How to Move Apps to SD Card on Android

Modern smartphones are coming with plenty of storage space without an option to insert an external microSD card in the phone. Instead, some smartphone manufacturers (especially older smartphones) allow users to expand device storage space using an external microSD card.

The device having low internal memory faces the storage problem while downloading and installing or updating the apps. The device shows a message that you are running out of space. It is because the operating system and preloaded software occupy most of the phone storage space. To solve this problem you can move some apps to an SD card and free up the device's internal storage.

You should remember that not all Android smartphones facilitate moving installed apps to the SD card. Also some apps allow only moving a small portion of it to the SD card, and the rest remains in the internal storage.

There are some points you should remember before moving your Android apps present in internal storage to an SD card. Firstly, the SD card works slower than the internal memory, through which the performance of the apps may go down. Apart from this, choose an SD card that has a high-speed data transfer rate, as well as your phone must support it.

Each Android OS version and phone model has different settings options to move apps to SD card, but they mostly follow the same structure. Here we will discuss how to move apps from the device's internal storage to SD card on different Android OS versions and device models.

Note: The Android device only allows some apps to move from internal storage to SD card, and it is also not possible to move pre-installed apps without rooting.

Move Apps to an SD Card on Android 9 Pie and above devices

If you are using an Android phone running on OS 9 or above, you can easily transfer apps from internal storage to an SD card manually. However, you can't do this for every app, and also not at all for pre-installed apps:

1. Make sure you have inserted an SD card on your phone.
2. Launch the device Settings app and navigate to Apps & notifications.
3. Now tap on the Apps info option.
   
4. Find the app from the list you want to transfer from internal memory to SD card and tap on it.
   
5. Click on the Storage.
   
6. If your selected app supports changing its location, a CHANGE button appears or is enabled. Tap on this CHANGE button.
   
7. Now select SD Card and then MOVE.
   

Move Apps from Internal Storage to SD Card in Android 8.0

To move apps from device internal storage to SD card in Android 8.0, follow the below steps.

1. First of all, you have to confirm that you have an SD card inserted into your Android smartphone.
2. Launch the device Settings app and navigate to Apps & notifications.
3. Now tap on the App info option.
4. Tap on the app you wish to transfer from internal storage to an SD memory card.
5. Click on the Storage.
6. If your selected app supports changing its location where it is stored, a CHANGE button appears or enabled. Tap on this CHANGE button.
7. Now select SD Card and then MOVE.

You can undo these steps and retransfer the app from the SD card to internal storage by clicking on the 'CHANGE' button and then move apps to the device's internal memory.

Move Apps from Internal memory to SD Card in Android 6.0, 7.0 or 7.1.1

Like Android 8.0, the Android OS 6.0, 7.0, or 7.1.1 mostly follow the same steps to move apps from internal storage to external memory cards. To transfer apps to SD card in Android 6.0, 7.0, or 7.1.1, follow the below-mentioned steps.

1. First of all, you have to confirm that you have an SD card inserted into your Android smartphone.
2. From the device Home screen, click on the Application screen icon.
3. Visit Settings and then Apps.
4. Tap on the app you want to move from internal storage to an SD memory card.
5. Click on the Storage.
6. If your selected app supports changing its location where it is stored, a CHANGE button appears or is enabled. Tap on this CHANGE button.
7. Now select SD Card and then MOVE.

Move Apps from Internal memory to SD Card in Android 4.4, 5.0 or 5.1

To move apps from internal storage to memory card in Android 4.4, 5.0, or 5.1, follow the steps below:

1. First of all, you have to confirm that you have an SD card inserted into your Android smartphone.
2. Open the Settings app on your phone.
3. Tap on the Apps section or (Manage apps).
   
4. Click on the app you want to move to an SD card. If your selected app allows changing its location where it is stored, a Move to SD card button appears enabled.
   
5. Click on the Move to SD card button, and it will move the selected app from internal storage to SD card.
   

To see the apps that you moved to the SD card, tap on the On SD card tab on the Manage apps screen.

Move Apps to SD Card on Huawei smartphones

1. Open the Settings app on your smartphone.
2. Tap on the memory and storage and then click on the Default storage.
3. Now, select the SD card and then allow the device to reboot.
4. Now, all your apps reside on the SD card.

Not all apps support moving on an SD card, and when an app goes updated, it is automatically updated to internal storage. So it is better to turn off the app's auto-update feature so that you can control updates and you can see which apps need to be updated. When you find an app for an update that you have transferred to an SD card, move back the app to internal storage and update it.

Use SD card as internal storage:

If the methods mentioned above, you don't preferred or supported by the device manufacturer, then there is an alternate option that allows moving apps to SD card on Android devices. It is an even easier option. You can set up an SD card in such a way that the device treats it as internal storage. Using SD cards as internal storage is a more convenient way, and you don't require worrying about where to place apps and files. Your internal storage and SD card get combined and turned into a group.

However, using an SD card as internal storage in Android smartphones has its drawback. Once you convert an SD card to the phone's internal storage, you will only use that SD card with that particular device (unless you format an SD card). Also, you have to remember that these steps will erase your SD card. So make sure you keep backed up of any data you need.

Apart from this, the smartphone will only work if the converted microSD card is inserted into the phone. Removing it from the device will trigger a factory data reset.

Use an SD card as internal storage to store apps.

1. Insert an SD card in your phone, and when a New SD Card notification displays, tap on Set Up.
2. You have to choose how your phone treats this SD card, click on Phone Storage or Use as Internal Storage (based on OS version).
   
3. Now tap Format SD Card.
   
4. On Android 9 and above, you can move your content to an SD card, including apps. Click on the Move content button.
   

An alternate option

1. Insert the SD card in your smartphone.
2. Launch the Settings app.
3. Select the Storage option.
4. Select the SD card you inserted.
5. Click on the menu option and select Storage settings.
6. Click on Format as internal.
7. Tap Erase and format.
8. Finally, tap on OK.
9. Migrate your data (or choose to do so later).