How to Move Apps to an SD Card on Android

To move an app to your SD card on Android, open the app in Settings, tap Storage and then tap Change. You can also do it from within APPtoSD, or set up your SD card as internal storage (Adoptable Storage).

Move apps from within APPtoSD

These screenshots show how to move an app easily from inside the app:

Move apps in Android Settings

1. Open Settings and go to the Apps section (on some phones: Settings > Device > Applications).
2. Select the app you want to move to your SD card.
3. Tap Storage (under Storage used).
4. Tap Change and choose your SD card.

Menu names can differ slightly by phone brand and Android version.

If you can't see the Change button

The Change button may be missing because:

• Your phone company (carrier or manufacturer) may have disabled this feature.
• Your memory card speed is not sufficient.

In that case, you can use your SD card as internal storage instead (see below).

Use your SD card as internal storage (Adoptable Storage)

1. Insert the card into your phone. When the New SD card notification appears, tap Set up.
2. Choose how your phone should use the card:
   • Select Phone storage on Android 9 to Android 12, or Use as internal storage on older versions.
   • Alternatively, go to Settings > Storage, select the card, tap the menu button and select Storage settings. Then tap Format as internal.

   

   

   

3. On the next screen, tap Format SD card or Erase & format.
4. On Android 9 and newer, you are offered the chance to move your content, including apps, onto the card, and you can see how much space you will save. Tap Move content to finish.

What to know about Adoptable Storage

• The card must stay in your phone permanently; you can't swap cards whenever you need to.
• The card is encrypted, so you can't put it in another device to copy the data.
• Not every manufacturer offers this feature. If your phone doesn't have it, check whether it lets you move apps to the SD card manually (see the Settings method above).