflect the change and still I cannot free up room on the device storage. I'm using ES file Explorer to make these moves except where I had to change settings on ttianium B/U.

Since I'm now rooted and have unlocked the bootloader installed CWM is there anything I can now do to change how this phone assigns storage to the differant storage spaces. I'd like to be able to free up enough room on the base storage file so that apps can now be moved and installed without getting the no room error message anymore.

I have a 32 gb sd card installed with a 2 gb partition assigned to ext3. I have linked all possible apps to the sd card using Links2sd+. I'm also using Titanium pro and Root Explorer paid version.

 

[guxu]

I've tried all this and still cannot get my phone to move some apps to teh sd card. I still get not enough storage space message. I've moved the backups folder to teh external sd card and changed the folder in Titanium B/U to reflect the change and still I cannot free up room on the device storage. I'm using ES file Explorer to make these moves except where I had to change settings on ttianium B/U.

Since I'm now rooted and have unlocked the bootloader installed CWM is there anything I can now do to change how this phone assigns storage to the differant storage spaces. I'd like to be able to free up enough room on the base storage file so that apps can now be moved and installed without getting the no room error message anymore.

I have a 32 gb sd card installed with a 2 gb partition assigned to ext3. I have linked all possible apps to the sd card using Links2sd+. I'm also using Titanium pro and Root Explorer paid version.

How much free space do you have now? With Link2SD+, I believe you linked the data files as well?

 

[AndyOpie150]

I've tried all this and still cannot get my phone to move some apps to teh sd card. I still get not enough storage space message. I've moved the backups folder to teh external sd card and changed the folder in Titanium B/U to reflect the change and still I cannot free up room on the device storage. I'm using ES file Explorer to make these moves except where I had to change settings on ttianium B/U.

Since I'm now rooted and have unlocked the bootloader installed CWM is there anything I can now do to change how this phone assigns storage to the differant storage spaces. I'd like to be able to free up enough room on the base storage file so that apps can now be moved and installed without getting the no room error message anymore.

I have a 32 gb sd card installed with a 2 gb partition assigned to ext3. I have linked all possible apps to the sd card using Links2sd+. I'm also using Titanium pro and Root Explorer paid version.

This is going to sound very strange, but it worked to achieve the most amount of free space on the internal for me.
First: Start from scratch (delete all user apps).
Install App Manager lll. Follow my directions to properly point it to the external sd and set it up properly.
Install Link2SD and set it up properly, just don't set to auto link (ext.4 worked best for me).
Now install your apps one at a time. Move those apps that can be moved with App Manager lll to the external sd (with the exception of apps larger than 40MBs which you should link with Link2SD instead), and all others that can't with Link2SD (making sure you create links to the lib files if that option is open for that app).
Now go back and link all apps you moved with App Manager lll to the external sd with Link2SD (told you it would seem very stange).
Once linked those should say: on SD Card, Linked -> SD Card.

Now delete all unused pre-installed apps with Link2SD that you don't use (just the pre-installed bloatware).
Having done this, I have 80 user installed apps and still have just over 700MB of free internal.
This worked the best, even better than just linking all apps with Link2SD.

Note: If you have CWMod recovery installed then you don't need to use Titanium Backup, just make a new nandroid backup with the recovery once a week to keep up with any changes you make to the stock ROM (deleting/installing apps and changes to system).
Once you verify the nandroid backup is good, then delete the old one.

Note ll: I use Easy Cache Cleaner and SD Maid (pro version) to clean caches, corpses, and system caches. I clean the log files of the Superuser app as well as my call logs and stock browsers history, caches, etc.

Note lll: Never move or link the PlayStore.
You can link Google Play services and it's updates. Just not the PlayStore.

 

[Nintendo1889]

This is going to sound very strange, but it worked to achieve the most amount of free space on the internal for me.
First: Start from scratch (delete all user apps).
Install App Manager lll. Follow my directions to properly point it to the external sd and set it up properly.
Install Link2SD and set it up properly, just don't set to auto link (ext.4 worked best for me).
Now install your apps one at a time. Move those apps that can be moved with App Manager lll to the external sd (with the exception of apps larger than 40MBs which you should link with Link2SD instead), and all others that can't with Link2SD (making sure you create links to the lib files if that option is open for that app).
Now go back and link all apps you moved with App Manager lll to the external sd with Link2SD (told you it would seem very stange).
Once linked those should say: on SD Card, Linked -> SD Card.

Now delete all unused pre-installed apps with Link2SD that you don't use (just the pre-installed bloatware).
Having done this, I have 80 user installed apps and still have just over 700MB of free internal.
This worked the best, even better than just linking all apps with Link2SD.

Note: If you have CWMod recovery installed then you don't need to use Titanium Backup, just make a new nandroid backup with the recovery once a week to keep up with any changes you make to the stock ROM (deleting/installing apps and changes to system).
Once you verify the nandroid backup is good, then delete the old one.

Note ll: I use Easy Cache Cleaner and SD Maid (pro version) to clean caches, corpses, and system caches. I clean the log files of the Superuser app as well as my call logs and stock browsers history, caches, etc.

Note lll: Never move or link the PlayStore.
You can link Google Play services and it's updates. Just not the PlayStore.

I'm not understanding how this would work, does this merely make the system believe it has more free space because the apps were moved to SD first?