Help [Q] Is there any way to move apps to internal USB storage?

[Russell Ng]

Its in the camera settings, under storage where you can select sd card or phone.

 

[LeoDroid]

I have read this thread I still feel so confused with all three different storage on this device. Because I do not really see much storage on USB storage most storage on Device Memory.. So I am not sure what is different between Device Memory and USB Storage. I am familiar with SD Card I tend storage my pictures on SD card.. But What would be storage in USB and Device?

 

[mdhaybi]

i read all what you wrote...
My problem is that when i got my phone and i installed applications, i had the possibility to move applications from memory device to SD card (which is after all explanation USB internal storage)... After that i put a card in my cell and i tried to see how it works in order to understand the "whole memory precess" . i found out that when you have a card in your cell, the transfer goes to this card...
My problem appeared when i removed this card, so now i have "device memoy" and "usb storage" only. i tried to install an application and move it to sd ( which is now usb storage) , i have the answer: your phone doesn't have SD card. insert SD card!!!!!!!!!
so now i dont know how to solve this problem ( how to move from device to usb storage)!!!

 

[Russell Ng]

I have read this thread I still feel so confused with all three different storage on this device. Because I do not really see much storage on USB storage most storage on Device Memory.. So I am not sure what is different between Device Memory and USB Storage. I am familiar with SD Card I tend storage my pictures on SD card.. But What would be storage in USB and Device?

Device Memory / Phone Memory is where all the required files for the phone to be used is located. For small apps, it would also be installed there fully (unless move to SD). All EXE files should be in the Phone Memory. Even when move to SD, a small part of the app (which should be the EXE file) are left in there. You cannot access this part of the memory unless rooted.

The USB storage is for your use. You can place everything here. For big apps like gameloft games, most of the data would be placed here as well.

SD card is like it says, just another external memory for storage. You can placed all your things in here. But when you have it, when you try Move to SD for your apps, the apps would be transferred here under hidden folder Android_secure.

Hope that this is a bit clearer.

 

[Russell Ng]

i read all what you wrote...
My problem is that when i got my phone and i installed applications, i had the possibility to move applications from memory device to SD card (which is after all explanation USB internal storage)... After that i put a card in my cell and i tried to see how it works in order to understand the "whole memory precess" . i found out that when you have a card in your cell, the transfer goes to this card...
My problem appeared when i removed this card, so now i have "device memoy" and "usb storage" only. i tried to install an application and move it to sd ( which is now usb storage) , i have the answer: your phone doesn't have SD card. insert SD card!!!!!!!!!
so now i dont know how to solve this problem ( how to move from device to usb storage)!!!

I don't think there is a work around. Everyone mentioned that without the SD card, the Move to SD will give an error "Not enough Memory Space". I remember before I had the microSD, it would transfer to USB storage but now when I took out the microSD and try to move, I also get that error. Can't be helped.

Still in my opinion, there are plenty of memory to go around for apps so I really don't see this as a big issue.

Cheers

 

[ashishna]

hmmm... the question still prevails...

-- IF YOU DON'T HAVE A EXTERNAL SD CARD, "move to SD" option DOESN'T WORK.. SO HOW TO MOVE FROM DEVICE MEMORY TO INTERNAL USB STORAGE --

:-(

 

[ashishna]

@LeoDroid ::

Follow the path

Settings > Storage

There you can see its written Device memory, USB storage etc.

And as Russell explained... device memory is just like the phone memory. Internal USB Storage is the storage given by default inside galaxy S2 (this is apart from device memory). External SD card is a physical memory card that you insert or take out as and when you want. You cannot remove the internal usb storage.

 

[Russell Ng]

hmmm... the question still prevails...

-- IF YOU DON'T HAVE A EXTERNAL SD CARD, "move to SD" option DOESN'T WORK.. SO HOW TO MOVE FROM DEVICE MEMORY TO INTERNAL USB STORAGE --

:-(

Don't think you can. Have to live with it I guess. Is your device memory storage space inadequate? I think its plenty large.

 

[loony]

I use "ES File Explorer" to move stuff around.
Havnt tried to move from memory to storage thou, ive only move from phone to USB card.
Not sure if some things will still work after if you go nuts with it though

 

[ashishna]

@Loony

Then please do try to move stuff from phone memory aka device memory to internal usb storage... If u succeed, you could be the first one to do it.. N we all will get a solution... So humanity needs u

 

[ashishna]

@Russell, slug and everyone else...
New issues im facing..i could have searched for a proper forum thread but thought will share it here only..
1. I have gprs pack activated on my number which is called packet data.. Now when I am using gprs and suppose im chating with a friend on gtalk on any other chat client, I ping my friend and wait for him to ping me back.. While I am waiting, the phone screen gets locked in around 30 seconds or so.. Now as soon as the phone gets locked (whether automatically or u do it by power button), the gprs connection terminates. When you unlock the phone, then it connects again and THEN I receive the ping from my friend which he sent 30 minutes ago.. How to stop this disconnection on phone lock...?

2. I have skype, watsapp installed. So when I try to call a contact it asks for a confirmation whether I want to use dialer, watsapp or skype. there is also a default checkbox at the bottom of the prompt. One fine day I decided to tick the default checkbox and.then clicked on Dialer. So now I dont get that prompt, dialer is used automatically. Butttttt, now due to the smooooth touch of s2 I am making acidental calls to people and there is no confirmation screen nd it dials.straight out... I want that screen back.. When I clicked on thr default checkbox, there came.a.message that I can clear the defaults in settings > applications > manage applications > clear defaults.. But there is no such option in manage applications... Help!

 

[Russell Ng]

@Russell, slug and everyone else...
New issues im facing..i could have searched for a proper forum thread but thought will share it here only..
1. I have gprs pack activated on my number which is called packet data.. Now when I am using gprs and suppose im chating with a friend on gtalk on any other chat client, I ping my friend and wait for him to ping me back.. While I am waiting, the phone screen gets locked in around 30 seconds or so.. Now as soon as the phone gets locked (whether automatically or u do it by power button), the gprs connection terminates. When you unlock the phone, then it connects again and THEN I receive the ping from my friend which he sent 30 minutes ago.. How to stop this disconnection on phone lock...?

2. I have skype, watsapp installed. So when I try to call a contact it asks for a confirmation whether I want to use dialer, watsapp or skype. there is also a default checkbox at the bottom of the prompt. One fine day I decided to tick the default checkbox and.then clicked on Dialer. So now I dont get that prompt, dialer is used automatically. Butttttt, now due to the smooooth touch of s2 I am making acidental calls to people and there is no confirmation screen nd it dials.straight out... I want that screen back.. When I clicked on thr default checkbox, there came.a.message that I can clear the defaults in settings > applications > manage applications > clear defaults.. But there is no such option in manage applications... Help!

Can't help you with number 1 since never really used gprs pack or whatever it is. As for number 2, just look in Manage Application/All/Dialer and clear default from there.

Cheers

PS-For number 2, the principle is the same for all apps. If you had use skype as your default, you need to find skype and clear from there.

 

[ashishna]

@Russell :: Dude thanks for the clear default thing.

and for issue number 1, GPRS is the internet access provided by the telephone network service provider, like verizon, airtel etc.

types of GPRS are 2G, 3G etc..

any clue ?

 

[ashishna]

one more issue.. (i think im loaded with issues :-( )
my ringtone suddenly stops.. as in the phone doesnot ring.. even when every sound is turned up... i have to restart the phone to get the ringtone working.. anyone else facing this issue ?

And HOW TO RECORD A CALL.. voices of both side parties and all parties in case of a conference call.
I couldn't find anything already supplied by samsung, so downloaded a few apps from android market. they simply don't work. Please suggest a app that works without any "strategic configuration".... Thanks

 

[Russell Ng]

You meant the data line. Sorry not sure what is causing the problem of drop connection in lock screen. It shouldn't happen unless you are using an app that switches off data line automatically when screen is dead. I still get watsapp messages even if screen is closed, as long as data line is activated. Check your apps and see if anything is playing havoc with it.

Not sure what's causing the ringtone issue, but if it doesn't happen again, I think it should be fine. Not sure about call recording. Not using.

Regards

 

[gerard371]

Hi, new here, and just had samsung galaxy s2. Great phone but I was getting confused with the different types of storage. I think I have finally got it sorted and thought I would pass it on to help others who might have the same problem.

If you want to store an application to usb, and you are downloading from the android market, when you click on download, a page appears and gives the option to modify the contents of usb storage. Click on the arrow on the right hand side and click yes. It then downloads to that location. Not sure if you can move applications already on the phone to usb, unless you delete them and reinstall.

If you have a external sd card. I have gone to Settings, then applications, the manage applications, and there is an option to move to sd card. this is the external card,

 

[netarc]

If you want to store an application to usb, and you are downloading from the android market, when you click on download, a page appears and gives the option to modify the contents of usb storage. Click on the arrow on the right hand side and click yes. It then downloads to that location. Not sure if you can move applications already on the phone to usb, unless you delete them and reinstall.

I tried this, but the setting you talk of appears to not be changeable ... the "option to modify the contents of usb storage" appears to be an indication that the app in question needs to be able to access/modify USB storage - some apps have it, some don't. When I click on it for an app which has this displayed on the Market, it merely pops up a dialog box which says "modify/deleted USB storage contents," in other words not a destination for where to install the app but an indication that the app needs that right.

 

[gerard371]

Hi, i found that if you check in task manager then storage,that u s b storage decreased once a downloaded application modified u s b storage.

 

[AndyMT]

so we still don't have an answer for this ?

this is making android seem a bit of a joke. how can it have this limitation ?

i've criticized iOS a lot, but those limitations almost pale in comparison to this one.

my asus transformer (honeycomb) doesn't suffer this affliction, but i believe it's system storage is dynamic.

hopefully ICS will fix this stupid problem.

how can a bunch of people be clever enough to give us the android OS, but dumb enough to hobble it with a problem like this. i despair !!!!

 

[Russell Ng]

Sorry... but mind explaining what problem you are referring to? A lot of people mentioned different things.

If you mean how android partition the memory, I don't really think its a problem. IOS dump everything in the same place, simply because you aren't allowed to play with it anyway. Android is very much like windows file management. It tries to keep certain files from itchy fingers so you don't accidentally mess up the system whereas you can play with the rest of the storage. Same like your PC. The system files are hidden whereas the hard disk memory is there for you to play with. Even then you can root to get around it. The way I look at it, I think the memory partitioning is not a bad idea. It gives flexibility to organize the way you want to as well.

I would agree that they should have given an option for Move2SD in the sense that user should have a choice of moving to internal USB storage or an external one. But seriously, I don't think its that big a deal either. IPhone would never have any external storage for one thing.

Cheers

 

[AndyMT]

here's my problem.

only had this phone for a month. i usually go to the marketplace every day to check on new apps. it's fair to say i've downloaded quite a few. maybe about a hundred. but now everything's ground to a halt. i can't install any more apps because there's no more space. even though i have about 9Gb free on the USB storage.

i have an 64Gb iPad. that's let me install 60Gb approx worth of apps+data. no problems.

from what i've seen with android, i'm severely restricted by how many apps i can download.

surely they wouldn't be this stupid and have this limitation. would they ? it beggars belief.

so it's a big deal for me. i've paid all this money for the device and thought i'd be able to use it for my purposes.

can't believe the android community isn't up in arms about this. this OS is severely hobbled.

 

[Russell Ng]

How bout move to SD? Used that already?

 

[AndyMT]

i don't have an SD card. i was planning to, but the plan was to expand when the internal memory filled up.

cheers

 

[Russell Ng]

I guess then its time to get one. I think it would be good since a lot of time, you can clear up about 90% of the apps memory into the external SD card. Just a question, are you having the 32GB kind or 16GB?

If you download all the apps that are fully stored in the internal memory (2GB), I can see how it can finish quite fast. But I have a mixture, and somehow the 11.5GB and 2GB memory space tends to balance out for me. Gameloft games can be quite big, but most of the data files are in the 11.5GB USB storage so the balance works out. For the 32GB, I think the balance won't be quite right.

Cheers

 

[RyanBiv]

Hoping to revive and add to this conversation.

I think the problem lies in the fact that android does not handle phones properly that have BOTH internal SD (USB) storage and external SD cards. So far in everything I've read directly from Google mobile support articles I keep coming across the phrase "Depending on your model of phone, your phone also has either internal USB storage or a removable SD card". This is incorrect, as some can do both and they never address it as such.

For instance, under manage applications, my phone labels the button as 'Move to USB storage' but it in fact moves it to the external SD. If the card is unmounted or removed, then I get the "failed to move application. not enough memory" message.

I've read that some people were able to move to USB storage prior to inserting an external SD card for the first time. If this is the case, I'd like to know why and if it's possible to get back to that point without re-formatting/restoring your phone.

Can anyone answer the following:

1. Is it possible to move an app to USB storage (internal SD) if you have used an SD card already.

2. If not, why can a phone without an external slot move apps to USB storage but a phone with external storage cannot?

3. Is the USB storage intended to be used only for data moved when connected to a PC via a USB cable? If so, then why is #2 true for phones without external storage options?

The reason this is important is because I'm reaching the point where my external storage is full. So I'd like to know if the 12.5 GB out of 13 of unused USB storage has to go unused (as far as apps go). Yes, I can get a larger SD card but I'd rather not. It seems like this should be possible, but because Android wasn't designed for phones capable of both storage options it doesn't know what to do when presented with both.

Very frustrating. Has anyone figured out a workaround?