The new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have twice the storage of older Samsung devices, with 64GB built-in. That said, owners will still want to save as much space as possible by moving apps or games to the microSD card. Below are the quick and easy instructions to do just that.
Those who want to get the most out of the Galaxy S8 will download tons of apps, games, VR content and more. If so, you'll want to free up space whenever possible.
Unlike the Galaxy S6 or Note 5, Samsung's latest devices all come with a microSD slot. As a result, owners can technically have more than 300 GB of space. We have to move each app one by one, but it only takes a few moments and will leave your device better prepared for use and the future.
With Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google added a feature called Adoptable Storage. This essentially treats a microSD card as internal storage, making everything easier for end users. It mixes the two storage limits into one. Unfortunately, Samsung doesn't use this feature, so owners will have to manually move their apps. Here's how.
How to Transfer Apps to MicroSD Card on Galaxy S8
At the top of the page, we share our recommendations for the best microSD cards for the Galaxy S8. Take a 128 or 256 GB card, then follow the instructions below. Once you've added an SD card, you'll want to head into settings and move large apps or games there, and free up some internal space.
Instructions
To get started, pull down the notification shade and tap the gear-shaped settings button. That or find and open in the application tray. Scroll down and select . Then make sure the top left drop-down menu is set to show .
Now users will see a huge list of all installed apps on Galaxy S8. Many are default apps, stuff from Google or Samsung, or apps pre-installed by carriers. These cannot be moved or deleted, but you can disable them. Instead, find the big apps that take up the most space and transfer them to the microSD card.
- Find and in the list
- Tap on the third option labeled
- Where it says "storage used, internal storage", click the button
- Choose your from the context menu
- Confirm by selecting bottom right, wait for it to export
- for any app that you want to move (or that is eligible)
Depending on the size of the app, the process takes around 3-5 seconds per app, and unfortunately we have to do it one at a time. That's it, you have now successfully transferred your apps and games to the Galaxy S8 microSD card.
Other details
It should be noted that only certain applications can be moved. Some will not be supported and will need to remain on internal storage. Keep in mind that any apps or games on the SD card will not work if the card is removed. And since games or apps now load from the microSD card, not the fast internal storage, a fast Class 10 or better microSD card is recommended.
While you're in the app settings menu, feel free to browse and follow similar steps to disable pre-installed (bloatware) carrier apps. Instead of selecting storage, tap the "Disable" button at the top of each app listing.
In conclusion, we wrote a similar article for Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, but users had a lot of trouble. Most of them are caused by using a cheap or slow microSD card. Getting a good high-speed mobile-friendly card from our link at the top of the page is your best bet. Now that you're all set and have apps moved, enjoy everything the Galaxy S8 has to offer.