Problems because to store app data on SD card depends from the app's developers?

[soul33]

Hello,
First, I wonder why in this forum there's section for all samsung mobiles but not the mine (Samsung galaxy J5)
I bought this phone few days ago and I have some problems about to install apps.
The problem is that even if bought an SD card of 16 GB, the apps keeps to be installed in the device and NOT on the sd card.
The problem is not just because samsung force you to install on the device instead of card as defoult. (This could be very customizable by simply change the defoult foulder of app's saves. (I don't even know if is possible though).

But the main problem is that the ability to store data on the SD card depends from the app's developer itself!
It means that if the app developer has included the ability to store data to the SD card there will be a option in the Settings menu. If not, you can't do nothing about it!

And this mean you'll have just a limited space to save your app in the device! What will happen when the device space is full??
You can't install anymore apps even if you got a 16 Gb of sd card and I'm forced to unistall apps!

Why developers don't leave to us the decision to install apps where we like most?

There's a way if we contact them, they can add this option to save apps where we want?

 

[Oggy Shopov]

Hi, the problem is that not all apps are suitable for being installed on the SD card. Your phone needs time to mount the sd card when it starts, so there is a small period when the phone has booted but the sd card is still not available. This means that apps that need to perform some actions when the phone is starting will fail.

The same thing might happen when you plug your phone into your computer via the usb cable. Then your computer mounts your sd storage as a separate drive, which makes it temporarily unavailable to the phone.

Please see the official Android documentation about this matter, specifically the section labeled "Applications That Should NOT Install on External Storage": https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-location.html

Hope this helps!

 

[ManiacJoe]

Normally your SD card is used for storing music, videos, pictures, etc.
What apps are you using that store large amounts of data?

 

[soul33]

What apps are you using that store large amounts of data?

A lot of apps, games, everything that is useful. I have a lot of interests, and just 2 games already was even alone enough for just less than 3 gb of space....

Hi, the problem is that not all apps are suitable for being installed on the SD card. Your phone needs time to mount the sd card when it starts, so there is a small period when the phone has booted but the sd card is still not available. This means that apps that need to perform some actions when the phone is starting will fail.

The same thing might happen when you plug your phone into your computer via the usb cable. Then your computer mounts your sd storage as a separate drive, which makes it temporarily unavailable to the phone.

Please see the official Android documentation about this matter, specifically the section labeled "Applications That Should NOT Install on External Storage": https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-location.html

Hope this helps!

I dont think is a matter of booted-times..
That's a real problem: with 8 gb of space, you can just use even less than 3 gb in the memory of the phone.
For the same price, there was a mobile from Asus that have 16 gb of memory (android system included!) So you have effective 16 gb.
Or else, why to declare your mobile have 8 gb of space, if in the truth we have just 2/3 gb?This is unfair...

Some apps require a lot of memory space that I wish the apps would permit me to move in the micro Sd card (that can be even 32 gb) apps very similar to whatsapp for example icq to chat... is similar but you can move in the sd card.... and many other apps permit me to move them to the sd card, so it's up just to the developers that dont give this possibility to those who install the app. I know to install some apps is better in the memory of the phone, but yet.. I wish it's me who decide to free space of memory and move apps in the sd card (at least the ones that I can download). For the rest of apps that are defoult in the memory of the phone, is still ok that they remains in the memory. That's good.
But the rest, I wish i can move them just as I move others app....

 

[soul33]

Hi, the problem is that not all apps are suitable for being installed on the SD card. Your phone needs time to mount the sd card when it starts, so there is a small period when the phone has booted but the sd card is still not available. This means that apps that need to perform some actions when the phone is starting will fail.

The same thing might happen when you plug your phone into your computer via the usb cable. Then your computer mounts your sd storage as a separate drive, which makes it temporarily unavailable to the phone.

Please see the official Android documentation about this matter, specifically the section labeled "Applications That Should NOT Install on External Storage": https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-location.html

Hope this helps!

For example, I have installed whatsapp. I can't move in the sd card and whatsapp always take a lot of mb of memory and cache. I dont want to stay all day to delete the cache.. when the memory of the phone will be really full, everytime I dont delete the cache , a message will tell me that there's no space in the memory card... this is very upsetting.
But if you download telegram or icq (that are pretty similar to whatsapp) one of them at least permit to be moved in the sd card...
so, the apps are the same basically... why whatsapp need at any cost to be launched by the memory of the phone? My brother is programmator, and he says there's no reason why they should impede us to decide where to install the apps. If the memory of phone is fast ok, if in the sd card is slow, it's up to me... I prefer to have launched whatsapp more slowly but I save space in the memory of the phone (since samsung declare we have 8 gb and then they give us 3 gb)... if they need to install android, and still want to gave us a USEFUL phone with at least 8 gb of ram (that it's the only number that make sense to have), then they put 16 gb of ram and we will have 8 gb of ram. I think it's really absurd to sell a product with 3 gb of ram.... (because This is the truth). What's the use to have so few space in a memory, since we knows there's a lot of apps and games available for a phone? Or I have to spend a lot of money? Not all people are rich.. but if you declare you give us at least the minimun of 8gb, you can't deceive us giving just 3 gb. For this reason... I will never trust samsung anymore....

 

[Oggy Shopov]

Unfortunately, I have to say that your brother is wrong. There is a detailed list of technical reasons here: https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-location.html

And just because Whatsapp looks like ICQ or another messaging app, it doesn't mean that the mechanics behind it are the same.

I feel your frustration - I have had two phones in the past that had small internal storage capacity, but that's just how things are. If you want more space for apps you need to get a phone with larger *internal* storage. Like ManiacJoe said - the SD card is not meant for installing applications.

 

[Mooncatt]

Not sure about your phone, but the LG G4 got the ability to use the SD card as "adoptable storage" with the Marshmallow update. That lets you treat the SD card like internal storage, but it's not without some drawbacks. For example, it ties the card to the phone. You wouldn't be able to use the phone without that specific card, and you wouldn't be able to use that card in another device.

May be something you'll want to research on your device?