Talk:App2SD/@comment-69.145.1.210-20130822235507

Unfortunately, App2SD, now called AppMgrIII, does not move apps to an external microSD card inserted into the Meep. That is due to how Google designed Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich). They removed the "WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" permission/group ID from the external SD card and changed it to "WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE". So, what does that mean? The WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission is what allows developers to place files/install their app to the external SD card. Since it has been removed, apps that developers created with that permission cannot place/install their app to the external SD card. The WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE permission is only allowed by system apps and/or apps that the OEM provides, which means third party apps are not able to write to the external SD card because they are not allowed and will not be given the WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE permission. The WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission is given to the Meep's personal storage, also called "/sdcard". The Meep thinks of the /sdcard as an external SD card, in a sense, even though it isn't, or, basically, Android 4.0 identifies the /sdcard as an external SD card. So, you may be wondering, if I use App2SD or AppMgrIII on my Meep, it does seems to move the apps. If the apps are not being moved to my external SD card, what is it moving and to where? The Meep has two places to store files/data. The first one was already mentioned. It is the Meep's personal storage space called /sdcard. It is 873Mb in size and it is created from the Meep's total 4Gb of storage. The memory is "flash" memory. The personal storage was designed so when you connect the Meep to your home PC and "Turn on USB storage", you can see it and also move pictures, music, videos/movies to and from it, between your home PC and the Meep. The other place the Meep stores files is the /data folder. It is 1.7Gb in size and it is designed so you cannot see it when you connect the Meep to your home PC. The /data folder is where all games/apps are installed from Google Play and from the Meep Store. When you use AppMgrIII (App2SD), it will ask if you want to move the app to the SD card (move to SD) or to the phone (move to phone). If you select "move to SD", the app will be moved from the /data folder, to the Meep's personal storage space. Remember, due to permissions and how Android 4.0 was designed, the Meep thinks the personal storage as the external SD card, even though it is not. As the personal storage is only 873Mb, it can fill up fast, if you do that. Think of it this way - if an app is 10Mb in size it will move the 10Mb app from the /data folder to the Meep's personal storage. The /data folder will "gain" 10Mb more of free space, but the personal storage will "lose" 10Mb of free space. You are not really benefitting from this, because the /data folder has more space (1.7Gb) to begin with and you are just limiting the personal storage space. Also, the personal storage space is where the Meep's camera stores the pictures and videos taken from it. If you select "move to phone" in AppMgrIII, it will move the app from the Meep's personal storage, aka /sdcard, to the /data folder. So, either you will be filling up one internal storage space for the other. Eventually, if you do this, both spaces may get filled up, and you will not be able to download and install new games/apps and/or storage pictures and videos, etc. You will get "SD card full" messages and possibly "out of memory" error messages - SD card full for the Meep's personal storage and out of memory for the /data folder. Is all this confusing? Yes. But once you understand, it will make some sense. It is possible to get AppMgrIII to store games/apps and even for the Meep's camera to store pictures and videos there. However, you would have to do the "swap internal memory for external SD card" trick, that is mentioned on this wikia. Once swapped, when selecting "move to SD" in AppMgrIII, it will now place the info on your external SD card because the Meep now believes your external SD card is its personal storage (/sdcard). If you do that, it will be at your own risk. If you don't, the best way to manage both storage spaces on the Meep (personal storage and the /data folder), is by uninstalling any games/apps you are no longer interested in and by deleting or moving the pictures/videos from the Meep's camera. Perinstalled apps can always be reinstalled from the Meep Store, if you change your mind, but be aware, your game progress will be gone. There are third party apps that can backup app data.