Android 12 update has messed up 'move to SD' functionality.

[jasonuk]

Updated my A7 Lite today with Android 12 and the apps on my SD card are no longer accessible.  The update to Android 12 has basically killed the 'Move to SD' functionality which Android 11 had.  If an app is moved to SD to fails with 'Not Enough Storage' error even though there's 10s of Gb free on the SD card.  I've tried everything; formatting/mounting & unmounting card and even a factory reset assuming the SD card was the issue but it isn't.  I copied back my music & ebook library to the SD card using my PC and they can be accessed / played / read without issue which further shows the SD card isn't the problem.

[Andy3]

The move to sd card option went from android on android 12 this was done by Google. The only option you have to continue using sd card for apps is to format sd can as internal storage or root your device.

[jasonuk]

So you're saying Google removed 'move to sd' with Android 12?  If I had known that I would have stuck with Android 11 (if that was possible) as I've now got dozens of paid for apps that I've no longer got space for 😞   I can't see any option in settings to format the SD as internal storage and I'm really not technically competent to root (& potentially brick) my tablet.  Any pointers to relevant online guides would be appreciated if available.

[Andy3]

Yes because the sd card was causing issues with app on sd card. Sd card was causing issues and most nanafacures have dropped the sd card including Google for its own pixel devices so why would they still support move apps to sd card? You need to root to enable move apps to sd card now unfortunately

[Andy3]

Buy another device. Witn a minimum of 128gb of storage. 32gb or 64gb of internal storage now is pretty useless.

[Andy3]

I'm using 62gb out of 256gb of international storage just for android 12 and a few apps. In total with all my apps it comes in at 82.7gb

[Andy3]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ljmobile.move.app you can use this app to move apps to sd card but root is required

[jasonuk]

Thanks for comments.  I'll have to investigate rooting as tablet is only 6mths old and I'm not made of money.  I had no issues with apps on the SD card so it's a shame if they scrapped move to sd when many tablets still use sd cards.  Maybe samsung will offer a fix as they did with Android 11 as that originally didn't allow it either if I remember rightly.

As a final observation if Google/Samsung has totally withdrawn feature why do settings allow you attempt the move; settings > apps > appname > storage > change only for it to fail with not enough storage error.  Why not remove that option altogether if its been removed?

[AndroidUser_]

This feature was not removed by google on the android platform, this is a true error on the Tab A7 - If you contest this please point me to where google announced the removal of this feature as I was not able to find anything, even in the release notes of android 10-12.

It is true though that most manufacturers choose not use this option and hence disable it.

I can vouch that this is a true error on the A7 as I have an A7 on android 12 and also a M21 on android 12, both on one ui 4.1 both unrooted, on the M21 I can move apps successfully to external storage. On the A7 the same app fails with "insufficient storage" multiple SD's tried and formatted but it does not work.

So Samsung properly broke this function on the A7.

[jasonuk]

Thanks for comment @AndroidUser ... I suspect this might be the case too as I seem to recall reading that this was initially an issue with Android 11 as well on the A7 but a fix was issued.  Similarly I've been unable to find any release notes or Android 12 reviews that reference a withdrawal of this feature.

So does anyone from Samsung (moderator?) actually read these comments so they can highlight this sort of issue to their software developers or is there a formal software support contact form that needs to be used?  Any replies would be appreciated as the lose of this feature really cripples the A7 Lite (& possibly other Tab A series which use SD card) tablets.

*Update*  Error report submitted via Samsung Members app as recommended by Samsung Live Chat Support.  I'd suggest that others with same problem do likewise