Swap internal and external memory. Android: An easy way to link an external SD card and internal memory to free up space

The capabilities of the device can be seriously expanded if you replace internal memory Android to memory card. This will allow you to install many more applications on your tablet or other gadget, but the main requirement for this update is the presence of root rights on the device. Let's look at ways to use an SD card as system memory device, as well as related conditions.

Risks and conditions for replacing the gadget’s internal memory with an SD card

Before repeating the steps below, the user should consider several important points:

1. The lifespan of the SD card will be greatly reduced due to frequent read/write cycles when running applications.
2. The speed of the gadget may drop noticeably if you use a low-end MicroSD card.
3. If you make an error while editing system file The phone may not boot next time - you will have to reflash it.

In general, the procedure (especially for inexperienced users) is quite risky, so it makes sense to carry it out exclusively for old gadgets with a small amount of their own memory.

Using the Root Browser utility and editing the vold.fstab file

To swap memory, from Google Play You will need to install Root Browser.

Let us repeat that you can only fully work with it on rooted devices. After running the above application:

In Android, sdcard stands for internal memory, and extsd stands for external memory, i.e. SD card. By replacing these lines, we actually swapped these types of memory. On some systems these pieces of code may look different, for example like this:

They need to be replaced as follows:

After completing the described procedure, reboot the gadget. Before doing this, be sure to check that there are no errors in the modified code, so that in the future there will be no need to reflash it.

The second way to increase memory using Link2SD

The application is available in Play Market and only works on devices with root rights. This file manager does not physically replace the device’s internal memory with an external drive, but it is capable of transferring any utilities to an SD card, significantly saving the gadget’s resources.

The peculiarity of the application in question is that the MicroSD itself will have to be split and properly formatted. Therefore, copy everything valuable from your card to your computer and start dividing the drive into sections.

Dividing the device card into sections if there is a custom Recovery

Every Android device has a recovery mode, but the method described below is only suitable for devices with . If you've never heard of CWM, move on to the second drive partitioning option. Next, we’ll tell you how to solve the problem if your device recovery mode has the Partition SD Card item:

Partitioning a MicroSD card via a computer

Connect the card to your laptop or PC. To do this, you can use a card reader or other equipment, the main thing is that it must be defined as a drive and not an MTP media device. Further:

How to swap memory on Android and why is it even needed? Should we engage in such manipulations at all and are they capable of causing irreparable harm to our device? Such questions are often of interest to people who are in control of a device with a small amount of built-in memory. If your smartphone has a corresponding capacity of, for example, four gigabytes, then you know that using such a device is nothing short of a pain. Because loading a sufficient number of multimedia files onto it is very, very problematic. So how can you swap memory from internal to external on Android?

Introduction to the problem

By the way, you should not think that such a problem as a small amount of built-in memory only affects operating system“Android.” It is also available on iOS. These two systems constantly compete with each other. From time to time, “Windows Fawn” also intervenes in the combat, but it soon finds itself 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, its code was a mystery. Nevertheless, a similar trend does occur. But the Android operating system, developed by Google specialists, is currently becoming more and more closed to potential developers with each update. This is exactly what bothers people who are so accustomed 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 opportunity to install applications with the appropriate software - the so-called cache - on external storage memory. In our case, let it be a MicroSD memory card. Probably, owners of devices with a capacity of 32 gigabytes and above will grin, but what should people do who have at their disposal from 4 to 8 GB, part of which (note this!) is spent on maintaining the operating system? The only way out of this situation is 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 and, by the way, straight hands are required. If you have these parameters, then we will move on to consider the meaning of the operation in order to understand what will be performed and why.

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

There is a way out of the current situation, when we have only a couple of gigabytes at our disposal to host a multimedia contingent. It consists, firstly, in the acquisition of external And secondly, in software replacement specific code, which can convince our device that the internal one is external. Well, and, of course, vice versa. Thus, the smartphone will treat the MicroSD card as an internal board. I would like to note that the question of how to swap memory cards on Android sounds completely incorrect, since several external drives cannot take part in this process.

What is needed for replacement?

Regardless of what version of the operating system you have installed and what manufacturer’s device you have, we will need the same set of utilities. These are programs called and Total Commander(which he knows great amount users). Additionally, you will need to obtain one for the device.

Replacement process

In order to begin the operation, open the program Root Explorer. We move to the address /system/etc. There you need to find a file called vold.fstab. In it you should find 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 this, you will need to swap the parameters. This will complete the active phase of the operation. Be sure to back up your files, and remember that such operations are performed at the user's own risk.

Most owners of Android devices sooner or later face the problem of lack of internal space for storing files. Regular installation of applications gradually reduces the number free space in the gadget, which leads to slowdowns, incorrect operation, or even a complete failure of the system to work normally. In this case, replacing the internal Android memory to a memory card. 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 applications to a flash drive at once, you need to understand what types of memory generally exist on your Android device:

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

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

In many gadgets, it is not possible to automatically allow the installation of new applications on a 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 sequentially on:

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

The OS version will be indicated in the list that opens.

Programs for transferring applications to a memory card

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

Convenient software that contains 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, which, when clicked, opens all available information about them, as well as possible actions(move, copy, delete).

Move2SD Enablerv

This software is interesting to users for two reasons. The first is that it is compatible with different versions Android (including later ones). And the second is the ability to transfer data and applications that are marked in the system as “unacceptable for transfer.”

Another interesting development that simplifies the life of Android gadget users. Main advantages - easy installation Software (without the need to additionally download scripts and libraries) and the ability to transfer information not as complete libraries, but only as parts of them.

What other methods are there?

There is another option to make an SD card into the 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 recording disk;
4. SD card.

A checkmark or circle will appear opposite the flash drive, indicating that the settings have changed. Now installation of applications will automatically go to the flash drive.

For Android users KitKat and higher, the process will be more difficult and tedious. the main problem is that you will need to root your device. You can do this at home, but there is a risk of turning your device into a “brick” that either cannot be repaired or will only be brought to life in service center at extra charge.

Remember that by installing root rights yourself, you void your device’s warranty and act at your own peril and risk. Whether it's worth it or not is up to you to decide. Maybe it's less risky to manually migrate new applications each time?

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

If your device does not have enough internal memory, can use SD card as internal storage for your Android phone. This function, called Adoptable Storage, allows Android OS to format external media data as permanent internal storage. The information on the installed SD card is encrypted and cannot be subsequently used on another device.

SD Card is very convenient option for storing photos, songs and videos. Even if you have a large amount of internal memory on your Android smartphone, you may always need big piece memory for storing long videos captured by the camera high resolution your phone.

It is important to know

There is one drawback, the SD chip can lag when recording high-definition video.

Android by default in the internal memory and only occasionally uploads data to the SD card. Thus, you are deprived of installing any additional applications if there is a noticeable lack of volume on your phone internal storage, for example, in the case of budget Android One devices.

What is storage storage?

Storage storage is the main memory of your smartphone, but if necessary, it can be expanded using an SD card. This on Android it is called Adoptable Storage. This will allow you to use removable card microSD installed on Android phone,as the main storage. This way, you can easily solve the problem of how to make an SD card the main memory on Android and overcome the lack of space if the phone has a small internal volume.

Features of using the card as the main storage

There are a number of some important features, which should be taken into account during this procedure.

Will be useful

When using a storage device, be it an SD flash drive or a USB drive, it is important to remember what format it is in. this device and does the operating system support it? Android system, and the main file formats There are four types: FAT32 or exFAT, ext4 or f2fs.

How to change phone memory to android memory card? The question is not entirely correct, it is impossible to completely replace it, you can only “increase” additional volume.

Using your SD card as your main storage can be a great solution for music lovers and those who like to watch TV shows on the way to work or on a long trip. But, as often happens, memory expansion always depends on the cost of the required device, after all, they differ both in speed and in volume, as well as in the adaptable information storage function. Here are some nuances that you can consider with different sides- how in negative side, and in the positive:

How to use SD card as internal memory on Android?

How to replace the phone's internal memory with an external SD card on Android? Configuring your SD card to act as internal storage on Android is essentially a fairly simple process. There is nothing complicated about this and you will see for yourself later.

It is possible that the Adoptable Storage feature is not supported by your device, even if the smartphone is running Android control 6.0 and higher (this also happens, it all depends on the model and brand of the smartphone). The device manufacturer may have disabled this function. However, there are methods to use command line, which allow you to force the use of a flash drive to store data.

Below are the basic formatting steps.

On the next screen you have one last chance to decide for yourself if you want to change your mind

It is important to know

Don't forget to do backup copy data, after formatting the information will disappear without a trace!

Once the formatting process is complete, you can use the removable SD card as a “temporary” or “removable” permanent location. But keep in mind that they will now be unavailable hot swap and extraction as you may have done before. That's why Do not remove the flash drive without using the Eject parameter. In addition, you can practically delete the place accepted by the operating system, which, accordingly, is not recommended, since this can cause certain errors in the operation of the device. Now you know how to make a memory card the main memory on Android.

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

Many owners of Android smartphones or tablets with small built-in memory have probably encountered the following problem: a large SD card is inserted (for example, 16, 32 or even 64 GB), but after installing several heavyweight programs, our device or another program boldly declares that there is no memory on the card. enough space. Sometimes the program itself is small, but after installation it goes online and pulls gigabytes of data onto your smartphone.
Once again, having received the message “No space” and looking at the card, we see that it is almost empty, but the internal memory of the device is filled 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 (it used to be the case on all smartphones). The external SD card is mounted in this case as /sdcard2, /mnt/sdcard2, /mnt/extSdCard or even /sdcard/.externalSD. As I understand it, 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 /sdcard/NameInsert directory. Rarely can this be changed in the program settings.
As a result, we have what we have, and several opportunities to improve the current situation:
Two latest methods are also not a panacea, because require certain skills from the user, in addition, they are not “clean” enough, for example, problems are known when connecting a smartphone to a computer via USB (cannot be unmounted), etc.

The DirectoryBind program will help correct the situation, which good man slig from xda wrote for himself and posted it on the forum for public use.

QR code

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

Click menu, then “Add new entry”

Now let's create new connection directories, for example, move the CamScanner folder to an external card. Long pressing on the folder path opens a small built-in file manager where you can create and/or select a folder. Folder on 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 connections are not automatically activated after creation ( gray icon floppy disks, as in the screenshot below for gameloft). To complete linking folders, select the checkboxes necessary connections and click menu -> “Bind checked”. The active (linked) folder icons should turn green.

By the way, if you want to attach the entire external card, I fully recommend doing it not with /sdcard/externalSD/, but with a dot in front /sdcard/.externalSD/. This will save you from such troubles as double thumbnails in galleries, etc. True, it will not help for all galleries and players, because... some also search for media in hidden directories.
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 operation of this program. This should be especially remembered by those who decide to completely change the mount points of internal and external memory, because... Chances are your entire device will run slower than before.

I hope this program will complement your piggy bank. useful utilities for android devices.

If you decide to swap internal and external memory, i.e. reassign the external sd card to /sdcard and there is no such option in the device settings - if you have root, this can be easily done by performing the following operation:
In Root-Explorer we mount "/etc" as R/W (if R/O), find the file "/etc/vold.fstab", save a copy and open (long click) it in the Text Editor.
In the next two lines we change the names of the mount points: dev_mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard emmc@fat /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.0 ... dev_mount sdcard /mnt/external_sd auto /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.1 ... to dev_mount sdcard /mnt/external_sd emmc@fat /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.0 ... dev_mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard auto /devices/platform/goldfish_mmc.1 ...
You can read more. They also suggest, as an alternative, to use another interesting program Root External 2 Internal SD.
I will add that in both cases, before switching, you need to copy the entire contents of the /sdcard folder to an external SD card.
Remember that after the switch, your entire system may work better than before.
be careful- you need to understand that everything you do as root is done at your own peril and risk, and for example, saving the wrong “vold.fstab” can lead to the inability to boot the device and for treatment you will need to boot into recovery and edit “vold.fstab” already there.

This method can be used in conjunction with DirectoryBind, only now it’s the other way around: “Default target path” (/sdcard) and all connections created in DirectoryBind will point to an external card.