# Galaxy tab: move apps from internal memory to SD card?



## Brian G Turner (Oct 1, 2015)

My youngest has a first gen Galaxy Tab (7 inch), with 8GB internal storage, and a 32GB SD card.

However, she constantly has problems running out of memory - everything always seems to install and save to her internal memory, instead of the SD card.

Does anyone know how to correct this, please?


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## Overread (Oct 1, 2015)

*attaching self to this thread*

I've got a Galaxy tablet though not the same model, but I've yet to get a memory card for it. I case others don't find a solution I'll post back what works with mine if I can. If its any help I think the instructions should be on the internet on their website (mine only came with quick-start and no instruction book with a note to check the website).


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## HoopyFrood (Oct 1, 2015)

I have a 10inch Galaxy tab, so let's have a look...

Is it a case of looking for an option that changes it so that applications automatically save onto the SD card? Not sure about that, but you can manually put things onto the SD card.

Settings>Application Manager>then click on any of the applications you want to move>should be a move to SD card option for many of them.

I'll have a further look to see if there's something you can opt for to make the SD card the default storage option.


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## Mirannan (Oct 9, 2015)

AFAIK Android installs apps (and updates, too) onto internal memory by default and, again AFAIK, this can't be changed. However, you can move most apps (not all of them, for some reason) onto the SD card manually as HoopyFrood says.


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## Ray McCarthy (Oct 9, 2015)

Some apps can be moved, some can be uninstalled and re-installed on external and some only installed internally. Just like Windows, Linux etc  
Like a Laptop or Netbook, there is a risk installing on external storage (it's the same as installing on Windows or Linux on USB stick or external HDD, or Network, potentially a recipe to loose the application and then access any data it accesses).

It's not a Galaxy Tab thing, but a Linux / Android thing. (Android is a skin on top of a Linux derived OS and the apps are mostly running on Davik, a google version of the Oracle JVM).


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## Gramm838 (Oct 14, 2015)

Look for the 'internet' option in settings, tap on that and it should give you an option to change the default location for downloaded files

HTH


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## Edward M. Grant (Nov 6, 2015)

Just be aware that, if it's anything like my Galaxy S4, it will randomly corrupt the SD card. So don't put anything important on there.

But I found that Android wouldn't really let me put anything other than camera pictures and videos on there in the first place, which rather defeated the point; I'd rather lose some easily downloadable apps than irreplaceable pictures.


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## Mad Alice (Nov 6, 2015)

You can get dropbox added to it and automatically sync to Google cloud. Then you can upload your photos and pictures to cloud storage.

Brian are you sure that old a tablet would even recognize a 32 GB card?
If the card is too big the older tablets sometimes can't use it. I think that eight years ago my tablet had a 8gb upper card limit.

If the tablet is running icecream or older you will need a separate app to move your apps and files to your SD card.

Some of them need constant access to the operating systems to run and can't go on an sd.

Another thing you might check is where your things are saving and how big the apps are to begin with. I absolutely loved color notes. A brilliant free note taking app. But every single file was stored as a picture file in my photo gallery. It used tonnes of memory.
Then I looked at the apps I had. I had chosen them for utility and convenience, with never a thought to the storage.  Some apps were over thirty mg big. Browsers take up a huge amount of space. So do PDFs and movies and music videos. Games eat memory as well.
You could possibly get by with a big spring clean on the tablet, but be prepared to double back up all her "preciouses".


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 6, 2015)

The problem seems to be that the tab only has 8GB of internal memory, but the OS and a load of default apps - that I wouldn't be able to uninstall without rooting it - are filling much of this up.

There is an option in the Storage setting to move apps to the card, and that seems to be working fine. I guess we'll just have to work to the limitations of what we have, and note for the future the importance of internal memory for the OS and default apps.


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