How to move apps to SD card on Android

Some Android phones don’t have a lot of storage, which means you might run out of space for apps. If your device has a microSD card slot, you can use it to expand your storage and give you more space for apps. However, SD card support is more limited than it used to be.

What you need to know

Android apps are installed on your device’s internal storage by default. If you have a microSD card, you can move some of the currently installed apps to the microSD card. However, not all applications support this. In fact, many don’t support this feature at all.

The state of SD card support on Android is a shell of what it once was. Not only is it much harder to find Android devices with SD card slots, but the functionality is greatly reduced. We’ll show you what you could do if you have a microSD card in your Android device.

Running an app from your SD card will almost always be slower than running from internal storage, so only use this if you have to – and if you can, try to use it for apps that don’t require a lot of speed to run well.

How to move Android app to SD card

First, swipe down from the top of the screen (once or twice, depending on your device) and tap the gear icon to open the Settings menu.

Then select “Applications”.

You may need to tap “See all [Number] Apps” for a full list of installed apps. Some devices display the full list immediately.

Select the app you want to move to the SD card.

Then, on the app details page, select “Storage” or “Storage & Cache”.

If the app supports moving to the SD card, you’ll see a “Change” button. Touch it.

A menu will appear with the option to change the storage location to “SD card”.

Tap “Move” on the next screen to start the export process.

During the process bar you will see a progress bar. When it’s done, you’ll be returned to the Settings app.

Can you install apps directly to the SD card?

Some manufacturers — namely Samsung and LG — allowed users to format microSD cards as internal storage before around 2022. This meant that apps and games would be installed there by default. Unfortunately, this feature is no longer present on newer devices.

Technically, it’s still possible if you’re willing to go through the trouble of rooting your Android phone. Rooting an Android phone is no longer as profitable as it used to be. Android just got a lot better and the rooting process just got harder. It’s just not a legitimate solution for most people.

Unfortunately, few Android phones have SD card slots anymore, and even fewer apps seem to support the ability to move to external storage. If you have an SD card slot, you should use it.