Tab A8 10.5 2021 Help with moving apps,, running out of storage

VincentStoker · ‎21-01-2022

Hello everyone,

I have just bought a new Tab A8 and am having a little issue that I cannot seem to find a fix for. Basically I am downloading games, once downloaded going to the app section in settings, choosing storage and transfering them to the SD card. The problem is the tablet is telling me that the memory is full and that all of the app I have moved to the external SD card are still on the internal memory.

I have looked at the storage with the built in file explorer and a 3rd party (CX file explorer) app. I have also moved the apps both manually and when that didn't work, I moved them back and moved them with an 'app to sd card' app. Its really annoying as the system is saying the internal memory is nearly 80% full and I now am struggling to install games.

What happened to the good old days where you could just format in the sd card as internal memory lol!

TessM · ‎21-01-2022

Hi @VincentStoker ,

I do understand your point here. Apps functionalities and features have changed in the last years needing to be running on the device's internal memory to work as intended as some functions cannot be performed from an SD card. You may want to read the following article to get more information about these changes: https://www.technipages.com/android-cant-move-app-sdcard

VincentStoker · ‎21-01-2022

Hi,

I get the point of that article and know that many apps cannot be moved. The problem I am having is with apps that can be moved, moving them, but still showing on the internal memory and external memory.

antikythera · ‎21-01-2022

Samsung tablets don't allow apps to run from SD cards. They set a policy in Knox to prevent it for some reason so even if you try enabling the option in developer settings it won't work. All you can really use the card for is backing up the installed apps via Smart Switch and storing media files, photos etc. Some apps can also use the SD card like All 4 which can download films and programs to it.

Members_D6Xyc2G · ‎04-08-2022

@antikythera wrote:
Samsung tablets don't allow apps to run from SD cards. They set a policy in Knox to prevent it for some reason so even if you try enabling the option in developer settings it won't work. All you can really use the card for is backing up the installed apps via Smart Switch and storing media files, photos etc. Some apps can also use the SD card like All 4 which can download films and programs to it.

i got the exact same issue, but you are wrong. these games have the option to move them to the external storage and are able to be runfrom the external storage. after the app has been moved. and the cashe files has been moved. their still in the internal memory. i also checked the internal memory and the files are not in there, but the tablet is imagine stuff. it is space taken only because the tablet is not registrating that the files has been moved. i even tried to move whole android folder. it worked and the tablet still keeps on saying that the internal memory is full. even if the memory is fully wiped! it is a issue in the android code. not in the storage. and due to the android device imagining that the storage is full. due to a error in the android code. also storage is taken extremely alot by System Files. because the device keeps saving old update files. and the device keeps refusing me to delete them. in the long end. i will never again pay for a android device. ***** that bulls**t!

Members_D6Xyc2G · ‎04-08-2022

@TessM wrote:
Hi @VincentStoker ,

I do understand your point here. Apps functionalities and features have changed in the last years needing to be running on the device's internal memory to work as intended as some functions cannot be performed from an SD card. You may want to read the following article to get more information about these changes: https://www.technipages.com/android-cant-move-app-sdcard

this is not the solution to this. as the move to external storage. is not grayed out. it is possible to move the apps and when done so. the device is imagining that the apps are still in the internal storage. i even checked the internal storage with 3rd party application through pc. and the internal storage is indeed not full. but the device still keeps thinking and imagining that the internal storage is full. these moved apps are in the external storage. as they dissapear if you unplug the sdcard. but the device has a failure in its code making the device believe the app is in internal memory. if sdcard is unplugged. all of a sudden the internal momory is not full anymore.

antikythera · ‎11-08-2022

As soon as you update the app it moves back to internal storage anyway. Yes apps can store data on the SD card but keeping tabs on them when updating is a pain in the backside if you moved apps there from internal storage. It's a Samsung issue, my Nokia Android phone does not exhibit this behaviour and it's running Android 12 which One UI 4.1 is based on

Fogster · ‎05-09-2023

Did you ever find a solution ? Inam having this very problem with my little girl's A8.

I feel your pain with these very poor replies, from people incapable of reading 😞

WayneTho · ‎31-10-2023

I have exactly the same issue and I've uninstalled a lot of programs that wouldn't permit moving to "External Storage" just to try to get enough space for my email to process.

My Internal storage currently shows 29.49 gb of space used out of 32.00 gb.

Of that, 709 kb in images, 17.90 kb of audio files, 0 B of installation files, 17.56 gb of apps and 213 B of other files.

Of the 17.56 gb of apps about 11.265 gb is external and the remaining 6.295 gb is running on Internal storage.

This means I have almost two thirds of the 17.5 gb running from external memory and it's showing up in "INTERNAL STORAGE" despite the fact.

There are no apps showing on EXTERNAL STORAGE. I know the apps are really running in external storage because whenever the tablet starts up, all the icons for the external apps show up as generic Android icon with an SD card in the corner, until the SD card has been parsed at which time the external apps on the home page will populate. If the SD card is ejected and then the A8 is powered on, those apps are unavailable until the card has been mounted.

The apps are really running from the SD card (which I bought the fastest card I could afford for that reason), but the tablet's file management system doesn't recognize that they're really on SD.

This really needs to be fixed, especially when it is already into ANDROID 13 version with One UI 5.1.1, last updated on May 1, 2023.

JeremyD1989 · ‎23-01-2024

Holy cow!

It is two years since this topic has started and I’m still getting this same issue as described here. Internal storage says full even after moving all the apps to External Storage Device (Samsung Brand Micro SD) and this issue hasn’t been solved yet?!

I should probably just return this Samsung Tablet with a Class Action Suit… does anyone want to jump on board this Class Action Suit with me???