When you have got the SD card, inserted and installed in your Android 4.4.4 KitKat device, with exceptionally large external storage capacity, then you must use its good storage capacity to lessen the load on your Android device. It will not only increase its speed but also will smoothen the working of your Android device. After moving some of the apps to the SD card, you may get more space in the USB storage of your Android device to download and install more apps in it.

But, you must keep in mind that all those apps which are either built in in the OS, which need to remain attached with the OS or Apps preferred by Google to work in close association with Android OS, cannot be removed from internal storage.

For the purpose, follow the instructions.

Instructions

Command Line: Settings > Apps – DEVICE > Apps.

1: Follow the Command Line to open up the ‘Apps’ screen.

2: At the ‘Apps’ screen, see a list of the DOWNLOADED apps.

3: Tap any app to open its ‘App info’.

KitKat-Apps-Move-1

4: Scroll the ‘App info’ downward and see the ‘Move to SD card’ button is disabled, i.e. Android OS does not allow to move this app to SD card.

KitKat-Apps-Move-2

5: Go back to DOWNLOADED app and select and tap any other app which can be moved.

KitKat-Apps-Move-4

6: Scroll down to the ‘App info’ and see the ‘Move to SD card’ button is active and enabled, i.e. it can be moved to SD card. KitKat-Apps-Move-5

7: Tap the ‘Move to SD card’ button and it will be disabled, and in background, its status is changed to ‘Moving’. KitKat-Apps-Move-6

8: Go back to the DOWNLOADED apps screen and see the moved apps is not there.

9: Swipe the screen to the right to the ‘ON SD CARD’ and the app which was moved from DOWNLOADED is checked. i.e. it is there. KitKat-Apps-Move-7

Now, start shifting unnecessary DOWNLOADED apps to SD card and get your Android device, quicker and speedier.

That’s all!

8 thoughts on “How to Move Downloaded Apps from Internal Storage to SD Card in Android 4.4.4 KitKat Device?

  1. The_Mick says:

    NO Android 4.4 (Kitkat) system has the “Move to SD Card” button anymore!

  2. Route 66 West says:

    Mick is correct. That is why we both ended up here. We were looking for a way to work around Kit Kat not allowing users to move ANY apps to an external storage card.

    1. Rubymaster1 says:

      It depends on your phone. My Xperia M2 has this feature and is running 4.4.2. It could be a feature added by sony, but I think it just depends on the phone hardware itself.

    2. Sridutt Miraskar says:

      There are 3 things here. Phone storage, internal memory card and external SD card. Above screenshots shows how to move apps to memory card, unfortunately this works to move apps from phone storage to internal memory card. I was searching way to move apps to external SD card!

      1. Czars Salad says:

        here, click on this link:www.androidrootguide.com/2013/09/partition-memory-card-increase-internal-memory-android-phone.html

      2. Czars Salad says:

        its a step by step process in partitioning ur sd card and increase memory

  3. George Jones says:

    For some ignorant putz in middle management somewhere decided to block the ability to write to your SD card and removed the “MOVE TO SD” function from the menu in kitkat. The fix above will not work if you don’t have the button. I like podcasts but one can burn 100mb and so this poses a problem for internal space. I can now point my camera, downloads and podcasts to my SD card by changing the permissions MANUALLY. Many apps try and do this but you can just do it yourself with root access.

    I found this solution online but don’t remember where but I saved the text:

    Launch your favorite file manager with root access rights. You can
    use any app you prefer which can run elevated on your device. For
    example, the ‘Root Explorer’ app or ‘File Manager’ from CyanogenMod will
    do.

    1. Navigate to the following file:

    /system/etc/permissions/platform.xml

    2. Find android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE and
    android.permission.WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE lines. These are XML sections.
    You need to make them look exactly like the strings below:

    3. Save the platform.xml file. It’s necessary to set the file
    permissions to 644 (rw-/r–/r–) before mobile restarting. Now reboot your
    Android device. You are done.

  4. vivek sangwan says:

    does whole app get transfered to SD card ?

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