Apps not staying on sd card

[gbee1117]

The apps I move to sd card on my tracfone Samsung Luna (android 6.01) don’t stay, but migrate back to internal storage.help!

 

[webworkings]

Well you can't just 'move' apps without following certain steps to set up the SD card to work for them. I am including those instructions below. Also, if the apps are being moved from the device to the card (after following the info below) and then the app gets updated, it can cause it to move back to the card. The only way around that is to uninstall the app completely and then reinstall it directly on the card, not on the phone.
However that also has a drawback, as should you ever want to move the app back to the phone, it won't be able to and would again have to be uninstalled an reinstalled on the phone itself.

First, you need to be using a phone that is running at least Android "Marshmallow" (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 on "Marshmallow" a.k.a. 6.0.

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 on "Nougat" a.k.a. 7.0.

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.

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

 

[gbee1117]

Well you can't just 'move' apps without following certain steps to set up the SD card to work for them. I am including those instructions below. Also, if the apps are being moved from the device to the card (after following the info below) and then the app gets updated, it can cause it to move back to the card. The only way around that is to uninstall the app completely and then reinstall it directly on the card, not on the phone.
However that also has a drawback, as should you ever want to move the app back to the phone, it won't be able to and would again have to be uninstalled an reinstalled on the phone itself.

First, you need to be using a phone that is running at least Android "Marshmallow" (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 on "Marshmallow" a.k.a. 6.0.

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 on "Nougat" a.k.a. 7.0.

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.

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

 

[gbee1117]

Thanks for your reply webworkings. I had read this solution previous to my posting, and also read elsewhere that Samsung doesn’t allow this. I am confused as to why they make a phone with sd card capability but then things don’t stay on the sd card. It only designated to hold certain things...photos, music??

 

[webworkings]

I can't say why any company does it for sure. Only they could say. Personally I figure it is your device so you should be able to do what you wish with it. If you mess it up that is on you. (Not you in particular, but you get what I mean.)