Can I use an SD card on KitKat (From Consumer Perspective)?

[AC Question]

SD card on KitKat (From Consumer Perspective)

Hello. I'm thinking of getting a Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 (8 in.) because of its looks, battery life, stand, and performance as well as being the cheapest way of getting a 1080p screen on a tablet.

My only concern is the software. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat. I want to expand its storage by using an SD card, but I've heard that apps hit problems with using an SD card on Kit Kat. While I understand this is a problem from a programming perspective, is it a problem from a consumer perspective?

What I mean is: can I still access and save files such as downloads, videos, and documents anywhere on the SD or is it limited? Lollipop solves that problem, but Lenovo isn't known for updating their devices.

Thank you.

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: SD card on KitKat (From Consumer Perspective)

Welcome to Android Central! This article might be helpful: KitKat and SD cards — what's fixed, what's broken and what's misunderstood | Android Central.

In general, it depends on if the app has the proper permission to access the SD card. It can only access a folder it creates, or one it takes ownership of. I'm not sure if there's an easy way to tell if an app has those permissions short of reading a lot of reviews of the app, or trying it out yourself.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: SD card on KitKat (From Consumer Perspective)

In addition to that, you can root the tab and install an app like NextApp SDFix: KitKat Writable MicroSD (root), which "fixes the problem" - it gives apps permission to write to the card.

BTW, it's not a good idea to move apps to the SD card. It doesn't save as much space as you'd think (the app is moved in pieces and each piece leaves a link in internal storage - if the app has to be moved in enough pieces, you may end up losing internal storage), you can't make a copy of the card if you get a larger card (you have to move the apps back to internal storage, copy the card, then move the apps back to the larger card) and most apps that can be moved to the card don't work from them. (Most apps aren't written - the "developer" uses an app to write his app, and he has no idea whether it will run from the card or not, so he doesn't test it and make it not movable if it won't. Many people who release apps don't even know that many apps won't run from the card.)

Android was never designed to run apps from the SD card, it was meant as a place to store data. If it were designed to run apps from the card, they'd show up on the card when they were installed on it, not in internal storage the way they do.