Solved! Adopted storage now my internal rom is full

[toddsdonald]

I adopted the sd card to internal storage successfully on my Samsung S5 running Lineage Oreo. That part went smooth and the phone ran great until yesterday when i started getting popups that my internal memory was full. When i check storage, it shows I'm using 15.9 of 16gb on the internal and 32 of 64gb on the external. I had to use the built in clean up feature to give it a little breathing room, but its still very close to the 16gb limit. My question is: Why doesn't Android recognize the adopted storage on the sd card as an integral part of the internal storage despite it being adopted storage?

 

[webworkings]

I hate to say it, but on most phones when they give you the option to make the SD card adopted or "Internal" storage through just a simple click, it really doesn't work the way you need for say running apps, which requires actual "Internal" storage.

You can use an on changed card for photos, videos, contacts, files, etc. Just not most apps. A few can run on a card, but most require "Internal" storage. The info below is how to correctly change a SD card from "External" to "Internal" storage. However, if memory serves, most of that brand of devices doesn't allow for this change. Also, you would need to clear the card before making the change, as it will wipe everything before it converts the card.

First, you need to be using a phone that is running at least Android "Marshmallow" (6.0) or newer, or be able to upgrade to it. Second, you will need the instructions I am including below. And third, you need a phone that has not been restricted by the manufacturer from making this change. Which does happen.


NOTE: If any of the steps are missing on your phone, or they don't work for you, then you have a phone that either has an older Android version or has been restricted by the manufacturer. If that is the case, you will not be able to use this information.


How to turn the "External" SD card into "Internal" storage - Option A

NOTE: Please be sure you start with a blank SD card. It needs to be blank because when the card is converted to "Internal" storage, it will be formatted (wiped) and encoded (making the cards data only readable by that device).

1. Go to device “Settings”, then select “Storage”.
2. Select your "SD Card", then tap the “three-dot menu“ (top-right), now select “Settings” from in there.
3. Now select “Format as internal”, and then “Erase & Format”.
4. Your SD Card will now be formatted as internal storage.
5. Reboot your phone.

NOTE: If you don't reboot the phone, many things may not work correctly, so make sure you do.


How to turn the "External" SD card into "Internal" storage - Option B

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure you start with a blank SD card. When the card is converted to "Internal" storage, it will be formatted (wiped) and encoded (making the cards data only readable by that device), so anything on it prior would be gone.

1. Go to "Settings", and then select "Storage & USB".
2. At the bottom of the list you should see the SD card's details, including the option to format it and make it "Internal" storage.
3. Once this is done, reboot the device and you can start running things from the card.

NOTE: If you don't reboot the phone, some things may not work correctly, so make sure you do the reboot.


A Final Note: If you set up the card as "Internal" storage, then the data on it will not be readable by any other device. To access the data you would have to connect he phone to say a computer and copy it over to the computer from the phone/card. Otherwise only phone can read the data. Also, be sure you do not reset (hard or factory) the phone. If you do, then all the data on the card will no longer be readable, even by the phone itself.

 

[toddsdonald]

I hate to say it, but on most phones when they give you the option to make the SD card adopted or "Internal" storage through just a simple click, it really doesn't work the way you need for say running apps, which requires actual "Internal" storage.

You can use an on changed card for photos, videos, contacts, files, etc. Just not most apps. A few can run on a card, but most require "Internal" storage. The info below is how to correctly change a SD card from "External" to "Internal" storage. However, if memory serves, most of that brand of devices doesn't allow for this change. Also, you would need to clear the card before making the change, as it will wipe everything before it converts the card.

First, you need to be using a phone that is running at least Android "Marshmallow" (6.0) or newer, or be able to upgrade to it. Second, you will need the instructions I am including below. And third, you need a phone that has not been restricted by the manufacturer from making this change. Which does happen.


NOTE: If any of the steps are missing on your phone, or they don't work for you, then you have a phone that either has an older Android version or has been restricted by the manufacturer. If that is the case, you will not be able to use this information.


How to turn the "External" SD card into "Internal" storage - Option A

NOTE: Please be sure you start with a blank SD card. It needs to be blank because when the card is converted to "Internal" storage, it will be formatted (wiped) and encoded (making the cards data only readable by that device).

1. Go to device “Settings”, then select “Storage”.
2. Select your "SD Card", then tap the “three-dot menu“ (top-right), now select “Settings” from in there.
3. Now select “Format as internal”, and then “Erase & Format”.
4. Your SD Card will now be formatted as internal storage.
5. Reboot your phone.

NOTE: If you don't reboot the phone, many things may not work correctly, so make sure you do.


How to turn the "External" SD card into "Internal" storage - Option B

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure you start with a blank SD card. When the card is converted to "Internal" storage, it will be formatted (wiped) and encoded (making the cards data only readable by that device), so anything on it prior would be gone.

1. Go to "Settings", and then select "Storage & USB".
2. At the bottom of the list you should see the SD card's details, including the option to format it and make it "Internal" storage.
3. Once this is done, reboot the device and you can start running things from the card.

NOTE: If you don't reboot the phone, some things may not work correctly, so make sure you do the reboot.


A Final Note: If you set up the card as "Internal" storage, then the data on it will not be readable by any other device. To access the data you would have to connect he phone to say a computer and copy it over to the computer from the phone/card. Otherwise only phone can read the data. Also, be sure you do not reset (hard or factory) the phone. If you do, then all the data on the card will no longer be readable, even by the phone itself.

So, if I understand correctly, despite the OS being Oreo and the SD card "adopted” as you described, the phone doesn't make full use of it as internal because its a Samsung?

Interesting, but sort of makes sense because prior to adopting the sd card, i used it as external running the apps i could from it and storing photos, podcasts, etc. At that time it seemed like i always had plenty of room on both the internal and external. I thought by combining the two it would make the phone utilize the storage capacity better, but it seems like it just doesn't work like that.

 

[webworkings]

The option that some phones give of adopting it as "Internal" storage really doesn't fully make it that way. Personally I think it is some manufacturers way of saying they are giving you more options, without really giving it. Just a theory.

Sadly some manufacturers do seem to consistently make it so you cannot use the information I gave above on their devices. The option is built in to the original OS, but they change it.