In this article, we will look at how to swap memory on Android, namely internal memory with external storage device SD card. Through this action, you can improve the performance of your smartphone or tablet.

Android devices are programmed to use internal memory as system memory. But most external SD cards offer significantly more storage than is available in internal storage. I'm sure many of you have had the idea of ​​swapping memory. This way you will get more free memory for data storage, thereby improving the performance of your mobile device.

Fortunately, we know how to swap the built-in memory and SD card memory.

How to swap internal storage and SD card storage on Android

The solution is simple enough. You need to Root your device to run the Xposed installer. Next, we will use the Xposed XInternalSD module or PR Swap SD to swap the memory. More on this below.

That's all! Now system API files storage is changed and the device sees the external SD card as internal storage.

You can also use the PR Swap SD app to swap memory.

Ready! You managed to swap the memory on Android. As you can see, the instructions are quite simple, but you need to be careful during the installation of the Xposed installer. You can swap memory positions to increase the amount of available memory and speed up your device.

Android: Easy way to link external sd card and internal storage to free up space

I'll make a reservation right away that we are not talking about programs like link2sd. The principle is similar, but we will not link the program directories, but the data directories of these programs, for example / sdcard2 / Navigon -> / sdcard / Navigon or / mnt / extSdCard / Books -> / sdcard / Books, etc.
In addition, we need a root (where can we go without it). By the way, after I learned about this program, this is another argument for me for root.

Many owners of android smartphones or tablets with small built-in memory probably faced the following problem: a large sd card is inserted (for example, 16, 32 or even 64 Gigabytes), but after installing several heavy programs, our device or another program insolently declares that there is no enough space. Sometimes the program itself is small, but after installation it goes online and pulls gigabytes of data onto the smartphone.
Once again, having received the message "No place" and looking at the card, we see that it is practically empty, but the internal memory of the device is crammed to capacity.
This is because internal memory is often used as the default directory for many programs. The fact is that it is mounted as / sdcard, which historically has always been an external sd card (before, it was so on all smartphones). The external sd card is mounted in this case as / sdcard2, / mnt / sdcard2, / mnt / extSdCard or even /sdcard/.externalSD. I understand that this is done by the manufacturers so that the device works out of the box, i.e. no sd card at all.

Many "unscrupulous" programs always want to read / write data from / to the directory / sdcard / SubstituteName. This can rarely be changed in the program settings.
As a result, we have what we have, and several opportunities to correct the current situation:
The last two methods are also not a panacea, because require certain skills from the user, in addition, they are not sufficiently "clean", for example, there are known problems when connecting a smartphone to a computer via usb (they cannot be unmounted), etc.

The DirectoryBind program, which a good person slig from xda wrote for himself and posted on the forum for public use, will help fix the situation.

QR code

Although the audience here is technically savvy, a couple of explanations need to be made for inexperienced Habr readers. As he himself wrote (the program is not idiot-proof), i.e. is unlikely to pass the test for a fool.

After installation, run the program (for the first time, of course, we permanently allow Root rights), click the menu then "Preferences" and set the default paths to the external memory "Default data path" for example / sdcard / external_sd / and the internal memory "Default target path" / sdcard / ... We leave the menu.

Click the menu, then "Add new entry"

Now let's create new connection catalogs, for example, let's move the CamScanner folder to an external card. Long press on the folder path opens a small built-in file manager where you can create and / or select a folder. The folder on the external map must be created (and empty).

By checking the "Transfer files from target to data" checkbox, files and folders will be transferred from the / sdcard / CamScanner / directory to the / sdcard / external_sd / CamScanner directory.

It should be noted that links after creation are not automatically activated (gray floppy disk icon, as in the screenshot below for gameloft). To complete the binding of folders, select the necessary links with the checkboxes and press the menu -> "Bind checked". The icons of active (linked) folders should turn green.

By the way, if you want to attach the entire external card, I fully recommend doing it not like this / sdcard / externalSD /, but with a dot in front of /sdcard/.externalSD/. This will save you the trouble of double thumbnails in galleries, etc. The truth will not help for all galleries and players, tk. some are looking for media in hidden directories as well.
After suffering, I decided for myself to link only individual directories.

UPD. By the way, an external SD card is much slower than the internal memory, so transferring program data to an external SD naturally slows down the work of this program. This should be especially remembered for those who decide to completely change the mount points of the internal and external memory, because chances are your entire device will run slower than before.

I hope this program will complement your collection of useful utilities for android devices.

If you still decide to swap the internal and external memory, i.e. reassign an external sd card to / sdcard and there is no such option in the device settings - having a root, this can be easily done by performing the following operation:
In Root-Explorer, mount "/ etc" as R / W (if R / O), find the file "/etc/vold.fstab", save a copy and open it (with a long click) in the Text Editor.
In the next two lines, change the name of the mount points in places: dev_mount sdcard / mnt / sdcard /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.0 ... dev_mount sdcard / mnt / external_sd auto /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.1 ... to dev_mount sdcard / mnt / external_sd /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.0 ... dev_mount sdcard / mnt / sdcard auto /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.1 ...
More details can be read

Small amount of internal storage on cheap Android smartphones and tablets the main problem in the inability to install applications in such cases, replacing the internal Android memory with a memory card can help you.

For those who did not understand from the title what this article is about: suppose you have 400 MB of internal Android memory, which is very small (about 12-20 installed applications), then you might think about taking and replacing the main memory with a memory card.

Risks and what you need to know

Replacing the Android internal memory with a memory card occurs only if you have installed root rights (no root, method doesn't work)! For those who do not know what Root is and how to get:

In addition, you are obliged know the structure file system Android.

Memory substitution is possible only if your Android device has a system file vold.fstab along the way / system / etc if you don't have one, then this way Unfortunately not for you! Take advantage of alternative ways(ref. 1, ref. 2, ref. 3). Also if Android does not have its own memory then this article also not for you... The article is mostly for devices with a Mediatek (MTK) or Rockchip processor.

Since the editing will take place system file there is a risk that you can make a mistake and device won't boot, in order to fix this, you need to reflash the device, and the memory card may fail and you will face the same problem, the firmware will also help.

From a replacement internal memory to a memory card, the latter has a very severe life cycle (due to frequent reading / writing), and the speed may also drop Android work if very low grade microSD cards.

Instructions for replacing the internal memory of Android

to memory card

1. Install the file manager Root Browser (if you chose another, then do not write "smart" questions in the comments "do not see" "do not edit")

2. Launch the Root Broswser file manager and follow the path:

/ system / etc /

3. Looking for a file vold.fstab and open it (clamp on the file and select Edit)

4. In the file vold.fstab see about such a picture:

# Regular device mount

Format: dev_mount
label - Label for the volume
mount_point - Where the volume will be mounted
part - Partition # (1 based), or 'auto' for first usable partition.
- List of sysfs paths to source devices
#

# Mounts the first usable partition of the specified device
# / devices / platform / awsmc.3 / mmc_host for sdio
dev_mount sdcard / mnt / sdcard auto / devices / virtual / block / XXXXXX
dev_mount extsd / mnt / extsd auto / devices / platform / XXXXXX / XXXXXXX
/devices/platform/sunxi-mmc.0/mmc_host
dev_mount usbhost1 / mnt / usbhost1 auto /devices/platform/sw-ehci.1 / devices / platform / sw_hcd_host0 /devices/platform/sw-ehci.2 / devices / platform / sw- ohci.1 / devices / platform / sw- ohci.2

On this example pay attention to two lines highlighted if carefully before these you read the structure of the file Android systems then you already know that / sdcard or / sdcard0 this is internal memory, and / extsd or / external_sdcard, / sdcrad1, / sdcrad2, / external_sd this is external memory, that is, MicroSD.

All you have to do is replace these two lines in places:

dev_mount extsd / mnt / extsd auto / devices / virtual / block / XXXXXX
dev_mount sdcard / mnt / sdcard auto / devices / platform / XXXXXX / XXXXXXX

Often you have to deal with the situation that the internal memory is not enough to install all the desired applications. You can, of course, clean the device and remove outdated applications, but it is not always possible to do this. In this case, you can try replacing the main internal Android memory to the memory card.

Let's try to make out in detail what it is. First, make sure you are root to make changes to your Android system settings. In addition, it is recommended that you examine the Android file system build structure before making such changes.

The method of replacing memory described below is possible only if there is a system file vold.fstab located in the / system / etc folder.

It should be warned that when performing a memory replacement, there is a risk of making an error, since there will be direct editing of system files. You also need to be prepared for the fact that the memory card will have a very reduced service life, and the speed of Android may also drop significantly. Re-flashing the device will help to fix the above problems. So we advise you to weigh the pros and cons before making systemic adjustments.

Algorithm for replacing Android internal memory with a memory card

Usually, the file manager Root Browser is used for these purposes, when you launch it, go to the / System / etc / folder. Next, find the vold.fstab file and open it. To do this, use a long hold, and then click Edit.

After that, the internal Android file system, which we have already studied, opens. In the structure that opens, we find the lines in which the definition of the main memory is written. The strings can vary significantly on different devices.

Here's an example for a general understanding of what to look for. As you know, the internal memory of Android is usually called sdcard or sdcard0, while the external one can be called extsd, external_sdcard, sdcrad1, sdcrad2.

Replacing names in internal system files will automatically replace the default memory. Therefore, we are looking for the lines in which the above designations are mentioned and we change their places, but before that, carefully study again how the memory is indicated directly in your device.

After replacing and saving the results, a system reboot is required, after which you can start working with an increased memory size.

Most owners of Android devices sooner or later face the problem of shortage interior space for storing files. Regular installation of applications gradually reduces the amount of free space in the gadget, which leads to braking, wrong work, or even a complete failure of the system to work normally. In this case, replacing the internal Android memory with a memory card will help. How to do this and what other ways there are to deal with such a nuisance, we will consider further.

Before delving into the settings and transferring all the applications to a USB flash drive at once, you need to understand what types of memory exist on your Android device:

• operational - necessary for the correct operation of applications, programs and other processes that are performed on a phone or tablet;
• ROM - stores information about the operating system during flashing and this data cannot be transferred to third-party media;
• internal - applications are installed here in automatic mode as well as any user information; how much free space is left by the system when installing new software;
• expansion card - an external drive that is designed to expand the internal memory of the device and store applications, user information.

Why can't I save apps to my SD card?

In many gadgets, it will not work automatically to allow the installation of new applications on a USB flash drive. This applies to phones and tablets from version 4.4.2 to 6.0.1. In this case, replacing the internal memory with an SD card is simply necessary, and this can be done in several ways (including using third-party applications). But first you need to find out the version of Android that is installed on your gadget. To do this, click successively on:

1. Menu;
2. Settings;
3. About the phone.

In the list that opens, the OS version will be indicated.

Programs for transferring applications to a memory card

The developers took care of the users and created programs in order to make the memory of the flash drive the main one on Android. This is especially useful for older versions of the system, such as 2.2 or even earlier.

Convenient software, which has all the necessary tools for transferring information from internal memory to an external drive. The interface is intuitive and simple. Applications available for moving are marked with icons, when you click on them, all available information about them opens, as well as possible actions (move, copy, delete).

Move2SD Enablerv

This software is interesting to users for two reasons. First, it is compatible with different versions of Android (including later ones). And the second is the ability to migrate data and applications that are marked as "invalid for migration" in the system.

Another interesting development that makes life easier Android users-gadgets. The main advantages are simple software installation (without the need to additionally download scripts and libraries) and the ability to transfer information not with complete libraries, but only with their parts.

What other methods are there?

There is another option, how to make an SD card with internal memory on Android. If the version of your gadget is from 2.2 to 4.2.2, then the instructions are extremely simple, click on:

1. Settings;
2. Memory;
3. Default disc for recording;
4. SD card.

A check mark or a circle will appear opposite the flash drive, which indicates a change in settings. Now the installation of applications will automatically go to the flash drive.

For Android KitKat users and above, the process will be more complicated and dreary. The main problem is that you will need to root your device. This can be done at home, but there is a risk of turning your device into a "brick", which either cannot be repaired, or it will be brought to life only in service center at extra charge.

Remember that by independently installing root-rights, you deprive your device of the warranty and act at your own peril and risk. Whether it is worth it or not is up to you. Is it less risky to manually migrate new applications every time?

What do you think? Tell us in the comments if you had to get root rights, if it was successful, or maybe you know other ways to switch the memory of your tablet / phone to a memory card.

How to replace the internal memory of Android with a memory card... Small amount of internal memory on cheap smartphones and Android tablets the main problem is the inability to install applications in such cases, replacing the internal Android memory with a memory card can help you.

For those who did not understand from the title what this article is about: suppose you have 400 MB of internal Android memory, which is very small (about 12-20 installed applications), then you might think to take and replace the main memory with a memory card.

Risks and what you need to know

Replacing the internal Android memory with a memory card occurs only if there are installed root rights(no root, method doesn't work)! For those who do not know what Root is and how to get:

In addition, you must know the structure of the Android file system.

Memory substitution is possible only if your Android device there is a system file vold.fstab on the path / system / etc, if you do not have one, then this method is unfortunately not for you! Use alternative methods (link 1, link 2, link 3). Also, if Android does not have its own memory, then this article is also not for you. The article is mostly for devices with processor Mediatek(MTK) or Rockchip.

Since the system file will be edited, there is a risk that you may make a mistake and the device will not boot, in order to fix this, you need to reflash the device, and the memory card may fail and you will face the same problem, the firmware will also help.

With a replacement internal memory to a memory card, the service life of the latter greatly decreases (due to frequent reading / writing), and the speed of Android may also drop if the class of the MicroSD card is very low.

Instructions for replacing the internal Android memory with a memory card

1. Install the file manager Root Browser

2. Launch the Root Broswser file manager and follow the path:

/ system / etc /

3. Looking for a file vold.fstab and open it (clamp on the file and select Edit)

4. In the file vold.fstab we see something like this:

## Vold 2.0 fstab
##
# Regular device mount
##
## Format: dev_mount
## label - Label for the volume
## mount_point - Where the volume will be mounted
## part - Partition # (1 based), or ‘auto’ for first usable partition.
## - List of sysfs paths to source devices
####################################### # Mounts the first usable partition of the specified device
# / devices / platform / awsmc.3 / mmc_host for sdio
dev_mount sdcard / mnt / sdcard auto
dev_mount extsd / mnt / extsd auto
/devices/platform/sunxi-mmc.0/mmc_host
dev_mount usbhost1 / mnt / usbhost1 auto /devices/platform/sw-ehci.1 / devices / platform / sw_hcd_host0 /devices/platform/sw-ehci.2 / devices / platform / sw- ohci.1 / devices / platform / sw- ohci.2

In this example, pay attention to two lines highlighted, if you carefully read the structure of the Android file system before these, then you already know that / sdcard or / sdcard0 this is internal memory, and / extsd or / external_sdcard, / sdcrad1, / sdcrad2, / external_sd this is an external memory, that is, a microSD.

All you have to do is replace these two lines in places:

dev_mount extsd / mnt / extsd auto / devices / virtual / block / XXXXXX
dev_mount sdcard / mnt / sdcard auto / devices / platform / XXXXXX / XXXXXXX

Another example, on a different device:

dev_mount sdcard / storage / sdcard0
dev_mount sdcard2 / storage / sdcard1

Change to the following:

dev_mount sdcard / storage / sdcard1 [email protected]/devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.0 /devices/platform/mtk-msdc.0/mmc_host
dev_mount sdcard2 / storage / sdcard0 auto /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.1 /devices/platform/mtk-msdc.1/mmc_host

Save your work and restart Android! After rebooting, the device will be with an increased amount of memory!

The memory on smartphones is non-rubber, despite the fact great amount information that many of us store on them. That is why some manufacturers to this day do not give up the possibility of expanding the built-in memory using microSD cards.

The current flagships support cards up to two terabytes, which greatly increases the internal reserves of smartphones. However, this does not solve another problem - all applications are automatically installed into the internal memory, and its amount cannot be expanded. In this regard, we decided to write an article on how to make sure that everything is saved to a memory card. It offers several ways for owners at once. different devices- starting from budget models, which are built in 4-8 GB and ending with flagships on latest versions operating system Android.

We save applications to a memory card using standard means

In most modern smartphones, the procedure for transferring applications (games and programs) can be done with a few taps. Unfortunately, there is no way to activate their automatic installation on MicroSD. Therefore, we will have to be content with manual transfer. So, for this you must follow these steps:

1. Go to the "Settings" menu;
2. We find there the item "Applications". In some sections, it may be referred to as "Application Manager";
3. We select the application we need there. In our case - the game "CSR Racing";
4. The information in the window is updated. Now you need to tap on the "Move to SD card" button;
5. After a few seconds, the label on the button will change to "Transfer to device", which tells us about the successful transfer of the application and freeing up the internal memory.

Didn't find the Move to SD Card button? This is not a reason to worry, then you just have to use third party application to transfer.

We use Clean Master to transfer data to a memory card

As noted above, this method is analogous to the previous version of transferring to an SD card. We suggest that you immediately start reviewing the instructions:

Ready! The memory on the device itself is freed. By the way, if we compare the two methods already presented, then we advise you to choose the second one - using the application Clean master... So you will spend significantly less time due to the fact that you can select several games and programs at once.

We connect the memory card with the internal memory

In Android 6.0+, a way to expand the memory using an SD card has become available. True, we want to warn you right away, it works only on some devices - far from all manufacturers have implemented this function into your shell. So let's get started:

It is also worth noting that not all SD cards are suitable for this kind of operation. It is important to external card memory belonged to the 10th class and corresponded to the declared speeds of reading and writing data.

Swap the internal memory of Android with a memory card (Root required)

One more known way, the most used on devices with a small amount of internal memory - replacing the internal memory with an SD card. You should already be rooted and installed the Root Explorer application. You should follow these steps:

Ready! From now on, everything you download will be automatically installed on the SD card. As you can see, there are enough a large number of ways to ensure that everything is saved to the memory card, you need to choose only one of them, depending on which version of the OS you have installed, what exactly you want to get and whether there is a Root on the device.

How to swap memory on Android and what is it for? Should such manipulations be done at all and are they capable of causing irreparable harm to our device? Such questions are often of interest to people whose subordination turned out to be a device with a small amount of built-in memory. If your smartphone has a corresponding volume equal to, for example, four gigabytes, then you know that using such a device is nothing more than a pain. For uploading a sufficient number of multimedia files to it is very, very problematic. So how do you swap memory from internal to external on Android?

Introduction to the problem

By the way, one should not think that only the Android operating system suffers from such a problem as a small amount of built-in memory. It is also on "Ayos". These two systems are in constant competition with each other. Occasionally, “Windows Fawn” also interferes in single combat, but it soon turns out to be thrown out behind the tatami. What is affected IOS theme? There are facts that invariably prove the "exposure" of this operating system to users. Initially, her code was a mystery. Nevertheless, a similar trend is taking place. But the operating system "Android", developed by the specialists of the company "Google", is now becoming more and more closed to potential developers with each update. This is what annoys people who are so used to this operating system.

Why do you need to know the answer to the question of how to swap memory on Android?

Currently, the OS we are talking about no longer gives users the ability to install applications with the appropriate software - the so-called cache - on an external memory drive. In our case, let it be a microSD memory card. Probably, the owners of devices with a volume of 32 gigabytes and above will grin, but what about people who have at their disposal from 4 to 8 GB, some of which (note this!) Go to the maintenance of the operating system? The optimal way out of this situation is only to perform certain manipulations. And here it is more important than ever to know the answer to the question of how to swap memory on Android. Actually, this is not difficult to do. However, extreme attention is required and, by the way, straight arms. If you have these parameters, then we will move on to considering the meaning of the operation in order to understand what and why will be performed.

How to swap memory on Android 5? What to do with other versions?

There is a way out of this situation, when we have at our disposal only a couple of gigabytes for the location of the multimedia contingent. It consists, firstly, in the acquisition of external A, and secondly, in the software replacement of a certain code that can convince our device that the internal is external. Well, and, of course, vice versa. Thus, the smartphone will perceive the microSD card as an internal card. I would like to note that the question of how to change memory cards in places on "Android" sounds fundamentally incorrect, since in this process there are several external storage cannot participate.

What do you need to replace?

Regardless of what version of the operating system you have installed and the device of which manufacturer you have, we need the same set of utilities. These are programs called and Total commander(which is known by a huge number of users). In addition, you will need to obtain for the device.

Replacement process

In order to start the operation, open Root program Explorer. We move to the address / system / etc. There you need to find a file called vold.fstab. In it, you should find the lines and parameters that are responsible for the mount points of external and internal memory. They are called, respectively, like this: SDcard and extsd. After that, it will be necessary to swap the parameters. This completes the active phase of the operation. Don't forget to do backups files, and remember that such operations are performed by the user at their own risk.