Make app movable to SD card

[Atrate]

Rationale

Over 25% of the world's Android devices still run Android 6.0 or older [1]. This version of Android still has native support for moving applications to SD cards — this is crucial when dealing with low-storage devices. Many more recent OEM OSes also support moving applications to SD cards. This means making applications movable to the SD card is IMHO a rational choice.

Solution

Add android:installLocation="auto" flag to AndroidMainfest.xml. The default for Android is, curiously, not "auto" but "internalOnly"

https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-location

Signed-off-by: Atrate Atrate@protonmail.com

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[puppykickr]

I thought that Lollipop (5) was the last OS to have native support for this.

Anyway, the problem is that many, if not most, apps lose features and functionality when stored onto the SD card.

Pilfershush is less than 7MB in size. Only a portion (~50%) of the app data is actually moved to the card.

It just isn't worth losing app reliability for such miniscule space savings.

Let me tell you, that I have had much (too much) experience with trying to use apps on an SD card. The myriad of unexpected results make this option less than a good choice.

The best thing you can do for a device with limited memory is to get rid of apps like Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are large and keep growing. Get a great browser (Lightning is one) and bookmark your sites into it. In fact, any app that there is a site for can (and should) be done this way.

That way one app can take the place of many other apps. This can save you hundreds of MB of space, instead of less than 5MB, and not lose any functionality of the app, so long as the browser is left on the internal memory.

[kaputnikGo]

I don't have a problem with external SD card use for apps but the experience i have with SD card reads can be lackluster to say the least. Also, PilferShush relies on a service to run and even an accidental unmount of sd card can cause problems : (quote from https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/install-location ) "Your running Service is killed and isn't restarted when external storage is remounted. "

None of my devices are showing any options for moving apps to SD card either, which is probably indicative of the current state of device manufacture which sees most having very large storage as smd on the motherboards.