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How to move apps to SD card in Moto E?

All Moto E phones support a micro SD card to alleviate the impact of low storage. You can use the micro SD card to save your media files, or use it for apps.

In Android Marshmallow (Android 6.0), Google introduced adoptable storage, which allows you to use the micro SD card as internal storage. This is a great relief for Moto E owners.

Depending on the generation of the Moto E phones, you have slightly different choices.

  • For  Moto E 1st gen and Moto E 2nd Gen with Android Lollipop, you can only move apps to the micro SD card as detailed in this guide.
  • For Moto G 2nd Gen with Android Marshmallow, and all later Moto E phones  (from Moto E3 to Moto E 2020), you have the choice to use it as portable storage or as adoptable storage. You can also switch them at any time.

So, if you are using Moto E 1st Gen, or Moto E 2nd Gen with Android Lollipop, you can continue this guide if you want to free up some internal storage.

If you are using Moto E 2nd Gen with Android Marshmallow, or Moto E3, or Moto E4, or Moto E5, or Moto E6, or Moto E 2020, you should follow this guide to decide whether you want to use the micro SD card as portable storage or adoptable storage.

The following sections of this guide apply to Moto E 1st Gen, and Moto E 2nd Gen with Android Lollipop.

Contents [hide]
1) Why do you need to move apps to SD card in Moto E?
2) You cannot move all apps to SD card
3) How to move apps to SD card on Moto E?
3.1) Step 1: Find apps that can be moved to SD card
3.2) Step 2: Move the apps to SD card
3.3) Step 3: Verify apps are moved to SD card
4) How to save all Moto E photos and videos to SD card, not phone storage?

Why do you need to move apps to SD card in Moto E?

Because your Moto E only has 4GB internal storage (about 2.2GB usable for users), Motorola added external SD card support in Moto E. In other words, you can move some contents to SD card.

In addition to media files, Moto E also allows you to move some apps to the SD card so that you can install more apps.

The purpose of this guide is illustrating how to move apps from internal storage to  SD card. This will free up some precious internal storage for the system.

In addition, this guide also shows you how to set the SD card as the default location for photos and videos taken by Moto E camera.

You cannot move all apps to SD card

Please note, some apps cannot be moved to SD card. These include:

  • Any pre-installed apps. Motorola installed some essential apps on Moto E. Your carrier or local distributor may “bundle” some apps. You cannot uninstall these apps, and you cannot move them to SD card either. You can only disable them if you don’t want to use them.
  • System apps.  For apps that perform some system management functions, e.g., Motorola Alert, Google Maps, you cannot move them to SD card. This is due to reliability considerations.
  • Some apps that failed to follow the Android installation location guidelines.

Some apps, e,g., camera, Google Play Music, Google Play Movies, cannot be moved to SD card, but the media files corresponding to these apps can be saved in SD card by default. You can find the corresponding settings inside individual apps.

How to move apps to SD card on Moto E?

Step 1: Find apps that can be moved to SD card

You can go to Settings–Apps. Then flick right to switch to On SD card tab as shown below.

Alternatively, you can tap apps individually to find out whether there is a moving app to SD card option.

In the “ON SD CARD” tab, all apps that can be moved to SD card are listed. In other words, you can only move these apps to the SD card. Other apps cannot be moved to SD card (but for some of them, you can use SD card as the default storage location).

Step 2: Move the apps to SD card

In the list of apps that can be moved to SD card, you check any of them to start to move the apps to SD card if it is not checked.

For example, as shown in the screenshot below, 3 of my apps can be moved to SD card.  None of them is checked. This means I haven’t moved them to SD card yet. If you already moved the apps to SD card, it will be shown as checked (read on).

So, in this tutorial, tap ES File Explorer or tap the checkbox.  The app info of this app is shown.

Tap Move to SD card to move the app to SD card immediately. It may take from a few seconds to a few mins depending on the size of the app data.

Step 3: Verify apps are moved to SD card

Once Moto E finishes moving apps to SD card, the app info will be shown as “Move to phone” as shown below.

In the ON SD CARD tab, if the app is checked, it means the app was moved to SD card already.

How to save all Moto E photos and videos to SD card, not phone storage?

Moto E also allows you to save all photos and videos to SD card automatically.

Start the camera app. Swipe from the left side of the screen to the right side to get the options window. Tap the SD card (storage) icon, and you can choose the storage location to the SD card.

Once you set the camera app storage location as SD card, all new photos and videos taken from your Moto E camera will be automatically saved to SD card, not in phone storage.

For more details on Moto E  camera settings, using Moto E camera, please check our Moto E camera guide (coming soon!).

Do you have any questions or problems in moving apps to SD card in Moto E, or save photos to SD card?

Please leave your questions or problems in the comment box below.

More how-to guides, tips and tricks for using Moto E are available at Moto E how-to guides page.

View Comments (434)

  • how to connect USB cable to computer moto e mobile to transfer the data give that steps???

      • I have a question. I got Minecraft Story Mode and because it takes up almost 3 gigs, I moved it to my SD card, but my phone has very little space still. I would like to know how to fix this.

    • Try an app called Software Data Cable. This uses WiFi to connect mobile and computer. You see your mobile folders in Windows Explorer and can copy or move files either way, using ftp.

  • How can I connect my moto e with laptop ?? So that I can transfer media from laptop to moto e.....please help me out from this

    • If the website allows you download, they usually provide a download link. You can tap and hold the link until the options pop out, then choose save link as.

      But most sites only stream, and don't provide download for copyright reason. Then, you cannot download.

      Anyway, downloading in Chrome in Moto E is similar to that in your PC.

  • I Installed GT Racing 2: The Real Car Exp from Play Store. capacity is 850 mb around, this game running in SD Card only but downloaded data of 850mb is in Internal Storage in the following path home/antroid/obb/game. I tried to move this 850 mb file to SD card manually by using file manager. After that when i opened game i again started to download 850mb, How to rectify this problem?

    • You should not manually move files of any apps. If the app supports moving to SD (some apps don't support), you can follow this guide to move it to SD card. If move to SD is greyed out, it means you cannot move any files to SD card.

      • Hello sir I have Recently buy a moto e 2 gen mobile.when i was received the video form my friend by share it.it was store in external memory. That video is not getting on MX player and vlc media player.please can give the suggestion to that problem.

        • VLC allows to choose folders and files.

          It depends on the folder the file is saved. You can reboot the phone, wait a few mins to see whether it appears.

    • Hey!!!!I have the same problem! Got a large app, sepia tears, its about 700mb. It can be moved to SD card ,that's what I did, so the app is also shown to be on the SD card but its still taking up space on the internal storage, actually all my moved apps ate still waiting on the internal storage

      You found a solution to this problem already?? Getting really frustrated here :(

      • Only part of the app can be moved to SD card. Other files are still in the internal storage. This is determined by the app developer. User cannot do much about it.

  • I m not able to play games like NFS most wanted, asphalt 8, FIFA 14, because of internal storage problem in moto e , please help.......

    • For large apps, the storage may prevent you from installing them. They are no solutions.

      But you can try to uninstall other apps, clear cache, install large app, move data and all media files to SD card, then reinstall other smaller apps.

      Please note, if you have storage issues, you should not change your runtime to ART, which requires more storage.

  • i tried to move apps to sd but "couldn't move" dialogue box appears.. what to do.. and sd card is half empty

      • Am having that same problem and apps that I am trying to move are listed under "On SD card". My SD card memory is 8GB of which 3.69GB is available. Apps that I am trying to transfer are of 159MB or less than that

  • I followed your procedure of moving apps from phone to sdcard as mentioned.... But as I click on move to sdcard it says ' couldn't move app to sdcard'
    What do I do?

  • Hello sir
    In response to my problem regarding moving app from phone to SD card , you asked me to force stop and then to move .
    But the problem still not solved , it still displays the same mgs 'couldn't move app'
    Please sir help me !!

  • Hello sir!
    My phone or SD card is not encrypted.
    I tried using other sdcard also but didn't work.
    I was guided to install FILE MANAGER by customer care but according to their online service my device was not showing internal memory.
    Help sir..

    • Then it is very likely caused by some other apps.

      You may try to reset the phone (settings-backup &reset--factory reset). You need backup your data before resetting.

  • Hello sir
    ' likely caused by other apps ' means some apps r preventing my other apps to move? But I have installed basic apps like adobe, chrome and all.
    Is there any problem in my device?
    Should I get it replaced?

    • You can backup your data and perform a factory data reset.

      Please note, you should not format the SD card in your pc.

  • I installed Dead Trigger 2 on my moto e and when I say move to SD card only 15 mb of the game gets transferred though the game is of 43 mb.

    • It depends on individual apps how many data can be moved to SD card.

      Normally, for games, very large percentage of data can be moved to SD card.

      Did you check the settings inside the game whether they at any settings for data location?

      Please note, cache file and app core files are always saved in internal storage. You can always clear cache to empty some space.

  • How to move images and videos from Bluetooth to SD card.and how to set the path in order to store the files which are received from blue tooth to SD
    card.please replay..thank you

  • Hi,
    What settings I need to make to receive the media files from other device DIRECTLY TO EXTERNAL MEMORY. My device remaining memory is around 500mb, am trying to receive a movie file of 1gb from another android device. When I transfer the file, I get a warning for low memory and transfer stops at halfway around 500 mb.

    • No such settings in Moto E.

      You may try to use some apps, for example, Superbeam. But the feature of changing location/folder is in Pro version only.

      Actually for 1GB file, you definitely should not transfer through bluetooth. You should try to transfer through USB with a PC.

      • Thanks Simon,
        I'm not using Bluetooth, I have tried apps like super beam, software data cable and flash transfer, for the data transfer, nothing is working, data is getting received in the internal memory, even though I make the settings in app.
        There must be some option in the phone settings I believe....
        Please advise....thanks again...

        • Some apps don't allow you to change. Some apps keep this feature as paid feature, for example, superbeam.

          The settings are up to the apps.

          Anyway if the file is large it is better to use USB cable through pc.

  • hello Simon,
    i have installed only the basic apps on my phone. the games are all on the sd card but my internal memory is still full. i am quite confused. i am not able to install new apps on my phone and the apps on the internal memory are only those which cannot be moved to sd card. please help.

    • You can check settings - storage to found out the storage usage. You can move media files to SD card. You can also clear cache to get done space temporally.

      • My pictures and videos which comes in watsup is not saving in SD card.... Will u help in this....

        • WhatsApp does not support saving media files on SD card. It is a limitation imposed by the app, not the phone.

  • Hi I am having Mot E. As i download the songs from UC browser and stored in SD card. The Files are available in ES File Explorer File Manager but it is not available in Music Player. Once I switch off and ON the mobile i can find the newly downloaded songs in Music player. Once I download some songs I keep on doing the Process. Please let me how to get the Songs in music player without switch off the mobile.

    • This is due the file scanner. The scanner only checks new files from third party apps periodically, not real time. When you reboot the phone, the file scanner always run after rebooting and therefore the file last is updated.

      You can try vlc media player for android. It is free from Google play store and it can play the folder without relying on the system file scanner.

  • I downloaded Fifa 14 in moto e it was 1.31gb but after playing little while it stopped and then i the size of the file became 1.25gb and now its not working

      • same problem i am having! apps getting uninstalled automatically from sd card. also earlier i was able to move apps to sd card. but now i get an error message saying could not move app. plz help! big issue.

        • Can you find the apps in settings - apps? Or you just cannot open them?

          For moving apps to sd card, did you set any encryption or turn on any developer option?

          • The apps have been uninstalled! When trying to open them I get "App isn't installed". Also, I had turned developer options on but didn't tinker much with the settings there. I had once gone to encrypt phone option but did not encrypt it... Help plzzzz.... I lost many valuable apps due to this.

          • Some developer settings may mess up the phone. You may backup your data and perform a factory data reset.

            Please note, factory reset will remove all of your settings and apps.

            Of course, you can always check the issue with local Motorola office or authorized dealers.

  • If supposed i had taken vedio song from another mobile before fixed SD external memory card n now my internal memory get full so could i transfer all song to sd external memory card n release my internal memory. Pl reply....

      • I'm having the same issue. After selecting "move to SD card", there is a brief pause, then an error message that says " cannot move app". I haven't turned on any developer options or changed the runtime.

        • Try to reboot the phone and try again.

          If the problem still persists for more than one apps, you may backup your SD card and format it from settings - storage in the phone. Don't format it on your pc.

  • I moved approx 20 application to SD card and after that I reset my phone.Now I am unable to open App.Plz solve this problem

  • I downloaded one game application from play store, I planned to send that game application to other phone, please tell me, where I'll find out the applications downloaded from play store?

    • Install vlc for android. It's simpler and you can always specify the file or folders to play (as that in pc).

      If you are using play music, you may try to reboot the phone.

  • Hi Mr. Simon,
    When i try to copy few videos from laptop i am unable to see SDCard memory. But my moto e device have SDCard and it contains some data.
    How can i see memory of SDCard from laptop?

  • Hello,
    My all apps shows in phone memory like candy
    Crush, free flow etc. But same apps in Samsung mobile are able to move to Sd card. What might be the problem??? It's getting difficult to add any more app. Also phone is getting on slower side.

  • All my photos and videos are stored to sd card aswell as all available apps. Is it possible to download apps directly to sd card because i have no more room on internal memory. I only have 10 apps, but apps such as facebook are massive, and now cant be updated any further. Would can i do

    • You cannot download and install apps directly to SD card. They must be installed to the internal storage. You can only move part is the app to SD card.

      You can always try to clear cache to release some space. You may also clear or move the downloaded contents from individual apps.

  • I have about 350 mb of space left in internal storage but still it shows me the message that -cannot download app/update . not enough memory. Can I download apps directly to SD card? If yes then how?
    The other thing is that can I set default storage of Bluetooth/Downloads to SD card?

    Thanks

  • When I send a text message, it is stored phone memory.

    But when I receive an reply, the message is saved on my sim card.

    How to receive text messages from friends directly to my phone memory.

    • How did you know the message is saved in sim card?

      As I know, Moto E doesn't save anything to sim card.

  • Hello,
    I am facing problem in moving some apps to SD card.
    Apps like English Dictionary, File Manager, ShareIt, Subway Surf are already in SD card.
    But Some other apps like Clash of Clans, FreeCharge, Paytm, TempleRun, Truecaller are not able to move.
    These all apps are listed in "ON SD CARD" and when I click on these apps "Move to SD Card" option is disabled.
    Because of this every time I am facing issue like "Internal Storage is Full"
    Please help me.

    • It is up to the developers to decide whether their apps support to SD card or not. It's not decided by the phone.

      There are many apps that don't support moving to sd card. For these apps, you have to leave them on the phone storage.

      Some apps, especially games, save game data automatically to the sd card if detected.

      Anyway, it depends on individual apps.

  • I can't move apps to SD Card. it just shows [Couldn't move app.] popup. What can I do to move apps to SD Card or check whether there are some problems?

    • 1.Did you encrypt your phone or SD card? Encryption may prevent you from moving apps to SD card.
      2. Are there any apps listed under SD tab in settings - apps ?
      3. Did you switch to ART runtime? (settings - developer options). ART runtime is not compatible with moving apps to SD card in kitkat in Moto E.

      • Hello,

        followings are my answer for your questions

        1. I did not encrypt my phone or SD card
        2. There are 3 apps on SD tab in settings
        3. I did not switch to ART runtime

        please let me know whether my phone have some problem( about hardware or software )

        Thanks

        • For the 3 apps under sd tab, can you move any of them? Same error?

          You may check the sd card status in settings - storage. Make sure the size is reported correctly.

          You can also reboot the phone into safe mode (hold the power button and follow the on-screen guide). Once in safe mode,you can try to move again.

          • I tried to copy apps to SD card on safe mode. but I can not move all of apps to SD card. For your information I can copy image or movie files to SD card successfully. android version is 4.4.4

  • Sir,
    How to download additional file of game directly in sdcard???
    I hv installed fifa 15 but cant download additional file due to less memory.

    • It depends on the app. For some apps, if you can move the data to SD card, the game data will be automatically downloaded to SD card.

      But some may not. It is up to the implementation of individual developers. There are no settings on the phone to change the behavior.

    • Not all apps can be moved to sd card. It's decided by the developer. You may check with the developer on this feature.

  • My moto e says insufficient storage, but storage available is 273 mb, also u said internal is 4GB of which 2.2 GB is available, in me phone, storage used is 1.9 GB out of the 2.2 available, but the apps installed don' sum up, and it says insufficient storage even for the smallest of apps.

    • When installing an app, 2-3 times of the app size is needed. App must be downloaded, unzipped, then installed.

      If the system tells you insufficient storage, you should move the media files to the SD (there is a move media option in settings--Storage).

      The available size is always dynamic: the caching is always changing.

      273 mb available space actually may affect the performance. You should have at least 300-500MB available space for smooth performance.

  • I have external sd card inserted still getting sign of storage space running out. All possible applications already moved to SD card. Whats the solution now?

    • It usually means insufficient phone storage. You can move some apps to SD card.

      You can also move media files to SD card in Settings--Storage --Move media to free up more internal storage space.

    • ART does not support apps on SD card yet. You have to use the default Dalvik runtime if you want to move apps to SD card.

  • I tried to move my app into SD card. But the move to SD card option is hidden. How I move the app into SD card.

  • Can't move my downloaded files to SD card, while doing so ( settings-aaps-on SD card) the move to SD card icon doesn't work , kindly help me in this as I can't download any other aapplicatios.
    Thank you

  • Hi Simon,

    My moto e is throwing the below message when I tried to open the gallery.

    Error note : No external storage available.

    But I am able to see my pics through Photos. I have checked the internal memory and sd memory card as well..they is still sufficient space in both of them.Please help me out

    • Try the following:
      1). Open recent apps (the right one in the bottom of your home screen), close all apps in the list;
      2). Settings-- apps --All --gallery, tap clear cache, clear data;
      3). reboot the phone.

  • I don't want some pre installed app in moto e phone memory please give the solution because some google apps are useless for me.

  • How can I transfer my what's app files I.e. photos and videos from my phone to SD card? It's getting stored as misc. (Miscellinous)

    • You can use any file managers to manually copy these files to the sd card or safe place. Then delete them.

      WhatsApp doesn't allow you to specify the location for such files.

  • Hello I have a 2gb SD card and I have 1.23gb free space and when I download a movie using utorrent it starts downloading the movie but when 80mb file is downloaded my SD card shows 213mb space available or sometimes it shows 48.56mb free space plz help me i already restarted my phone and my device is not rooted plzz answer me at my email address: innocentprince992@gmail.com thank u!

  • I did transfer my apps to SD card and in 'settings/apps' they are found to be in SD card...BUT still then I found no free space in my internal storage as the space are taken by the apps which I moved to SD card...I moved them but they still keep taking their space on my internal storage and not on my SD card..plz help as I am unable to install any more apps on my phone

    • You can only move the app data to sd card, not the whole app. Some apps may still write some data to internal storage. It fully depends on the app.

      You can try to clear cache to free some space. You can try es task manager to clear cache in one tap instead of going to individual apps.

      Anyway, the internal storage of moto e is very limited. You can uninstall apps you are not using. You can only uninstall apps installed by you.

    • It depends on the app used. If you use the system Bluetooth app, the location cannot be changed and it is always internal storage.

      Some third-party apps may allow you to change the default location. But such settings are only valid for files transfer through such apps.

  • From 2 days when i open gallery, there is a meessage that there is no external storage. Then gallery closes automatically. Gallery does not opens. When i take a photo i camera it says unfortunately gallery stopped. Please suggest me what to do.

    • You may try the following steps:
      1). Open recent apps (the right one in the bottom of your home screen), close all apps in the list;
      2). Settings– apps –All –gallery, tap clear cache, clear data;
      3). reboot the phone.

  • Okay! I think I have a issue with my New Moto E. I got this cellphone 1 month ago and I have detected some issues. e.g. I can´t move some apps like WhatsApp to my SD card. I read the guide above and I followed the steps, however I saw on the App Info from WhatsApp the Move to SD Card option available, I mean it seems blurred and not take action.

    What I want to know WhatsApp is possible to move to SD Card or not? I have another apps instaled and I can´t move too. I have the ES File Explorer and is possible do it following the steps indicated above.

    I hope would somebody share some comments about it.

    • WhatsApp can NOT be moved to sd card.
      Whether an app can be moved to sd card is controlled by app developer, not by your phone. You can feedback to the app developer.

      • Wow I tried moving WhatsApp as well as every other phone I had I could move it over. Is it a Motorola thing? Because if u look at WhatsApp specs it does say about sd cards I have the 4g lte

  • I have bought Moto e 3months ago.I installed Asphalt 8 for 1gb and moved it to SD card.App has been moved to SD card but memory has not been released from phone memory and 1gb has been occupied in phone memory too...how can I resolve this.

    • Only part of the app can be moved. This depends on the app. In the app info page, it actually shows the storage used by the app in internal storage and sd card.

    • No, you cannot. Apps must be installed in specific locations on android. Later, you may move part of the files to the sd card.

  • hi, looks like the 'move to SD card' feature is not very useful for installing big games and apps. Only a small part is transferred to SD card. Quite frustrating as i can't install more than one racing game as they are quite big. Is there any way move whole part of these games to sd card? does rooting help? Thanks

    • I don't think there are workarounds. It's up to the developer. Some apps don't support moving to sd at all.

      Moto E is not designed for large games.

  • While i have clicked on move to sd card,the apps were not moving and it was couldnot move how to get rid out of this

  • I tried to move some apps (namely Sygic) on external sdcard (SDcard1 at my Moto E). I used your tutorial and app was transferd but I cann't see it on SDcard1. I think that everything is working on internal sdcard. Is necessary to format new SD card with Moto E? File managers can see my external card. Thanks!

  • Sorry, now i checked the memory size on SD card and part of Sygic is there , but problem is that ES File Explorer cann't see the Sygic file on SD card. I don't know why.

    • You should not play with app files on the sd card. Most of the files are visible to the app itself only. All these files are saved in the android folder. Why do you want to check these files?

      • I would not play with app files, but only wanted to see if a part of Sygic is moved on external SDcard. Message was that file is moved. I had Motorola Defy and I was able to see everything on external SDcard. Thanks for answer!

        • The file permission in KitKat is very strict. Apps normally can only see its own data, ES file explorer is not an exception. (only pre-installed apps have escalated privileges)

  • I cannot play music that's stored on the SD card using Google Play Music and have to play them from the file manager. The same is the case for pictures stored on the SD card (in this case they can't be accessed from the Gallery). How do I rectify this?

    • It's probably notification tone. Did you get any notifications when you hear the sound? You can try to set the notification tone as none in settings - sound. Some apps may have their own notification tone settings inside each app.

  • I have free 220mb free space in my moto e but in notification bar it is saying "storage space running out " for this what should I do ??

  • when i move app to sd card it only app not the entire data files ... so how to move apps data file to sd card ???

  • WHER is the setting ?
    wer my all downloaded files can automaticlyy move to sd card or by default it store on sd card after download.

    • There are no such settings.

      Some third party browsers may allow you to specify the download folder. Chrome doesn't provide this option.

    • Some apps cannot be moved to sd card.

      Also, if you changed your runtime to ART, you cannot move apps to sd card.

  • I have a pny otg and it is not working in moto e. I have loaded es explorer files also. What am I to do

    • Probably not if its from play store.

      If you are downloading with your browser, you can try Firefox, which allows you to set the saving location.

      Anyway, you probably don't have enough space to install it.

    • Whether an app can be moved to SD card (actually on part of app file) or whether the app uses SD card for some files, are all decided by the app developer. You have no option to change these.

      For the apps you mentioned, they probably cannot be moved to SD card.

  • I followed the same procedure and only 220MB internal memory is left..Few more apps other than built-in apps are still in the internal memory which I was unable to move to SD card(16GB).,example 360 anti virus app, this one i installed long back so it is not a built in app.
    Even few apps' updates are not being accepted as there is no sufficient space n couldn't download the new ones..Please help..

    • As mentioned in the guide, it is the app developer who decide whether the app can be moved to SD card. It is beyond your control.

      Btw, I don't think you need any anti-virus apps in an Android phone if you get apps from reliable sources.

  • I am unable to move my whatsapp to my SD Card i tried unistalling the app and again installing them but it is no tmoving

    • WhatsApp cannot be moved to SD card. It is the app developer who decides whether his app can be moved to SD card.

  • Internal memory not move to SD card called many times to Motorola customer care but they not resolve the issue.

    • Not everything can be moved to SD card. I think this is explained in the guide and in the comments.

      SD card is primary for your media files, not apps.

  • How to move the already the media which is in phone memory to SD card? Also I want that the files I receive on WhatsApp and other apps automatically gets stored in SD card and not in phone memory

    • you can use ES File explorer to manually move your files to SD card.

      In Settings--Storage, you also have the option to move media files to SD card.

      For WhatsApp or other apps, it depends on the app whether it allows you to set the saving location. If they don't provide the option, feedback to the developer.

  • Hello Moto.

    I have a moto E and its upgraded to 4.4.4. Before this upgrade i had moved some apps on SD card.

    Now the issue pops up after I have done the upgrade to 4.4.4. Neither I can move the apps on the SD card nor I can move the apps that are moved on SD card back to the Phone. They option is greyed out. I feel there is some bug. Can you please let me know how can I backup my phone? I am using Ubuntu laptop. How can I backup my phone on a laptop with Ubuntu OS.

    Any inputs from your side will be helpful

    • For SD card issue, you can try to reboot the phone to see whether it helps. 4.4.4 does not block this feature. You may not be able to move apps to SD card if you encrypt the SD card or set run time as ART (under developer options).

      For backup, you need do it individually, By default, your contacts are synced with Google. Phone setting can also be synced with Google. For call logs and sms, you can find many backup apps. To backup apps, you can try Helium (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.backup&hl=en)

      Ubuntu should recognize your phone. If not, you can install mtp-tools.

  • no meu moto e nenhum cartao sd instala
    so fala cartao removido subtamente , como faço para arrumar ja formatei meu cartao sd achando qe era virus e o celular tambem , e ate agora nada de conectar meu cartao sd

    • You cannot move contacts to SD card. They are always in the phone storage.

      SD card is mainly for your media files. Some apps allow you to move part of the data to SD card.

  • dear simmon,
    i have gotta a new transcend pen drive which can be readily connected to android phones through its slot,however its not recognised in moto e & its been recognised on other android phones.

    • If the phone cannot find SD card, you can try to power off the phone and reinsert the SD card.

      If the phone can find the SD card, but all files are gone, you probably need check with local data recovery professionals of you want to recover the files.

    • You can check whether the SD card is corrupted if the phone cannot detect it. You can do this with a SD card reader on pc or laptops. You can also try the SD card on other phones.

  • I changed the camera settings from phone memory to sd card... since i had storage issues. But after taking photos i couldnt see the thumbnail image in gallery and also i was not able to set the picture as wallpaper or profile picture! i want to store all my pictures and videos in sd card! what can i do for it???

    • Is the SD card a bit old? If it's old, you may try to backup all data on it to your pc, then format it in your phone.

      You can try to restart the phone to see whether it helps.

    • Motorola promised the Lollipop update for Moto E.

      You have to wait for a few weeks. The Lollipop update for Moto E has not been released yet.

    • All apps may be installed to the phone storage first. You need make sure you have sufficient space left. After installation, some apps apps you to move part of the app data to SD card.

    • WhatsApp does not support storage in SD card. You can move media files to SD card, but WhatsApp will not show them.

      To move media files to SD card, you can use ES File explorer or Settings--storage--Move media.

  • How can I move music to my SD card because in settings-storage-media-picture check box are available remaining like as music and videos check boxes are hidden wat can I do????...

    • No, currently android apps must be installed to phone storage. Some apps allow you to move part of the data to SD card.

  • I have a Moto E. After I restart the phone all the applications installed on SD card are gone with the message "App is not installed". The only solution then is to reinstall the application. This has happened to me a couple of times
    Please help

      • I have waited for few minutes before restart but the Apps are gone. I have a friend who is using Moto E and facing the same problem

        • Not sure about this issue. Is the SD card mounted properly after reboot? You cna try to manually un-mount and mount again to see whether it helps.

          Rebooting the phone should not change the apps moved to SD card, normally.

          • The SD card is mounted properly as the files are accessible via SD card. I tried mounting & unmounting the SD card without any success. Today I noticed one more problem. The playlist which was previously created is also gone

          • Not sure about this. If you have installed any anti-virus or task manager apps, you may disable them.

            If the problem persists, you may back up your phone and all your files and messages, then perform a factory data reset. After the reset, format the SD card (backup all of your files in the SD card to the PC first). Then try again.

  • hi,
    even after i move the apps to sd card, it is seen in the phone memory and its still consuming phone memory. But it says its moved to sd card. I can view it in the 'on sd card' tab too. How to tackle this??

    • Only part of the app files can be moved to SD card. Again, the portion is determined by individual app developers.

  • Fender is not working in my moto e whenever I open fender it shows service launch failure. How to solve this problem? please help me..

  • Please help, I have a 16 gig SD card in my phone. I move some apps onto my SD card. It shows up saying that the app is on my SD card, but when I look back at my phone storage it still has the same amount of gigs it had before when I put the app on my SD card! What should I do?

    • This is normal. 1). the reported storage usage is not real time and it is just an estimation. 2). only part of the app files are moved to SD card, not all.

      You can check the actual storage usage in Settings--Storage. You can clear the cache to temporally increase the available storage.

  • i cant play the game need for speed rivals in my mote e 1st but my mobile is compatible for this game i move this game in sd acrd and also the data of this game in memory card.. but when i try to start this game it shows me a message that the data is unavailable plz download it.. but the data is available and i extract in sd card but still shows me no data pls download it.. when i try to download it shows me there is no space in ur device to download it.. plzz help me and guide me

  • Hi, I have added an SD card to my Moto E. I have loaded some photos and music from my Windows PC to the phone's SD card via USB. My problem is I can't access the data on the Card. I can see the picture files using the ES File Explorer but they won't open. I still can't locate the music files. Any suggestions?

      • Reboot the phone, wait a few mins. For music files, you can also try vlc for android app. It can play files or directory on sd card directly.

        • I did reboot, but to no avail. Could you elaborate on "vlc for android" app? Would this be available in the Play Store?

    • If you tap the pictures, it should ask you to choose an app to open it. Which app did you choose? What's the format of the pictures? You should try jpg or png format v first.

      • As I recall, I tried all 4 or so of the possibilities. Now in the ES File ManagerHome Directory /storage/sdcard/file name of picture folder, when I tap on a picture file, there is no selections offered. The pictures are in TIFF format.

  • Simon, I did download VLC for Android. I do see the songs now in this app, but when tapping them nothing happens - no audio. Off to the right of each song are menu dots, and when tapping on those, I select "Play All", both nothing changes - still no audio.

      • Simon, When I tap a song, I see the name briefly in the status bar, but no evidence that it's playing. The songs are from itunes, and I'm not sure what the formats are.

        • If the files are DRMed, you can only play on through apple software. If the audio is being played, you should see the play icon in the left side of the status bar.

    • You cannot move WhatsApp app to sd card. As mentioned in the guide, the individual app developer decides whether their app can be moved to sd card. You have no choice and it's not a setting of the phone.

  • Hi,

    I moved most of my apps in Moto E to SD card. And also verified that it is moved. But still my internal memory is'nt freed. I don't have any other files also like photos or videos. Please help.

    • When moving the app to SD card, only part (not all) of the app files are moved to SD card.

      You should always check the storage usage in Settings--Storage.

    • WhatsApp does not allow you to do this. Once you move the media files out of the designated folder, WhatsApp will not show them at all. You need request such features to WhatsApp developers.

      There are some apps for this, but most of them are not consistent. So, I would not recommend any.

  • How can change default setting that all whatsapp Audio & Video data download or save in SD Card Automatically.

    • WhatsApp does not allow you to set the storage location. You should feedback to WhatsApp because it has nothing to do with the phone or Android. It is a decision of WhatsApp developers.

  • Is there some way to transfer pictures from a PC to the Moto E SD card in a particular order? I am able to transfer the pictures, but they seem to transfer in some random order. Any help appreciated

    • Why is this an issue?

      I think Windows always copy files based on the order of selection. But it will start with the last selection (then jump to the order), or the last right click. You can select all files, then press ctrl, and deselect the first one, now, select the first one. Right clock to copy. Then paste in the SD card folder.

      • Th reason I would like them in a specific order is that the sequence of photos sort of tell a story - randomly, not so much. I have them in numerical order in a folder on the PC, and then dragged the folder to the SD card on the phone. But on the phone, they didn't come over in that same order. That's my dilemma.

          • Yes, I checked them in the Photo app that came installed on the Moto E. I also went to the Storage and looked at them from there with the same result. They do display on my PC in the correct order.

  • Simon, if I understand your initial reply, I should probably copy them to the sd card manually, one by one, rather than try to transfer the whole folder at one time. Is that correct?

    • Not one by one.

      You can select the first file (not folder), press and hold shift key, select the last one. In this case, all files between are also selected. Now press and hold ctrl key, click the first one (without releasing the ctrl key). The first one is de-selected. Continue to fold the ctrl key, click the first one again. This selects first one again. Release the ctrl key. Make sure you mouse is still on first file, right click, choose copy. Then in the SD card folder, right click and choose paste. Now the files should be copied in the sequence based on the order in PC.

      • Simon, thanks for the explanation. I tried that and did learn something. As the files were being copied to the sd card, I could see that they were, in fact, being copied in the correct order that they are in on the PC. But, it seems that the "rearranging" of the files is occurring in the phone or sd card. While I have referred to this as a "random" sequence, it is not random. I have done it twice now and the picture files are being assembled in the same sequence when being displayed on the phone, although it is not the order that they were copied to the sd card. I don't know the "code" for the "rearrangement", but it is the same for each time the files are copied.Don't know if there is a solution or not.

  • I need to know how to transfer details of phone numbers , mobile numbers and addresses from my phone to computer. I have bought a SD and a micro SD for this purpose. Can't make it work.

  • I have installed ES File Explorer File Manager i my MOTO E.
    1) How to transfer the images and videos of WHATSAPP to SD card which are in phone memory.
    2) Setting for default saving of upcoming WHATSAPP images and videos in SD card

    • 2. WhatsApp does NOT allow you to change the default location.
      1. you can use ES File explorer to copy the media files to any location on the SD card. And you can view them with Gallery app or other apps. WhatsApp media files are saved in sdcard0/WhatsApp/Media.
      Please do NOT move the files. If you move the files, WhatsApp will not able to show it.

  • My whats app and Google Chorme are not getting transferred to SD card, kindly guide how i can do it

    • As mentioned in the guide, it's the developer who decides whether the app can be moved to sd card or not. It's not controlled by the phone or user.

      Both WhatsApp and chrome cannot be moved to sd card.

  • I want to download new app on my moto e phone,I am also having 8 GB SD card but app did not install on my mobile.it gives error here is no space available.

    • Apps are always installed to internal memory first. You need free some internal storage, e.g.,move some apps or media files to the sd card.

  • How to move media photo movies which are received from what's up app to sd card

    • You have to move them manually with a file manager. Once the files are moved out of WhatsApp folder, WhatsApp will not show it anymore.

  • once move the apps to sd card but internal storage does not free! why?

    • Because only part of the app files and data are moved to SD card. This depends on individual apps. Some apps E even don't support moving to SD card at all.

  • i was tried to moving video files into sd card via supereem app,but i cant do it beacuse its storing only in the internal memory only.but alredy im moved super beem app into sd card,then y cant move video file into sdcard?

  • but alredy im moved super beem app into sd card,then y cant move video file into sdcard?--In the sense
    My superbeem application moved into sdcard

  • I added a 16 Gb micro SD card. Yet, when I access the storage, it reads the internal SD card and tells me that is where my photos are, but not the added 16 Gb micro SD card that I added. Why doesn't the phone read the added on 16 Gb micro SD card? And how can I get my photos, mp3, etc. placed on the added 16 Gb micro SD card?

    • To save photos to SD card automatically, you need specify SD card as storage location in camera app. Pull the settings ring from left side and set it.

      • But the photos are not being saved to the external 16Gb micro SDcard1. Which is where I want them to be saved for the obvious reasons of limitation on the internal SDcard0.

  • I am not able to click the button "move to SD card " even in the SD card tab in "apps " menu. It isn't clickable.
    Please tell me what to do!

  • "Start the camera app. Swipe from left side of the screen to tight side to get the option window. tap the SD card (storage) icon, you can choose storage location to SD card."--- how to do?

    • Which step gives you problem?

      In Camera app, you can swipe from left side of the screen. The camera setup ring should appear. Rotate the ring to find the storage icon. Tap it to choose SD card. Actually, Moto E will automatically save new camera photos to SD card if SD card is detected.

  • my mooto e is showing 134 mb of space available in phone but when i'm downloading an app it is showing unsufficient space in phone storage..

    • It is possible if the app size is larger than 30 MB.

      Anyway, you should free some space by moving media files to SD card, or by uninstalling some seldom-used apps.

  • Sorry i can't move by your statement,All apps is in default phone memory & In case new apps I install means i can store to memory card Please tell any other suggestion

    • Whether an app can be moved to SD card is determined by the app developer, not by the phone or the user.

      Actually, for those apps that can be moved to SD card, only part of the app data can be moved.

      Apps are always installed in the internal storage. Later you can move some app data to SD card if the app supports this.

  • Recently My phone got updated to 5.1 version. Though I have moved some apps to SD Card which is of 16GB, I am not able to download any new apps and also not able to update the remaining apps that I have as it pops the message of "Insufficient Data Storage''. What's the solution?

    • Got need check the storage usage in settings - storage and free some storage in the phone storage. Apps are always downloaded and installed on the phone storage first.

    • Go to your apps. For each app, clear the cache. That should take care of it. Also you may need to use CCleaner (for Android phones--available on the Google Play Store) to clean up excess what ever.

  • The app, though shown " on sd card" when tried to move to SD card, message is " couldn't move app"

  • 1. internal storage space is running out.. some system functions may not work.. " Apps ( apps data and media content ) " occupies more space. what is the solution.
    2. can I delete the " cached data , Misc " in the Storage. what happens if i do it??
    3. in the storage - apps - on sd card , one app is unable to move to sd card.why?solution?
    please respond immedieately..

    • 1. You can move the media files to SD card in settings - storage. You can find the option to move media files.
      2. Cache can be cleared. But it will build up again gradually.
      For misc files, you need check what the files. You can use filed manager to move or delete them individually.
      3. It depends on the app.

    • No, WhatsApp doesn't support saving media files to SD card. Such features are determined by the app developer, not the phone.

  • I'm not able to move some apps to SD card after upgrading my phone to lollipop from KitKat, those all apps initially were stored in SD card in KitKat version.. Please help me out..

  • i moved some apps to sd card to get some free space but after moving actually only little amount of data is moved ?i have only 200 mb free space help me is there any other way to move whole app to sd card

    • No, I don't think you can move more manually. It's up to app developers to decide whether the app is movable to SD card and what data can be moved to SD card.

    • No, WhatsApp does not allow you to use SD card as the default storage for the app data. This is decided by the app developer, not your phone.

  • I can not move the music from Spotify to the SD card. Anyone figure this out? i hooked up my phone to my laptop and I tried moving the file to the SD card and it wouldn't work. The app Spotify will not be moved to the SD card because it won't work, the external files can't be moved either, the music.

    PS: I am majoring in computer science and I know what I'm doing. So selected the right file, the size fits the description.

    • I think most music files in Spotify are DRMed. You cannot move them as you want because the app is hard coded to search certain directory with certain harsh. It will not work even if you create a soft link.

  • i have moved 2 apps from phone to SD card. However, it shows as if they are in phone (although they show that they are in SD card) blocking the space in phone. Please help

    • When an app is moved to SD card, only part of the app files are moved to SD card, some files are still in internal storage. So, not all files after moved to SD card.

  • In spite of having atleast 30GB in my SD card,i am unable to move apps like 'Photos' or 'File Manager', even after selecting them from 'ON SD CARD'. After selecting 'Move to SD Card', i get a message that ' Couldn't move app. Not enough storage space.'

    • It's the app developer who decides whether the app can be moved to sd card. It has nothing to do with the capacity of the SD card. You cannot force it to move to SD card either.

  • WHEN I CHOOSE SD CARD FOR STORING PICTURE & VIDEO. ITS SHOWING HELPING ICON.........#?. WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER THAT?????

    • can you check these photos in Gallery app? If not, you may have to use internal storage. You may try a class 10 Micro SD card.

  • Hello,

    I am hoping you can help me.

    Background: I have a new Motorola. The model is moto e. **I do not have an SD memory card.** My computer is a Macbook (2008). For my smart phone, I do talk and text (using a flip phone sim card) and do not have a data plan. I get on to the Internet at home and at wifi hotspots around town. So far it works out fine.

    I downloaded Android File Transfer and transferred two things to the phone: one photograph and a drug book for medical professionals. On my smart phone, I was easily able to locate the photograph. However, I cannot find the drug book for medical professionals. (The drug book was originally transferred onto my Mac via a CD that came with the book.) In the Android file transfer box on my Mac, it was under "data." However, I do not have an option called "data" to look for on my smart phone. How do I find the drug book on my phone? I know it's there, because I noticed I lost space after the transfer. I just can't find it.

    I need to be able to pull up this drug book ANYTIME. In other words, I shouldn't need to be connected to the Internet. The book was on my Mac, and not Internet-dependent, so I'm hoping the same will be true for the smart phone.

    Thank you.

      • Yes I did do that (USB cable), but I cannot FIND the transferred file on my phone after it is transferred. That is my question: where is it and how do I locate it? Thanks.

        • You can drop the file anywhere in the phone. There is no fixed location for such files. It depends on where you put them.

          Anyway, you can just try to copy some files again to see whether the files are copied properly. Again, the location is decided by you.

          • I have now learned the reason I can't find the files. What I was trying to transfer was a program on my Mac. Someone told me that smart phones don't really take programs (only apps) and so while it indeed may have transferred (as I tried to explain), it will not - repeat it will not - be retrievable. To answer my question: there is no way to find it.

            I am new to smart phones, so I did not know that. I am glad the person at the electronics store was able to understand that. he explained it to me.

  • Hi,I have issues with moto e, File transfer from internal memory to SD card,that's show message like" third party android 4.4 cannot allowed move the file to SD card.

    • What apps are you using?

      This is the known problem in KitKat. But es file explorer already have a solution to grant the permission. You need follow these on screen instruction.

  • how to move WhatsApp photos&videos to move to SD card and setup future WhatsApp downloads ro be stored on SD card?

    • WhatsApp doesn't allow to to save media files in other locations. If you move them manually, they will not be shown in WhatsApp.

      As mentioned, whether an app can be moved to SD card, and what can be moved to SD card is decided by the app developer.

      Only if the apps support moving to SD card, you can move them (partially) to SD card.

  • whille am moving apps to sd card its showing like not enough memory but memory card is empty???
    plz let me knw the answer

    • It probably means insufficient memory in internal storage for that operation. You should try to free up some storage in the internal storage.

  • i have installed MX player codec from playstore however when i am trying to install codec in MX player i cannot locate one. Also i cannot move facebook and other apps from internal memory to sd card

    • Why do you need the codec? VLC for Android supports more formats and codecs.

      As mentioned in the post, some apps cannot be moved to SD card because the developer choose not to support SD card.

  • i have a moto e phone having songs in sd card .it is playing well in mobile phone.when i connect mobile to other divice like exchample dvd player supporting usb port, car deck music player it is not connecting.but other mobiles (lenova) connecting.
    let me know how to play songs from moto e to other divices. pls kindly advise

    Regards,
    Mohan

  • i am connected with 3.5 mm audio cable only but it is not playing .it is playing only in mobile but not able play connected divices
    pls give me some sugession

    • If you use the audio cable, the sound should be transferred to the sound system.

      If you want to play music on the SD card, you need remove the SD card from the phone and use the SD card on the sound system. I don't think your sound system has a driver to recognize your Moto E. So, connecting your Moto E to the USB port on the sound system, nothing should happen.

  • Hi
    I am trying to move app from internal storage to SD card but am not able get option in settings
    App - move on SD card option plz help

  • So I just updated my Moto E to the most recent version of Marshmallow excited that I could use my 32GB SD card and integrate it into my internal storage. So I hooked up my Moto E to my computer via USB, copy and pasted all the data (music, pictures and videos) I had on my SD card (I knew it would be erased when reformatting my SD card for internal storage) onto my computer. I completed the update with the SD card essentially wiped and integrated into my internal storage. Now it will not allow me to transfer the files back onto my Moto E from my computer. I get an error message. Help!

  • How can I move photos from my computer to QuickPic on the Moto E 2nd Gen? Also when I take phots with the phone, how can I move them from "Camera Roll" to QuickPic? When I connect my phone to the computer, I can see it identified on the "My Computer " display. When I click on the Phone, I see both "Internal Storage" and "SD Storage". I cannot see QuickPic identified and when I drag a folder to SD Storage, when I check on the phone the folder is not in QuickPic but is in the Gallery App. What am I doing wrong? Thanks

  • Relative to the above comment, I should say that the QuickPic app has been moved to the SD Card, but I do not see it listed when clicking on the SD Storage icon. So I don't see anything to drag the photo folder to from my computer. Sorry for the earlier omission.

    • QuickPic don't have own pic folder. It displays all pics on the phone. Media files are additionally scanned by Android and any apps can get the info and display them. If you want, you can use any file explorer app to create a folder on the phone, and move or copy pictures there. ES file explorer can do this job.

      When you copy pictures from the PC to the phone, you can copy them to any folders on the phone or SD card on the phone, QuickPic or Gallery app can display them immediately.

  • I am user of Moto-E and unable to transfer below Apps to SD Card

    WhatsApp
    Google Drive
    Google Play Store
    Google Maps
    Tomi File Manager

    Kindly suggest.

    Thanks
    Vinod Negi

    • They cannot be moved to SD card because the developers of these apps choose this. You cannot do anything.

  • Hi
    I am using Moto E 1st Generation and I am facing a lot of storage issues since all the apps are stored in the internal memory. It is currently working on Android 4.4. I do not see any option for moving apps to SD Card. Do I need to update to Android Lollipop 5.1 for moving apps and media to Sd Card.
    Appreciate your quick response. Thanks

    Kshitij

    • It's decided by the app developer, not the phone, whether the app can be moved to sd card. If apps are not listed under sd tab, it means they cannot be moved to sd card. Lollipop doesn't solve the issue.

      Only in Marshmallow, you can may use sd card as internal storage. But Moto E 1st gen will not get Marshmallow update.

  • On Moto E, I am trying to save photos and wallpapers to my SD card through ES File Manager and it tells me each time this operation is not supported. Also, I have lost many pics and music because I go through the process of saving items and putting them on the SD card only for them to disappear, it reads empty folder. I do not have a computer, but why do I have the option of it to save to sd card, if I never a computer..!!!???? So confused.

    • You need grant write permission for ES File explorer app. You can try to create a folder on SD card, then the follow the instructions to grant write permission.

  • I put the sd card from an old phone into the moto e 2nd generation and now it is asking for a password but I never created one

  • is it possible to move music files from one sdcard file to another. i would like to combine the two music files into one, if possible

    • There are many apps can join two or more music files. You can search mp3 merger in play store and try some of them to see whether they can meet your demand.

  • Hi, I installed the latest update on my moto e and have installed a new San disk 16mb card as internal storage. When I try to take a photo using the camera app it says there is not enough storage. The phone has 1.5 gb and the sd card has 15+ gb. Any suggestions?

  • Thanks for responding. Unfortunately the camera app does not give me any option to save to SD or internal storage. It did before an upgrade but nothing now. There is nothing on the camera when I swipe L-R for me to see an SD card there either although all the other options are eg HDR, panorama etc. I have configured the SD card as internal storage. There's plenty there but the app doesn't recognise it. Any other thoughts?
    Thanks!

  • i have a MotoE3 however when I try to see what apps I can transfer to my SD card I go to settings, click on apps, flick right
    but no SD card tab is shown, this also applies when I try to set the SD card as the default for photos. Would appreciate
    your help. Colin R Isaacs.

  • I'm using a Moto E phone with android 4.4.4

    I've recently downloaded an app that I would like to have on my SD card, and from the information in this tutorial it looks like it's possible. That is, the app shows up in the "ON SD CARD" tab as described in step 1. Furthermore the app is check-marked and when I view the app info the option I'm given is "Move to phone", so going by this tutorial it would appear that this app is already on my SD card.

    My problem is that it that when I look at my phone's storage (by going to settings from home), my SD card is still empty, why my internal storage is almost full.

    Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

    • Only part of the app data can be moved to SD card. It is decided by app developer what data can be moved to SD card. In Marshmallow, you can use SD card as internal storage on Moto phones.

  • I installed a 16Gb SD card and when I open the camera app then open the settings there is no SD storage icon. Any ideas?

  • I own a Moto e first generation mobile phone in which the internal storage is of 2.2 GB but when I started using it showed around 700 MB after updating all the factory apps . After which I have installed Watsapp, ES file manager, paytm & u c browser only.
    After which I installed clash of clans and the phone memory showed an indicator on top of screen that the phone is running low on storage & I cannot install any app further.
    I want a solution of this problem like how to convert my external storage into internal storage so that I can even install any large size games.

    • The first generation of Moto E was stopped in Lollipop 5.1. So you cannot use SD card as internal storage (which is a feature in Android Marshmallow 6.0 or later). Moving app data to SD card is the only solution.

      Yes, the storage of 1st Gen Moto E is too lower because many apps cannot be moved to SD card.

      You may consider the latest Moto E4 or E4 plus. Both support SD card as internal storage.

  • I have the MOTOROLA MOTO E LTE. I installed the SD Card. I was able, using your instructions, to move many Apps to the SD Storage. But, when I Swipe from left side of the screen to tight side in the Camera App, there is no "Storage Location" Icon. There are several others, but not that one. (I was able to learn more about taking pictures though) HDR; Control Focus & Exposure; Movie; Widescreen/Normal; Timer. These are all the Icons listed.
    Under Storage in Settings, it shows 149KB of Pictures, videos. Under SD card, When I tap "Move Media" Move your pictures etc. to SD card to free internal memory, I get the message "No Files to Move." I have lots of pictures in my Gallery.

    • You need to rotate the ring to see more options. For example,did you see the location button in the ring?

      Are you sure the photos are saved in the internal storage? By default, when you have a SD card, the photos should be saved to SD card.

      You can open the photo in Photos App, then tap the information icon (i) to see the exact location.

      You can also use any file explorer app to manage files. You can try to use Zen file explorer app. It is free and good enough. Please note, we do NOT recommend es file explorer any more as explained in this page.

      • Thanks. Rotating it, I found it. Unfortunately I just installed the es file explorer. I will uninstall it though. I just installed the SD card on the 7th. Looking in Gallery, I believe I figured out what happened. Is says my photos are IN the SD, so they must have automatically transferred, so when I click to move them, it says there are none to move.

  • Hi! I recently bought a Moto e4 plus. Can you please tell me how to move apps to the SD card. I'm unable to find any option in the app settings. It does not show the option at all!

  • i want to move my apps from the internal storage to my micro-sd, I have looked on app settings and there is no option that says move to sd. I have a moto E4 is there any way I can move my apps?????

    • For Moto E4, you can use SD card as internal storage. It is not necessary (and therefore not available) to move apps to SD card.

      You may refer to this guide on using SD card for internal storage.

  • I have a moto e 2nd generation phone with 4gb internal space which is almost full now. I got an sd card of 16gb and want to move some apps to it. As instructed I went to apps and flicked to right and can't find any apps to move.. WhatsApp is also not showing the option of move to sd card.. Pls help

    • Whether an app can be moved to SD card is determined by the app developer, not your phone. For example, WhatsApp must be in internal storage and you cannot move anything for it to SD card.

  • Is this moto e 2020? Because the settings menu does not even look the same as the pics here, nor does it give any options for moving to sd for any app!

    • It is for the first Gen of Moto E. For Moto E with Marshmallow (Android 6.0) or later, you can choose to use the micro SD card as the internal storage and therefore you do not need to move apps to the SD card. This was explained in detailed here.

  • I have a moto E 2020 and I can't follow your instruction on how to move apps to SD card because my phone is not the same when I go to settings and apps I can't find a way to move apps to SD card

    • You do not need to move apps to the micro SD card. For Moto E 2020 (and all Moto E devices after Moto E2), you can use micro SD card as internal storage so that apps can be installed to it automatically. You may follow this guide on how to use the micro SD card as internal storage.

      Please note, once you choose to use the micro SD card as the internal storage (you should back up all files on the SD card first), the SD card will be formatted and encrypted. Only your Moto E can read and use the SD card. If you want to use it on other devices, you need to format it. A detailed explanation of using the micro SD card as portable (external) or adaptable (internal) storage can be found in this guide.

      I also updated this guide with new info at the top.

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