Android - Request Move to SD Card - Part II

[BryceS]

Move to SD Card - Part II - Overtaken by events

There was a discussion last year about enabling move to SD card, which was implemented and worked very well.

I've just picked up a Galaxy S4, and while generally very good, it does raise a new issue. The current version of Android has removed the ability to move to SD card. This means that applications are limited to the internal storage, which is only 16Gb in the launch model.

However there is nothing stopping a developer from allowing the user to select where application data is stored from within the app itself. For example the Audible app allows the user to select where downloaded audiobooks need to be stored.

Unfortunately due to this bizarre decision by Google, all Android developers of applications with large amounts of downloadable data need to be adding a similar option to their apps.

Are there any plans to add a 'table download location' option to Pinball Arcade?

For info, the SD Card on the Galaxy S4 is mounted at /storage/extSdCard.

From reading various threads, I understand that this was also an issue on the Note 2. Has anybody discovered a workaround for Pinball Arcade, or indeed any other app?

Haven't had much time to play with the S4 yet, but the first couple of tables I tried looked pretty good on the 5" screen!

 

[QuiGonJ]

Actually, this seems to be a vendor issue. My HTC phone (on ICS) lets me move stuff at will, but my Galaxy Note 2 7 (on JB) does not.

 

[BryceS]

I'm not so sure about that. This is a blog from last year which details changes that Google made to the Android source code. In some cases this change was then circumvented by device manufacturers or suppliers of rooted builds. Note the comments that go up to fairly recently with people identifying the issue on at least one other brand of device.

http://www.chainfire.eu/articles/113/Is_Google_blocking_apps_writing_to_SD_cards_/

Google's position may be explained by the interview here:

http://www.androidpit.com/nexus-sdcards

Apparently SD cards are just too complicated for us users. So they decided not to include them in the Nexus. They seem to be trying to stop the use of SD cards for anything except media.

Thankfully it is still possible to get around these problems. Audible (owned by Amazon) detects the location of the SD card and gives a user friendly option in the settings to select where to store downloaded audiobooks. This is clearly the gold standard, but I recognise that smaller developers may not be able to put a lot of resources into this.

Next best is applications like The Ur Quan Masters - a fan-made conversion of Star Control from the original source - this allows the user to specify the data download directory. This is only really OK for more technical users because it needs the user to know the actual path (/storage/extSdCard for the Galaxy S4). But it works.

Unfortunately there are many applications which download large amounts of data which do not give any option at all. The Galaxy S4 is likely to be one of the best selling phones in the world over the next year. Unfortunately this means that developers are often going to have to work around this absurd decision by Google.

 

[Baron Rubik]

This could be a major issue going forwards, as other devices get caught up to 4.2.2.
Any comments Ryan?

 

[Ryan Routon]

we can definitely look into it but have you tried one of the moving apps like app2sd?

 

[BryceS]

Yes, these apps do not work. From the description of App2SD: "App2SD is not supported by some Android 3.x/4.x devices, and you will see the "not support" warning when you open the app.".

This has been written about by other bloggers: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/05/03/why-the-samsung-galaxy-s4-micro-sd-card-is-useless/

A solution has been proposed, but it isn't exactly user-friendly: http://www.sebertech.com/helpline/samsung-galaxy-s3/2013042411846.html

The issue is even going to be discussed on the BBC's flagship consumer affairs TV program "Watchdog" next week (8pm Weds BBC1 if anyone is interested).

Frustratingly, as I have mentioned above, the problem can be dealt with by allowing the user to select the storage location for data within the app, but it requires additional effort on the part of programmers. I recognise that this is unfair on one-man-bands like Ryan, who I'm sure has many other features he would like to implement rather than having to deal with stupid restrictions put in place by Google and/or Samsung!

 

[Ryan Routon]

ugh what a pain in the ass, yeah we will probably end up having to take a look at that. Only saving grace is that they are making them bigger.

 

[superballs]

This kind of thing makes me want to just lump Google in with apple since most of their devices are starting to take a page out of their iBook when it comes to device design.

I can't stand the practice of using storage to determine pricepoint.

 

[netizen]

Totally. it's almost as if you have to balance performance vs storage in the fragmented world of Android devices. I am sure it is done in order to push cloud services tho.

It's the old adage of Cheap, Fast, Good. You can only ever have 2 of the three elements at one time.

 

[BryceS]

We may be able to close this one - at least for the Galaxy S4. Apparently an update rolling out at the moment will restore the move apps to SD option. Hasn't been made available to me on Three here in the UK yet. Hopefully in the next week.

http://www.sammobile.com/2013/06/06...y-s4-brings-enhancements-and-stability-fixes/

 

[Baron Rubik]

We may be able to close this one - at least for the Galaxy S4. Apparently an update rolling out at the moment will restore the move apps to SD option. Hasn't been made available to me on Three here in the UK yet. Hopefully in the next week.

http://www.sammobile.com/2013/06/06...y-s4-brings-enhancements-and-stability-fixes/

I'm on same network, same country & same phone.
I got the update about 5 days ago, and yes it does appear to have fixed this issue. I hadn't noticed till I saw your post though.
Thanks for the heads up BryceS.

If you haven't got the update yet, copied below is a trick I use to force OTA updates on my N7, might be worth trying.
technique to force your OTA update...
(in Settings, Apps) find 'Google Framework'.
Clear Data, Force Close, Clear data again.
Go settings, about tablet, system updates, check now.

 

[BryceS]

Tried that, but am still getting "The latest updates have already been installed". Same if I try through Kies.

According to http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/ the latest firmware update for H3G (Three) in the UK was the May update. There are a number of June updates that have been released across the world, but none in the UK yet. Weird that you got an update this week. Hopefully I'll get it early next week.

Edit: Scratch that - checking the Baseband version, you have the latest firmware as listed on Sammobile. I'm downloading now and will install through Odin.

Edit2: Installed update successfully via Odin and the Move to SD has now reappeared! Moving my apps to SD now.

 

[Baron Rubik]

Nice one Bryce!

 

[BryceS]

Have you actually looked at the data utilisation. This version of the firmware does indeed move the app to the SD card, which frees up a small amount of storage. Unfortunately the Application data stays on the internal memory, despite being reported in Application Manager as being on the SD card.

Here is the Device memory with Pinball Arcade fully installed. It shows 2.0GB of Device Memory free:

The App info shows 816KB of data on the Device Memory and 484MB on the SD card.

If I Clear Data, 484MB of data on the SD card is deleted.

So the device data should be unchanged, right? No - the available Device memory has gone up by 0.5GB.

This proves that despite what Application Manager says, the data is not stored on the SD card, but on the Device storage.

I've asked a question on SamsungMobileUK's facebook page asking whether this is the intended behaviour.

 

[Baron Rubik]

Yeah - hadn't noticed, but I get the same behaviour as you for the above actions.

Post up if you get an answer from Samsung would you.

 

[BryceS]

Samsung's initial reply: "Hi Steve, we don't have any details on this currently, but we'll see if we can find any news for you. ^George"

 

[Richard B]

Samsung's initial reply: "Hi Steve, we don't have any details on this currently, but we'll see if we can find any news for you. ^George"

In other words "f u". Definitely need TPA to have SD support or I will run out of space and can't get any more tables

 

[jaredmorgs]

Just saw this root app advertised. Could be just what you need. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devasque.fmount

 

[QuiGonJ]

I was at Best Buy talking to the guy about the new Galaxy Tab 3 models, and he explained the reason they are making the change is *ba da dummmmm* rampant piracy! Apparently you could switch the apps by switching cards? I thought the apps were tied to Google accounts to stop that kinda thing from the get go, but what do I know?

 

[jaredmorgs]

For the record, still an issue nearly a year later [MENTION=3799]FlippyFloppy[/MENTION] / [MENTION=4573]Scumble373[/MENTION]

From what I understand, this is just a directory cleanup and move when the update app installs.

You'll need to tick the option in the build system as well.

Let us test this for you on our myriad of devices.