[Q] How does Android deal with Internal storage? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I came from an Optimus One with measly internal storage. I never bothered with it though since it would not mount when I connect to usb and I always used link2sd to expand my internal memory. But now with my Droid Bionic, I am running out of space on the internal memory and I can't seem to force the apps to use external memory.
Example: When I used to download manga on my O1, it usually went directly to external storage. Now I have to set it to download to external before downloading anything. This is a minor problem since it can be moved...
Example2: Apps that install to Android/data on the internal memory. How do I get these apps to install to external memory only? I'm running out of space now. I see no option to move data to external memory... There are 2 Android/data folders I can see though. One in external and another in internal.
Is there some way I can move any SD card data to external memory directly and have it still work? My O1 never ran out of space since it used the external memory for everything but it seems like my Bionic doesn't use the external memory except for looking at certain files (movies, music, etc.).

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[Q] Internal SD, External SD and app2SD questions

I seem to have trouble grasping the concept of Internal and external SD memory.
I purchased a 16GB microSD card with the hopes that I can move most of my apps to that card but when I use app2sd I always get the "Failed to move application, not enough memory" error.
When I check the free space it shows more than 13GB on both the internal memory and also on the microSD card.
Since my gtablet has 16GB of "internal" storage already, what's microSD card good for?
Shouldn't I be able to move apps to either internal or external SD storage or am I just not understanding how this all works?
Can someone explain to me in Layman's terms what I need to do?
Thanks !!
PS: I just now accidentally reformatted my internal SD card so I will have to start from scratch anyways ;-)
Frogbone said:
I seem to have trouble grasping the concept of Internal and external SD memory.
I purchased a 16GB microSD card with the hopes that I can move most of my apps to that card but when I use app2sd I always get the "Failed to move application, not enough memory" error.
When I check the free space it shows more than 13GB on both the internal memory and also on the microSD card.
Since my gtablet has 16GB of "internal" storage already, what's microSD card good for?
Shouldn't I be able to move apps to either internal or external SD storage or am I just not understanding how this all works?
Can someone explain to me in Layman's terms what I need to do?
Thanks !!
PS: I just now accidentally reformatted my internal SD card so I will have to start from scratch anyways ;-)
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From what I understand, app2sd functionality is built into Froyo & beyond. No need for a separate app.
In laymans terms, your 16GB internal sd is split in 2, 2GB for apps & 14 gb for data.I have 88 apps installed & it is only using 492MB of the 2GB. Apps install to the 2GB area, but the (and the system) use the 14 GB data area for storage. You can also use this space for dat/files storage as well.
The external microsd slot is generally used by you for data storage. You can use it for what ever you like. I use mine to store copies of different roms/nvflash, movies/video/pictures & music transferred from the PC.

Samsung memory storage/apps2sd

Hi this is my first Samsung Android, and I'm kinda confused about the storage layout. Iam on 2.3.4 stock, unrooted. It has regular internal sd memory, external memory(sd card), and device memory. I have the apps2sd app, but when I move the app it just goes to the regular internal memory, how do I get it to save to my actual sd memory card? Also what is the device memory and what gets saved there, or used for?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
There's 2 'memory cards' The phone has 16gb of internal storage and you can install your own Micro SD memory card in as well. Pending your rom or kernel/recovery the designation... *at least as far as the phone cares* of which card is which can change.
Also some Rom will have an option in the settings and will ask you where you'd like to install yours apps. *system/internal, sd card, or let the system decide.*
Experiment and you'll get it with time.
Connect it to your computer - it should mount internal and external as two different drive letters. When you're looking at files while *on* you phone (in stock, at least), you should see an "external_sd" under /mnt/sdcard - that's the removable memory card.

[Q] Apps 2 SD

Hi i currently have the 16gb sgs3, and ive installed a few hd games aswell as other stuff and my internal storange is almost full, i cant seem to find any option that will allow me to get extra space back on the internal storage. all my personal files pictures etc are on the external 16gb sd card i have, is there a way around do make external sd the default storage location for all data?
Check out Directory Bind (search XDA, not the play store). It let's you mount folders meaning that you can show the contents of your sd card in a sub folder of the internal memory. That way you can move your game folders to the external sdcard card and they are still shown as if they are still where they used to be. The game won't notice the difference and you safe some internal storage space.
More information here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=27493839
Sent from my GT-I9300

[Q] external_sd folder And external SD card

Hi all!
I have recently brought an 16GB External SD card for my SGSII, to store my Titanium Backups. I found the external_sd folder in the internal sd card, and thought that it was the External SD card, so i placed all my backups there. But just recently it seems like i have run out of space on the phone, so i can't update some of my apps. I started deleting a lot of photos and videos from my phone and cleared 2.5GB, but i still can't update some of my apps. I began looking through my folders, and noticed that i also have an External SD card partition on my phone. The same one i see when the phone is connected to the pc. In it i can see a Clockwork Recovery folder containing my ROM backups. So i began wondering if the external_sd folder is actually located on the phone and not in the External SD card. Can anyone confirm this?
Also, when i open the Storage (i think that's what it's called) section in the settings on CM10, and noticed that i have 2 Internal Storage sections, one of them has only App data, and the other has photos, apps, music etc. and a SD Card section, with 6.64GB storage left. Does anyone know why is there is 2 Internal Storage sections?
Thank you in advance!
/gammarik
As far as I know the "external_sd" is your removable external SD card. For some inexplicable reason it mounts as a sub-directory from the internal SD card, but it is definitely your removable external SD card.
I have a feeling that Jellybean brings a change and the external SD card mounts in a different way to ICS. I had only a brief experience of this when I played with the leaked ROM but I have reverted to ICS because of battery drain problems.
Your internal memory is partitioned with about 500MB for the system ROM, and 2GB reserved for app installations. Once this fills to around 85-90% you'll begin hitting problems with insufficient storage space errors. If you move apps to SD then this will make use of the data partition of your internal memory (about 12GB available to user on a 16GB device).
I'm running JB (Rootbox 3.2). I set the target path as /extSdCard/Titanium Backup in Preferences for it to work.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Mr Anderson said:
As far as I know the "external_sd" is your removable external SD card. For some inexplicable reason it mounts as a sub-directory from the internal SD card, but it is definitely your removable external SD card.
I have a feeling that Jellybean brings a change and the external SD card mounts in a different way to ICS. I had only a brief experience of this when I played with the leaked ROM but I have reverted to ICS because of battery drain problems.
Your internal memory is partitioned with about 500MB for the system ROM, and 2GB reserved for app installations. Once this fills to around 85-90% you'll begin hitting problems with insufficient storage space errors. If you move apps to SD then this will make use of the data partition of your internal memory (about 12GB available to user on a 16GB device).
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So i should move my apps from the App reserved partition to the main storage partition? Or the external SD card? And how do i do that? Sorry for noob questions, i am not too much into how Android works
I don't think you can move apps to external SD card.
Go to settings -> applications and you'll see your apps listed with information about their size. Select one, and you should see a button "Move to SD card". If this is greyed out then the app doesn't support operation from the SD card, but for many you can press the button and it will move the app for you.
The interface in settings isn't the best - I use ZDBox which is a free utility tool available from the Play Store with several useful functions, including an improved "App to SD" UI which makes it easier to see what is going on.
Be careful with widget apps and others that interact with OS functionality as these often don't play happy if moved to SD card.
in your internal memory there is a folder call externel_sd ok leave it coz you still in your internal memory and go search your external sd card memory it named extSdCard or emmc
Also, when i open the Storage (i think that's what it's called) section in the settings on CM10, and noticed that i have 2 Internal Storage sections, one of them has only App data, and the other has photos, apps, music etc. and a SD Card section, with 6.64GB storage left. Does anyone know why is there is 2 Internal Storage sections?
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Click to collapse
1st internal is /data, 2nd internal is /storage/sdcard0 (your internal 11GB memory).

Swapping Internal and External SD Card?

See question. 2 and 9 gb of space is not cutting it for me with a lot of programs not allowing you to move stuff to the external sd card. Is there a way that works for the amaze to move data to the external sd card?
Diogenes5 said:
See question. 2 and 9 gb of space is not cutting it for me with a lot of programs not allowing you to move stuff to the external sd card. Is there a way that works for the amaze to move data to the external sd card?
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Click to collapse
you can use almost any file manager with root premissons or not in order to move stuff from your internal storage to your sd card.. the only issue is you have to be careful of what you move because not every app will function properly if moved to external storage.. i think titanium backup also allows you to batch move apps to the phones internal storage (not system storage that's the 2gb)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.buak.Link2SD&hl=en
link2SD, move applications to SD card even if it doesn't allow to (it's built-in to ROMS for phones with smaler internal memory, like my low-end Optimus T with 150MB internal)
however, the speed of the SD card is generally slower than internal memory... just a small warning
another option would be the app 'gl to sd' (or something similar to that).
its free and its main use is to save the gameloft game data to your external sdcard. ive tried it and it works with the games. i do believe it'll allow you to move other app data as well.

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