Apps moved to SD card, but internal storage almost full

[sparkybird]

EDIT: I think this should be in the Moto G (2013) forum as I've realized I have a first gen phone.Can;t quite see how to delete and/or move it - Sorry - told you I wasn't very techie!

Hello everyone
Be gentle, this is my first post and I'm not very techie :-\

I have a second Gen Moto G with an SD (32GB I think) card. The reason I got the card was the internal storage was getting full. I have moved all my apps to the card (and yes, it's annoying that you have to move some back again after an update!), but when I look at the storage data, there is only about 1 GB on the SD card (that involves some photos as well, since I moved them too).

The internal storage of 5.52 GB is used up as follows:
3.82 GB Apps (data and media content)
19.03 MB pics and videos
216 KB Audio (ringtones I guess, I have no music on the phone)
8 KB Downloads (even though I have deleted any downloads I made)
8.59 MB Cached data - even though I thought I had cleared this
124KB Misc

So I've only got 666 MB left! When I download updates, often I am told there is too little storage.
Is there anything obvious I am missing? I am finding that my phone can be a bit slow at times esp when using the internet. Is this to do with the lack of internal space OR the fact that I've got an SD card

Hope you can help - feeling a bit lost as to what to do!
thanks
SB

 

[SpookDroid]

Hi there,

It seems your phone is still on Lollipop or in a Marshmallow version that doesn't support 'Adoptable Storage'. Basically, your SD card is only for external media. All apps' main files MUST reside in your phone's internal memory, and it's up to each dev to decide which parts (if any) can be moved to an SD card; but again, the app's main files will still reside in the phone's memory. Some apps can only move saved files, external downloads, or extra media files, and some only move only a portion of these. Also, there are apps that won't allow anything to be moved. Furthermore, 3rd party apps (apps that didn't ship with your phone) no longer have 'full write' access to the SD card, meaning they can only create and modify files in folders created by the app itself. Unfortunately, unless you root and hack your phone, there's no way around this.

The reason some apps revert to the internal memory after updating is that since the app's main files reside in internal memory, so do the processes carried out for installation and updates. So everything 'important' is done in internal memory.

 

[sparkybird]

Hi there,

It seems your phone is still on Lollipop or in a Marshmallow version that doesn't support 'Adoptable Storage'. Basically, your SD card is only for external media. All apps' main files MUST reside in your phone's internal memory, and it's up to each dev to decide which parts (if any) can be moved to an SD card; but again, the app's main files will still reside in the phone's memory. Some apps can only move saved files, external downloads, or extra media files, and some only move only a portion of these. Also, there are apps that won't allow anything to be moved. Furthermore, 3rd party apps (apps that didn't ship with your phone) no longer have 'full write' access to the SD card, meaning they can only create and modify files in folders created by the app itself. Unfortunately, unless you root and hack your phone, there's no way around this.

The reason some apps revert to the internal memory after updating is that since the app's main files reside in internal memory, so do the processes carried out for installation and updates. So everything 'important' is done in internal memory.

Hi there
Thanks so much for responding, sorry I took a, while to reply. But basically what you are saying is that due to the age of my phone, pretty much the only things I can move to the SD card are photos and music?
So if I want to run more apps, I have to get a, new phone
SB

 

[SpookDroid]

Hi there,

Not exactly. The reason for the SD card restrictions is because Android changed them for the last few major updates. Although with Marshmallow (Android 6) it brought back some of it and they did implement Adoptable Storage (which lets you format the SD card and make it a part of the internal memory with the drawback of not being able to use said SD Card anywhere else but the phone). Unfortunately, because of the way Adoptable Storage works and to avoid user confusion, most manufacturers that have upgraded to Marshmallow decided not to enable Adoptable Storage, leaving you with the usual SD card restrictions (no 'full' apps there, and devs still decide how much can be moved).
Inside Marshmallow: Adoptable storage | Android Central

 

[sparkybird]

Hello there again.
Thanks for the really clear explanation and link to the article. Interesting that for me using the SD card as adopted storage would be fine i think. I'm not planning on moving it between devices and I don't store music or films. The pictures that are stored are just ones from social media, I have a proper camera for important ones!
I might have a go, after I have backed it up, at changing it over to adoptable.
Thanks again for your help!

 

[sparkybird]

Me again! Just ignore my above post. it took me a while, but I now realise what your said about adoptable storage not being supported on my phone. its a first gen phone (I know I posted in the wrong forum), so i'm going to be stuck with lollipop. And no adoptable storage

I've sort of been managing ok having deleted some apps, so I guess I'll carry on until it gets to much and then upgrade.
I suppose this how Motorola make their money!!

Thanks again, it's been really helpful, sorry for being a bit slow on the uptake, but I have learnt quite a lot!