why do apps update as soon as I have moved them back to SD card?

[Android Central Question]

When I get updates on most apps on my Galaxy S7 edge they reload to my device memory when they were on SD card. I change them back to external SD card and many quite quickly present another update which I then have to move again and so it goes on. This has only become a problem with one or two apps as any that do this more than twice I delete and look for an alternative. Some Apps do not have the option to move them so these get disabled and some don't even have this option. Why do these do this as it defeats the object of having additional memory and I understand on some newer devices external and internal can be integrated? I am thinking of using an app that enables me to delete or relocate problem apps is there any reason I should not do this?

 

[Mooncatt]

Why do these do this as it defeats the object of having additional memory... is there any reason I should not do this?

SD cards were never meant to handle the amount of write cycles an app would use, which will cause them to wear out prematurely. Moving apps to the SD card can corrupt the card and cause performance issues. Yes, some manufacturers allowed to format it as internal storage, but it was never advisable.

SD cards are best for stand alone files. Apps are best left on internal storage.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! This is how the system works -- apps have to download and install to Internal Storage first before any of the app can be moved to the SD card (assuming you're not using a device that supports Adoptable Storage). So every time an app gets updated, it essentially has to redownload and install to Internal Storage before it can be moved back to SD.

If you want to get around this, you'd probably have to root the device and use an app like Link2SD or App Mgr III, but even then, I'm not sure if you can download and install an app directly to the SD card.

Please register on this forum, which will allow you to engage in discussion more easily, as well as post images. https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community.html

 

[Rukbat]

If you want to get around this, you'd probably have to root the device and use an app like Link2SD or App Mgr III, but even then, I'm not sure if you can download and install an app directly to the SD card.

Link2SD claims it can change the installation location. (With a Pixel, I can't check that - no SD card.)

 

[Rob666]

SD cards were never meant to handle the amount of write cycles an app would use, which will cause them to wear out prematurely. Moving apps to the SD card can corrupt the card and cause performance issues. Yes, some manufacturers allowed to format it as internal storage, but it was never advisable.

SD cards are best for stand alone files. Apps are best left on internal storage.

I cannot see the logic in this as the internal memory is likely identical to that on the SD card and once this is inserted becomes just as much a part of the phone as that supplied with the phone. I have worked in the industry for many years and have neer seen a phone returned with a faulty SD card, unless its a fake been purchased from an unknown source.

 

[Mooncatt]

I cannot see the logic in this as the internal memory is likely identical to that on the SD card and once this is inserted becomes just as much a part of the phone as that supplied with the phone. I have worked in the industry for many years and have neer seen a phone returned with a faulty SD card, unless its a fake been purchased from an unknown source.

The internal storage is not the same technology as used in SD cards. SD cards have been around for ages as stand alone storage. "Write once/read many" is the type of use they were intended for. There's even suggested usage in non-phone devices too. If you look at photography, cameras use SD cards. When you're done with the photos on the card, it's not recommended to delete them. It's recommended to reformat the card, which uses less write cycles. Internal phone storage, on the other hand, was designed with phone use in mind. It's like comparing a traditional hard drive to a solid state drive in computers. Yes they are both forms of storage, but the underlying design is different.

Fyi, you wouldn't return a phone for a faulty SD card. You'd return the card, or just buy a new one all together.

 

[B. Diddy]

I have worked in the industry for many years and have neer seen a phone returned with a faulty SD card, unless its a fake been purchased from an unknown source.

Which specific industry? It's well known that SD cards have a finite lifespan, and are also more prone to corruption or failure than onboard memory chips. It's happened to me plenty of times, and you'll find numerous posts on these forums about it as well. It's true that counterfeit SD cards are relatively common, but this happens with cards from reputable manufacturers purchased from bricks & mortar retailers as well.

 

[Rob666]

Telecom, Mobile and IT industry in technical operations. The only SD cards I've seen returned with issues have been, as I said fake, or ones that have been removed and reinstalled numberous times. I accept your logic that the onboard memory should be better quality and last longer. However, I think you will find that the flash memory on a phone will eventually fail, as you suggest SD cards do but both would likely be years down the line and the phone replaced by then. That issue aside takes me back to my original question as why Apps that have been updated appear to post another update not long after I have updated and moved these back to the SD card?

 

[B. Diddy]

Assuming that the apps are actually getting updated to a newer version (compare the build numbers to confirm, if possible), that's up to the developers. Sometimes an app gets rapid-fire updates, perhaps due to some bugs that were introduced with the previous update.

For what it's worth, I've also spoken to a friend in the memory chip industry, and he's the one who told me that pretty much every SD card (even from well-known manufacturers like Sandisk) uses bottom-of-the-barrel chips. He warned me to be cautious about relying on an SD card for sensitive data.