Move Apps To The SD Card In Android CyanogenMod
Here's how to get your apps moved across to the SD card so you can enjoy the ability to install effectively as many apps as you like. This method works straight from the phone, you don't need any extra partitioning software.
Recent versions of Cyanogen's CyanogenMod ROM for Android phones contain Apps2SD which allows you to install your apps to the SD card instead of the stupid minuscule phone memory. This all happens automatically if you partition the SD card correctly. I'm assuming you already have your phone rooted and set up with a recent version of CyanogenMod and your apps are already installed on an 8Gb or 16Gb card.
Use the fastest SD card you can. Slow SD card speeds will end in tears. Your apps will load slowly. Speed ratings of Micro SD cards for use in the phones like the T-Mobile G1 are noted by class. Commonly they are class 2, 4 or 6, and can sometimes be identified with a letter C with a 2, 4 or 6 inside. The class indicates the Megabits per second writing speed. Check the speed on your SD card and if necessary, order a faster one from Amazon or somewhere else.
1. Backup your SD card contents
Copy the contents of your micro SD card to your computer using a USB cable or a card reader.
2. Re-partition your Micro SD card
ENTER RECOVERY ROOT PROMPT
- If you removed your micro SD card, insert it back into the phone and reboot the phone using CALL, MENU and END keys. Hold down the HOME key as it reboots to enter the Android System Recovery screen.
- Press Alt-X to enter the console, and press Enter when it asks.
You should now have a # prompt.
REMOVE EXISTING PARTITIONS
- Type parted /dev/block/mmcblk0 and press ENTER
- Type print and press ENTER
You will now see the existing partitions on your SD card listed with the partition number on the left. Probably there will just be one fat32 partition, but maybe more. - Type rm 1 and press ENTER.
If you saw more than just one partition above, type rm 2 and rm 3 etc for each one.
CREATE NEW PARTITIONS
If you have an 8Gb Micro SD Card
Type mkpartfs and press ENTER.
You will now be prompted for details of the first partition.
Enter the following responses.
primary
fat32
0
7425
Type mkpartfs and press ENTER.
You will now be prompted for details of the second partition.
Enter the following responses.
primary
ext2
7425
7937
Type mkpartfs and press ENTER.
You will now be prompted for details of the third partition.
Enter the following responses.
primary
linux-swap
7937
7969
OR
If you have a 16Gb Micro SD Card
Type mkpartfs and press ENTER.
You will now be prompted for details of the first partition.
Enter the following responses.
primary
fat32
0
15416
Type mkpartfs and press ENTER.
You will now be prompted for details of the second partition.
Enter the following responses.
primary
ext2
15416
15916
Type mkpartfs and press ENTER.
You will now be prompted for details of the third partition.
Enter the following responses.
primary
linux-swap
15916
15948
- You will now have you new partitions set. Use print to view them.
- Type quit and press ENTER to exit the partitioner.
CONVERT THE EXT2 PARTITION TO EXT3
- Type upgrade_fs and press ENTER.
REBOOT
- Type reboot and press ENTER
3. Transfer your apps to the SD card.
This will happen automatically next time your phone boots up. How cool is that?!
4. Copy your stuff back onto the fat32 partition.
Connect your phone back to the computer or insert your micro SD card back into the computer and copy all your stuff back.
Now you can install a serious amount of apps. You will also notice the "SD Card & phone storage" menu has changed. You can no longer unmount the SD card from there, and you will also have a new "SD card secondary item" representing your second partition where your apps are stored showing the free memory.
Comments
14 comments so far (post your own)Very keen to try this... updated Google maps on my HTC Desire, but the menu/directions link doesn't seem as full featured as the app as described on the google link. Is ther a sepeate app or widget to install on the android phone to launch the menu with voice etc., and with the layers option for example?
Posted by Jan Szafranski on Wednesday, 21/04/10 @ 18:14pm | #209
If the voice search is missing from your HTC Desire, follow the instructions to install it here:
http://mobile.jack-frost.co.uk/desire_voice_search_missing.php
If you do have the voice search feature on your phone, you can install "Nav Launcher" from the market to start Navigation easier.
As for the layers, press Menu, Layers. Simple as that. Is that missing?
Posted by Jack Frost on Wednesday, 21/04/10 @ 18:34pm | #210
Also keen to try this - awaiting delivery of HTC Desire, and would be great to have this app for occasional use.
Question - any idea how much data is used per minute of connection to the service?
Posted by Benchimus on Tuesday, 25/05/10 @ 10:59am | #272
Obviously this service is free, it is your network that will charge for the data transferred, and the cost will depend on what network you're connected to.
These days, data is normally charged per Kb transferred. If you're paying on that basis, I'd recommend an offline sat nav solution such as Navigon, Sygic or NDrive. Take a look at those here:
http://mobile.jack-frost.co.uk/android_sat_nav_apps.php
T-Mobile have a maximum charge of a pound per day in the UK though, so if it's just occasional use, perhaps that would be OK? Depends what network you're on.
Posted by Jack Frost on Wednesday, 26/05/10 @ 12:23pm | #277
I will have 500Mb/month data included (Orange).
I was hoping you might know how many Kb/minute is used whilst using Google Navigation - does the software indicate how much data has been used?
Will look at those offline sat nav solutions you mentioned, thanks.
Posted by Benchimus on Thursday, 27/05/10 @ 14:06pm | #295
Hmm, I don't know how much the navigation would use exactly, but I shouldn't have thought much. I'm guessing it downloads its route once at the start of your journey, and as long as you don't deviate from that, wouldn't need to re-download a new route. Having said that, it does display the street view of your journey's end as you arrive.
I doubt it's much because route calculation and navigation is still fast in non-3G areas.
Anyway, it'd be easy to find out exactly how much data it uses as there are plenty of apps in the Android Market to do that, and seeing as it's free, give it go.
Posted by Jack Frost on Thursday, 27/05/10 @ 14:17pm | #296
Hi Jack
I have just bought HTC Legend in hope that i could enjoy Google's Free Navigation on this top quality handset. It has latest google maps installed but no voice navigation. Can you guide me how i can make it work on my legend device?
Posted by Ali on Thursday, 10/06/10 @ 10:00am | #317
First make doubly sure you have the most up-to-date version of Google Maps. Should be version 4.2.0. If you've just got this brand new, it might not have it. Just go into the Android Market and search for it and you might see that there's an update available.
Are you sure it's not there? Get some driving directions to somewhere and there should be "Navigate" at the top of the list of directions.
Oh, and you ARE in the UK aren't you?
Posted by Jack Frost on Thursday, 10/06/10 @ 11:23am | #318
Will the Google app need to take data from the internet to work ? I like the idea of a standalone sat nav app as then I do not have to worry further about data charges if I go over my allowance for the month - does Google work alone or does it need access to live servers to work out routes etc ?
Posted by Steve on Sunday, 20/06/10 @ 20:45pm | #337
Yes it does use data though not much. I am going to research that more but if you're worried about data usage have a look through some of the standalone Sat Nav apps available. Search "sat nav" in the search box in the top left.
Posted by Jack Frost on Sunday, 20/06/10 @ 20:51pm | #338
Apologies read the article and now understand it is a "live" updatable sat nav service - I guess really what I need to know is what are the average data rates for an average journey so I can work out how much data is being used on a journey - sorry to have troubled you - Steve
Posted by Steve on Sunday, 20/06/10 @ 21:30pm | #339
No problem. I think it would be interesting to research a bit on the data usage of Google maps nav. Will look into this.
Posted by Jack Frost on Sunday, 20/06/10 @ 21:35pm | #340
Any luck finding some info on the data usage...?
Posted by Steven on Friday, 2/07/10 @ 02:27am | #347
Sorry, been very busy. It's on my list to-do!
Posted by Jack Frost on Sunday, 4/07/10 @ 23:08pm | #357