How to set the default location of downloading apps to external SD card on Samsung Galaxy S5

jimgrieve33

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Sep 3, 2017
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When I try to download videos from the internet into my Galaxy S5 phone, it tells me that I don't have enough memory to do the download. My mounted external SD card has about 62GB of unused memory, certainly more than enough for the download.
How do I set the default location to my mounted SD card?
 
Solution
Depends. If you are wanting to just set the card for downloads of photos, music, etc., (not apps), then you need to go into the individual app that you are using to download with and change its settings to save to the card. If the app doesn't allow for that, then you would need to get an app that does. Now if you are wanting to download apps to the card, that is a whole other story...

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...
Depends. If you are wanting to just set the card for downloads of photos, music, etc., (not apps), then you need to go into the individual app that you are using to download with and change its settings to save to the card. If the app doesn't allow for that, then you would need to get an app that does. Now if you are wanting to download apps to the card, that is a whole other story...

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.


How to turn the "External" SD card into "Internal" storage on "Marshmallow".

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".

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.

 
Solution