Cannot transfer Apps into SD Card

[immanuelaj]

Hello, I'm currently running Android 5.1.1. It seems that there is a feature to move Apps into the SD Card, but it does not work and falsely reports it as being successful.

After moving an App into the SD Card, the OS shows the App using space on the SD Card instead of the internal memory. However, checking the storage space remaining shows that nothing was actually moved.

Additionally, with Lollipop Apps are now able to access space on the SD Card automatically to store data. That does not work as well. The OS reports the data as being stored on the SD Card, but I noticed my internal memory space decreasing and the SD Card's space being constant.

After attaching it to the PC, a check of the size of the Android folder on the SD Card reveals it to be only 10MB in total, when the phone has shown over 1GB of App data being stored on the SD Card.

I'm open to any suggestions to fixing this, but if they involve having to reinstall all my apps, please suggest a good method of backing them up so I don't have to redownload all of them again.

Thanks in advance!

[Uliwooly]

@immanuelaj

That's has been asked before, that's how Android handles apps to SD card.

As for backing up everything, you can use XC

Xperia Companion (XC)

Software Repair Guide

Alternatives on How to backup Xperias

http://talk.sonymobile.com/thread/36355

[immanuelaj]

Not sure if you understand what I'm asking. Basically, in the screenshot, the App on SD card and Data on SD card numbers are false. They are all in the internal memory.

Why would they include the function in Lollipop to store Apps on the external storage only to not have it work at all and in fact falsely report it working when it isn't?

Thanks a lot for the backup tips though, much appreciated!

[Uliwooly]

@immanuelaj

I can't see the picture until it gets approved by a moderator, we can either wait for that or you can upload the picture to box or dropbox or drive and post the link here

[immanuelaj]

Goodness, didn't know there was such moderation.

The first image is what's shown on the phone. The "App on SD Card" and "Data on SD Card" information is false, it is actually stored on the internal memory.

First Image

The second image is how much data there is on the Android folder on the SD Card when connected to the PC. Which confirms that the SD Card is not being used for App storage despite the phone reporting that it is.

Second Image

[Uliwooly]

@immanuelaj

I'm almost certain that it's the game's issue but you can double check with the game developers on this 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.gu3.punkww&hl=en

as they have to implement this 

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/android-platform/PkLYIERoJvo

as to why it's displaying that memory as if it's on the SD card and not on the internal storage I'll escalate this

[immanuelaj]

Thanks for the reply!

The thing is, is that it's not only this game that has the problem. I've tried it with other programs with the same effect. I've just finally gotten fed up enough to try and seek a solution. Like, it's been this way since the phone updated to Lollipop.

Before I installed this game, had about 1GB left on the internal storage. After it installed, I got the low memory pop-up. When I checked the app, it said all the data was already installed on the SD Card. (Meaning the developers programmed it to use the SD Card) I pressed the "Move to SD Card" button and it 'moved' the App itself to the SD card. Of course, none of that really happened and everything is still on the Internal Storage. The low memory pop-up still present.

I went and deleted another 1GB app that was mis-reported as being on my SD Card, and it freed up 1GB on my internal storage. The low memory pop-up went away. >_<

I'm not too concerned about games having issues, because I can just delete other games. But if apps like map programs can't access the SD Card so I can use GPS without a data connection, it's going to be a problem when travelling and stuff.

[Rickard · Accepted solution]

@immanuelaj

When you move an app to the external SD card in Android, Android will only move the APK-file (the file that you download from Google Play). Additional data such as private data, databases and OBB will remain on the internal memory though it may look as this data has been moved to the external SD card. Since the path to the OBB is known and used by the app, this path can't be changed by Android. The app itself may however choose to store to the external SD card so it's possible for a developer of for example a GPS app to store maps to the external SD card.

[immanuelaj]

Thanks Rickard.

The thing is, if that was the case, I should be able to see some .apk files appearing in my SD Card? But there aren't any.

At any rate, the Android folder on my SD Card is only 10MB in size. I'm not even sure what's in there, but it's a lot smaller than the download size of any apps I get from the play store. (Normally 30MB - 60MB)

Unless somehow the files are being hidden by Android like how the .apk files are normally hidden in the internal storage. But I did check the size of the items on the SD Card and they add up. ~8GB worth of files on the SD Card, and there's about ~6GB free.

Anyway, I will try downloading a Maps program and see how it reacts and get back to you.

[immanuelaj]

Okay, so I tried a Maps program and it worked fine. Smoothly putting the data into the SD Card and with the OS reporting the correct size for Data on SD Card.

It seems odd how pretty much every game I tried has this issue. The OS shows the OBB data being put on the SD Card, by default, but in reality it's still on the internal storage. Thanks again, I'll go prod the game developers and see what they've been doing.