I am new to Android One and up until now used microSD cards exclusively to save the images and videos shot by the phone cam and for offline navigation software maps (Sony, Huawei, and so on)
Now Android 9 on the Mi A3 gives me two options:
--> use as "portable memory"
--> use as "internal memory"
When I use it as internal memory, many apps store files on it although I actually only want the photos to be kept save on it in case of phone failure... I also read, that in case the phone fails I can't copy files from the sd card as it is encrypted to be only read by phone itself? Is that true?
Thank you for your help.
Pretty sure you should use it as portable
storage. I have all my music on there and any backup file, photos, etc, I can save on there too. You also avoid encryption this way, too, but I'm not sure about that.
paul1508 said:
I actually only want the photos to be kept save on it in case of phone failure...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you should definately use it as portable. Elsy you will have problems reading it in any other device.
paul1508 said:
I also read, that in case the phone fails I can't copy files from the sd card as it is encrypted to be only read by phone itself? Is that true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
To format it as internal should use the SD storage as an extension to the internal storage. So, if you got a 64 G internal storage and add a 64 G card as internal, you should see a continuous block "internal" memory wit size 128G. Since I do currently not need the space on my SD, I gave it a try. But strangely afterwards "memory" showed internal 128G (I have the 128G model with an 128G card...) and the card as 256G.
I reverted to prtable anyway for the same reson; to use it as backup storage device.
Related
I just bought a new SGSII and I'm finding the storage mounts a bit strange. I'm seeing that there is a "usb storage" on the phone as well as the external SD storage. However, it is not allowing me to "Move to SD Card" for the phone's storage and requiring me to use my (slower) external SD card. I've tried to use the ADB "pm setInstallLocation" command to force it internal, but that doesn't seem to work either. Is there any way to use the USB storage on the phone for "app 2 sd"?
Thanks,
Craig
Did you read the FAQ?
I did (before I rooted), but even reviewing again now I'm not seeing anything relative to this. What am I missing?
That there's no benefit to moving apps to the external SD with this phone's file system and amount of built-in storage. Save the ext_SD for your data, movie and music files.
I didn't see that. However, I'm confused by this. I was not being allowed to reinstall some of the apps I had installed on my Captivate since I was out of space. Move to SD cleared up space so that I could finish restoring my apps.
I wonder if something is not set up quite right on my device?
Which app are you trying to move?
Everything should be installed on your phone automatically unless you change it to your card. Unless a Rom you are using has it set differently, I think ShoStock has an option to do that automatically.
I don't think I was entirely clear in my question. My device has:
1) Internal Phone Storage
2) Internal "USB" Phone Storage
3) External SD Card Storage
By default, applications are installed to #1 which is a smaller partition and bound to fill up. If I chose "Move to SD Card", it automatically goes to #3 and yet I want to put it on #2 and I'm not allowed to do that. If I pull out my external SD card, those applications will disappear. I'd like to be able to have "Move to SD Card" use #2 instead of #3, as that storage is not removable and will also (theoretically) be faster.
This is how it worked on my Captivate (both stock and Cyanogenmod), so I'm very confused about what is going on with this and I'd really like to change things up to work as I'd like.
Thanks for insights,
Craig
The Captivate uses a different file system and mounting system than the SGSII. You would be better off to redownload the apps from the Market, then restore just the data for those apps. I had major problem with restoring my Captivate TiBU backup to my SGSII until I did this. Your problem is that the apps that were installed to the SD card on the Cappy do not have the same corresponding place on the SGSII. Trust me, reinstalling from the Market and then restoring the data is the best bet.
That is exactly what I did. However, it still does not change the fact that I'm not allowed to use internal SD storage when I move applications.
Considering that the internal USB storage is not an actual SD card, the App to SD function is working properly. The SGSII considers that to be extended system storage, not an actual SD card.
What is extended system storage supposed to be used for? This is new to me.
User generated data like photos, music, videos, downloads. Just not apps.
OK. Thanks. I guess I'm not thrilled with the way this is being done now, but it sounds like I don't have much of a choice on top of stock ROM.
How many other phones give you 32gb of internal storage separate from RAM and the option to add another 32gb externally? Be happy.
Sorry... Didn't mean to sound completely unhappy... Just forces me to re-think my use of storage... To some extent it may actually *reverse* my previous use of storage.
No worries. I came to Android from years with WinMo devices. This is my 2nd Android phone and it always takes a little while to adjust.
This is my second Android phone as well.... along with multiple ROMs on the last phone. Which is why I'm always amazed at the number of different ways these things get partitioned.
Hi,
It is my first Sony android phone (with a SD card slot). I was wondering if this oddity with internal storage and SD card relationship is across all Sony androids, or unique to ZU.
Basically, when I use Astro File manager, it looks like there are 2 SD cards mounted. I guess SDcard0 is the internal storage, and SDcard1 is the actual SD card.
Now, I also see an ''emulated'' SDcard, whatever that is.
MY MAIN PROBLEM IS THAT NOT ONLY DO I NOT UNDERSTAND THE WAY IT IS LAID OUT, I ALSO CANNOT MOVE APPS (and more importantly, massive data that goes for these apps) TO SD CARD TO PRESERVE INTERNAL STORAGE.
All those apps in play stores don't seem to work, because none of them actually recognise an external SDcard storage in y Z ultra.
Do I need to wait for ZU to be rootable so that these problems can be overcome?
Or is there a neat trick to get around this?
Thanks in advance
jewelkobayashi said:
Hi,
It is my first Sony android phone (with a SD card slot). I was wondering if this oddity with internal storage and SD card relationship is across all Sony androids, or unique to ZU.
Basically, when I use Astro File manager, it looks like there are 2 SD cards mounted. I guess SDcard0 is the internal storage, and SDcard1 is the actual SD card.
Now, I also see an ''emulated'' SDcard, whatever that is.
MY MAIN PROBLEM IS THAT NOT ONLY DO I NOT UNDERSTAND THE WAY IT IS LAID OUT, I ALSO CANNOT MOVE APPS (and more importantly, massive data that goes for these apps) TO SD CARD TO PRESERVE INTERNAL STORAGE.
All those apps in play stores don't seem to work, because none of them actually recognise an external SDcard storage in y Z ultra.
Do I need to wait for ZU to be rootable so that these problems can be overcome?
Or is there a neat trick to get around this?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once rooted you can use an app like foldermount, but you are going to have to wait for the root to be released first.
baileyjr said:
Once rooted you can use an app like foldermount, but you are going to have to wait for the root to be released first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Please tell me that it is a matter of time before Z ultra is also rootable. If so, I can wait patiently:fingers-crossed:
Has there ever been an unrootable android thus far?
jewelkobayashi said:
Thanks! Please tell me that it is a matter of time before Z ultra is also rootable. If so, I can wait patiently:fingers-crossed:
Has there ever been an unrootable android thus far?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's only a matter of time until it gets rooted (Happy? ) And no, not that i know of.
jewelkobayashi said:
All those apps in play stores don't seem to work, because none of them actually recognise an external SDcard storage in y Z ultra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, still waiting for my XZU. BTW, what do you mean that your apps can't recognize the external storage? My experience with other phones with 'emulated' internal storage didn't prevent the apps from recognizing the 'real' external SD card.. There is usually also an option to choose which storage is used as default - at least on my previous huawei ascend P1. Can anyone confirm this on their XZU?
edit: as default here means as the main storage for apps data (picture for camera apps, downloads from browsers, downloadable content for some apps, etc), not the installed apps and system data
unk_damnation said:
Hi, still waiting for my XZU. BTW, what do you mean that your apps can't recognize the external storage? My experience with other phones with 'emulated' internal storage didn't prevent the apps from recognizing the 'real' external SD card.. There is usually also an option to choose which storage is used as default - at least on my previous huawei ascend P1. Can anyone confirm this on their XZU?
edit: as default here means as the main storage for apps data (picture for camera apps, downloads from browsers, downloadable content for some apps, etc), not the installed apps and system data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I meant by 'not recognising' (I could have phrased it better) is that yes, I can access it from any apps except that they are labelled as SDcard0 and SDcard1. What I tried to say was that for those not familiar, it seems confusing. If the internal memory is actually an SD card hidden away deep inside, I can kind of understand, but the way this phone is set up, it looks as if there are 2 external SD cards (which of course, there aren't) and no internal storage.
If there is a way to choose where certain apps can store their relevant data, I would like to know how for VIBER, Beyond Pod (podcast player) and Androrec (call recorder). I am assuming that there is no systematic way of selecting storage destination (via android or Xperia interface), and that these apps don't offer such features in their settings, and that we need to wait till the day some hard working genius figures out how to root the ZU.
Where?
baileyjr said:
Once rooted you can use an app like foldermount, but you are going to have to wait for the root to be released first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When installing apps off playstore, where is it saved? sdcard0, sdcard1, extsd, emulated?
When using foldermount, what should be the destination folder (to mount it on my external sd card)?
I really want to know more about those storage locations because it confuses me all the time especially some of them contain the same files
Thank you
Jerika said:
When installing apps off playstore, where is it saved? sdcard0, sdcard1, extsd, emulated?
When using foldermount, what should be the destination folder (to mount it on my external sd card)?
I really want to know more about those storage locations because it confuses me all the time especially some of them contain the same files
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using solid explorer and things are far more clear on it (recognize directly which is what) but to make it simple:
-SDcard0 and emulated are the internal memory
-SDcard 1 and extra are your SDcard
So if you wish to move an app to your SDcard send it to SDcard 1.
Sent from my C6802 using Tapatalk 4
How to solve this problem in Xperia Z (C6602)... I cant move any apps to my ext SD card ????
I have bought a new tablet (Asus k019) and a new sd card because I can only use 4/8gb of internal storage,but I can't download any game/app bigger than 1.5 gb (I have 1gb left on the internal storage) because it says I don't have enough memory and any picture I recieve on whatsapp or any picture I take it's saved on the internal storage (called /sdcard/ in file manager and the card /MicroSD/ ,btw).On my old phone all my media it's automatically saved on the sd card,not on the internal storage.How can I make the sd card the default location for apps/media?
R0llin said:
I have bought a new tablet (Asus k019) and a new sd card because I can only use 4/8gb of internal storage,but I can't download any game/app bigger than 1.5 gb (I have 1gb left on the internal storage) because it says I don't have enough memory and any picture I recieve on whatsapp or any picture I take it's saved on the internal storage (called /sdcard/ in file manager and the card /MicroSD/ ,btw).On my old phone all my media it's automatically saved on the sd card,not on the internal storage.How can I make the sd card the default location for apps/media?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will have to set it in each app. Also even if you move the app to the sdcard most of the data will still be on internal storage. This is due to the way android boots things up. The sdcard is not made to run games off of.
zelendel said:
You will have to set it in each app. Also even if you move the app to the sdcard most of the data will still be on internal storage. This is due to the way android boots things up. The sdcard is not made to run games off of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thought so.How can I do that for whatsapp?the app crashes often if I move it to sd card.i don't care if the app is installed on the internal storage,i want the recieved media to be on sd
R0llin said:
Thought so.How can I do that for whatsapp?the app crashes often if I move it to sd card.i don't care if the app is installed on the internal storage,i want the recieved media to be on sd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think that app has the option. The main reason is mostly due to google removing the base code for SD cards. Each OEM adds them back in their own way so there is no universal way to code an app for it.
Check the settings. I dont use it nor does anyone that I know. We all moved away when FB bought it.
I formatted SD card as internal storage (Android 6.0) and it is confusing...
I read that when the SD card is formatted as internal storage, it is also encrypted, so it can't be accessed trough windows for file transfer (if not rooted). OK, so I thought, there must be some practical way to transfer files such as books, movies, music, etc. from PC to SD card...
I tried to make some folder (for instance, BOOKS) on my tablets internal memory, transfer the files in that BOOKS folder, then move that BOOKS folder to SD card. But, I can't find the location of the SD card, so there is nowhere to move that BOOKS folder.
1) What is the SD card folder location, if there exists one?
2) Is there some practical way to transfer files from PC to SD card?
3) What does "Migrate data" option actually migrates, APK's, pictures, videos,...? And how does it decide what is suitable for migration, on what criteria?
4) Is there a way to pick which files would be transferred to SD card?
You correctly pointed out that the systems treats the SD card like internal storage. If your smartphone is running and you connect it via an usb cable to your pc, you will only see one folder. You can now copy something to your device and it is on your device. Basically, "SD card like internal storage" means that your internal storage has been extended by your SD card.
Simply said, there is only "one" storage. Your SD card ist now part of the internal storage. Usually, this is a great advantage as it takes away the limitations of a small internal storage.
However, the downside is:
- you must not take the SD card out of the phone and copy something. This will break the memory.
- you cannot pick what is stored where - Android decides this.
- you can only copy something to the pc via usb cable, bluetooth or network, you must not take the sd card out of the device.
The upside is:
You can stop worrying about where to copy what - Android decides this for you. So lean back and enjoy your new memory capabilities.
Paul2017 said:
You correctly pointed out that the systems treats the SD card like internal storage. If your smartphone is running and you connect it via an usb cable to your pc, you will only see one folder. You can now copy something to your device and it is on your device. Basically, "SD card like internal storage" means that your internal storage has been extended by your SD card.
Simply said, there is only "one" storage. Your SD card ist now part of the internal storage. Usually, this is a great advantage as it takes away the limitations of a small internal storage.
However, the downside is:
- you must not take the SD card out of the phone and copy something. This will break the memory.
- you cannot pick what is stored where - Android decides this.
- you can only copy something to the pc via usb cable, bluetooth or network, you must not take the sd card out of the device.
The upside is:
You can stop worrying about where to copy what - Android decides this for you. So lean back and enjoy your new memory capabilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I converted it to portable storage as I find it much more convenient. With adoptable storage, the biggest downside is, as you mentioned, that I can't pick to choose what can I store on my SD card. Dedicated SD card is not an issue, as I never (and a vast majority of users) wanted to pull it out of device.
Migrate data is a terrible option, almost no control, undefined behaviour. Generally, the way that Google engineers handled the adoptive storage option is amateurish.
Also, I noticed now, why did they remove the sort by size and sort by date filters in settings--->apps on Android 6.0???
smarko1983 said:
Thanks for the reply. I converted it to portable storage as I find it much more convenient. With adoptable storage, the biggest downside is, as you mentioned, that I can't pick to choose what can I store on my SD card. Dedicated SD card is not an issue, as I never (and a vast majority of users) wanted to pull it out of device.
Migrate data is a terrible option, almost no control, undefined behaviour. Generally, the way that Google engineers handled the adoptive storage option is amateurish.
Also, I noticed now, why did they remove the sort by size and sort by date filters in settings--->apps on Android 6.0???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right, I just had a look at my Nexus 7 running lineageOS 14.1 (Android 7.1): you cannot sort the apps by size. Don't ask me why.
Phone the card came out of is a Doogee S68 Pro. I configured the SD card to be internal memory and for the camera app to save pics taken to the SD card. I assumed when the SD card was full the camera would save back to the internal memory but instead it gave an error saying storage full and wouldn't take more photos. There was no option within the camera app to switch the save location to the internal memory so I removed the SD card. This forced the camera to now save to internal memory. BUT. Now when I put the SD card back in it doesn't read and says I need to format the card to use it. Same result if I put the card in different android phones or pug it into a PC. I don't want to format the card because I want the pictures on it.
How can I get the image files off this SD card? I've tried a few file recovery programs without any success. I don't have a linux machine, just a PC, and I have no experience with rooting phones or the like.
Probably card is in raw mode now.
What you mean by saying that you have configured card as an internal storage?
gotaquestion said:
Same result if I put the card in different android phones or pug it into a PC. I don't want to format the card because I want the pictures on it. How can I get the image files off this SD card? I've tried a few file recovery programs without any success. I don't have a linux machine, just a PC, and I have no experience with rooting phones or the like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The External SD-card got encrypted as soon as you decided to use it as internal memory. It's no longer readable by any card-reader. IMHO forensic tools are needed to retain the data stored there.
a602820922 said:
Probably card is in raw mode now.
What you mean by saying that you have configured card as an internal storage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I pulgged it in the first time it gave two options, use as internal memory or as mass storage device. I choose the internal memory option.
Dam
jwoegerbauer said:
The External SD-card got encrypted as soon as you decided to use it as internal memory. It's no longer readable by any card-reader. IMHO forensic tools are needed to retain the data stored there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feared this was the case. I don't understand why the original phone cannot decrypt the card though as it would with a Samsung device. I have sent a support request tot he phone manufacturer so hopefully that bears fruit.
gotaquestion said:
When I pulgged it in the first time it gave two options, use as internal memory or as mass storage device. I choose the internal memory option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thank you for confirmation. As above card encrypted and furthermore you might have lost all the data of the phone as well as sms , apps, updates basically everything since you choose that option has been storage on ad card, and your internal storage was not used or useless in a different world, access has been denied to it.
Which tools have you tried to recover data?