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SD won't take apps

Rgarner

Android Expert
May 9, 2017
2,231
390
I thought this problem was solved years ago. Now it's back, or never left. I was trying to move some to SD, but there's no such option. Please don't tell me I have to download ANOTHER app in order to do that (unless of course it's true).
 
I thought this problem was solved years ago. Now it's back, or never left. I was trying to move some to SD, but there's no such option. Please don't tell me I have to download ANOTHER app in order to do that (unless of course it's true).

I believe it was solved years ago, when Google just removed the option to move apps to the SD in Android 4 or 5. And devices from certain manufacturers, like Samsung, have never had this feature.

Of course only a few apps actually supported running from SD, and even if they did, it only moved part of them.

If your phone or tablet supports it, you might be able to format the SD as internal storage that can be used for apps. But then you can't remove the SD from the device, and it will cause increased wear and tear on the SD.
 
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I was able to move (at least part of) apps to SD with the Stylus. I don't know why the Play should be this bothersome. There's no way I would waste SD as internal, ever.

What's a "Stylus"?

Google really intended the removable storage, like micro-SDs and USBs, on Android devices for storing your media, like for music, docs, videos, photos. That's probably why they removed(deprecated) this feature from recent Android versions, and as I stated certain manufacturers have never supported executing apps from removable storage. Also certain manufacturers, like Samsung, just don't support formatting micro-SDs as internal storage in their devices.
 
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Motorola support also say not to use it for apps and you cannot format the SD card as internal storage on the G Stylus.

If you have moved part of some apps to the card you may find when the app gets an update it moves itself back to the phone storage while you're making breakfast. (that's how I remember it anyhow).

https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/prod_answer_detail/a_id/148862

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/moto-g-stylus/Moto-G-Stylus-Format-SD-Card-as-internal/m-p/5013086
 
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I thought this problem was solved years ago. Now it's back, or never left. I was trying to move some to SD, but there's no such option. Please don't tell me I have to download ANOTHER app in order to do that (unless of course it's true).

Not a good idea to run apps from flash storage, and that's the way to think of sd cards, storage, not memory.
 
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