How to move apps to SD card with Android 8.0

[Android Central Question]

Really chuffed with my new Android 8.0 phone (Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact), however can't move apps to the SD card to save on internal storage although this was possible in earlier versions by clicking
Settings > Storage > Internal Storage > Free up space for automatic transfer
or clicking Move to SD card in the apps separately
Neither of those are possible anymore. Furthermore, I see a message that files larger than 4 MB cannot be transferred because of storage capacity limitations of the external card.

1) So, isn't it possible anymore? Or is there a workaround?
2) Can the transfer capacity limit be solved by using a high capacity SD card?
3) When I connect the phone to the PC, I cannot move/copy files from the internal memory. Did I miss some access rights check box?

Thanks for any pointer!
ann

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to the forums. You should be able to use the card as adoptable storage, effectively making the card part of your internal storage. This will encrypt the card, making it unreadable by any other device.

 

[wheresmybeaver]

Can you try this:

Enable Developer options: https://www.theandroidsoul.com/enabl...android-o-8-0/

Then go to Settings => Developer Options and check if there is an option near the bottom of this list for "Force allow apps on external". This may enable the ability to move certain apps to SD Card. Try a reboot and see if you can move some apps or games to SD card.

Let us know if it works!

 

[Sunshine11q]

This did not work. Help please - phone is worthless without SD storage capability for apps.

 

[Catzilla242]

Hi, just joined your forum. I have exactly the same Problem with my brandnew XZ1 Compact! Close to freak out, actually, l tried already everything like recommended here. Doesn't change anything at all! I don't want to root it this time, like I did with almost all my xperias before, because more and more apps check this during installing, for example my bank app and my health insurance app, really important apps to me.
So how do we get this solved? So far not much to find on the net, because Oreo is so new.
The last I do expect help from is from Sony support, grump.

 

[Catzilla242]

Are they serious? (Sony or Google, whoever is responsible for the SD card issues)
I am doing research since yesterday like crazy, just took again a look on the Sony page,the following quote is about the XZ1, concerning "Storage and memory":
"Your device has several different storage and memory options:

The internal storage stores downloaded or transferred content along with personal settings and data.
You can use a removable memory card to get more storage space. Media files can be moved to this type of memory to free up internal storage....
You can purchase a memory card separately.

Improving memory performance
If the device starts to slow down, or applications suddenly shut down, you should consider the following:
Always try to keep at least 500 MB of free internal storage available. ....
... Uninstall downloaded applications that you don't use.
Transfer photos, videos and music from the internal memory to the memory card.
If your device can't read content on the memory card, you may need to format the card. Note that when you format the card, all content is erased.

So it says clearly NOTHING about moving APPs to the SD card! Hilarious, isn't it?
This is conflicting to the fact, after I enabled the developer options, then go down to "Apps", the "option": "Force allow apps on external". So what, on one hand Sony says, only media files can be transferred to SD, on the other we have the "Force allow apps on external", what is ANYWAY NOT working. Congrats, Sony or Google or both, to this great step further in Android / phone development! *Ironic mode: OFF* To be continued.... I think.

 

[Catzilla242]

Sorry, got to add the link to the Sony page I mentioned and quoted text from above with my last comments:
https://support.sonymobile.com/global-en/xperiaxz1compact/userguide/storage-and-memory/

 

[stodge]

I didn’t think android supported installing apps to an SD card, only media?

 

[Catzilla242]

I didn’t think android supported installing apps to an SD card, only media?

I did it with all my former Xperias, with the great app Link2sd, BUT this works only with a rooted phone. This time I didn't want to root it, because now a lot of important apps, for ex. my bank and my health insurance app check it up if the phone is rooted and then it's impossible to install them! This is really annoying.

 

[humanerror]

I try already, but when I click force to SD card, it doesn't work

 

[itsyaboy1]

How to transfer games to SD card in Oreo 8.0

I'm not sure if the first step is nessasary
1) Turn on "Force allow apps on external" in developer options.
2) Go to "Storage" in settings.
3) Go to "internal storage" and tap "games" then tap "change"

 

[EYom]

I just did it on a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 with version 8 (not a rooted phone-still default from Verizon)...

So you need to go into the developer options (if you don't know, go to the build version, and hit that option 10 times and teh developer options will appear), enable the "force allow apps on external" at the bottom, then reboot the phone.

then when you go into the apps, in the storage section, you will see a button called "change" under storage used and you can choose to go external...

Keep in mind that not all apps have this option enabled, but most should

Really chuffed with my new Android 8.0 phone (Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact), however can't move apps to the SD card to save on internal storage although this was possible in earlier versions by clicking
Settings > Storage > Internal Storage > Free up space for automatic transfer
or clicking Move to SD card in the apps separately
Neither of those are possible anymore. Furthermore, I see a message that files larger than 4 MB cannot be transferred because of storage capacity limitations of the external card.

1) So, isn't it possible anymore? Or is there a workaround?
2) Can the transfer capacity limit be solved by using a high capacity SD card?
3) When I connect the phone to the PC, I cannot move/copy files from the internal memory. Did I miss some access rights check box?

Thanks for any pointer!
ann

 

[vpelss]

Follow developer mode instructions above, but I had to also go to developer settings to enable 'force allow apps on external'.

None of my apps would move before.

Boo Android!

 

[Christopher Wzxs]

I have two Motorola Moto G 5 (6 years old now) ..I like these phones because you can replace the battery easily (as is soon to be a standard requirement in the EU mobile phone regulations) & you can thus extend the life of the phone .However these phones with a dual SIM have 3 Gb RAM but only 16Gb ROM though you can put data and some apps onto a Micro SD card configured as exterior non-movable storage. However not many apps allow you to move them to do this so you soon run out of internal ROM as social media apps are very large and grow larger as time passes.
To discover the means of allowing more apps to be moved and also downloaded onto the exterior Micro SD via the "Developer options" ( exposed via 10 taps on the Build number ) will allow more apps to be downloaded to these mobiles while preserving some space on the internal ROM. Very useful tip.NB Widgets are only available from apps installed on the internal ROM not on the SD card where they are not seen by the operating system viz Android 8.0.1.

"So you need to go into the developer options (if you don't know, go to the build version, and hit that option 10 times and the developer options will appear), enable the "force allow apps on external" at the bottom, then reboot the phone."

OR.....

"Then go to Settings => Developer Options and check if there is an option near the bottom of this list for "Force allow apps on external". This may enable the ability to move certain apps to SD Card. Try a reboot and see if you can move some apps or games to SD card."