free up internal space from android

Couple of days back I bought HTC Wildfire S and after installing some apps, my phone start showing warning about low internal memory. This problem was bit serious because without internal memory you won’t install new apps and updates. Rooting is the solution of all these problem but Rooting is not an easy task specially for non-techie user and also it void your warranty. This tutorial helps you to free up your internal storage without rooting.

Methods:

  1. Fix Storage bug.
  2. Move apps to SD card with the help of App2SD.
  3. Force Applications to Allow Moving ( For Advanced user only)

1. Fix Storage Bug

Google, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr are some of the apps which synchronize your all contacts with your phone address book but unfortunately the contact list will inflate widely over time and taking up dozens of MB of your internal memory. In my case my contact storage took 50 MB which left nothing for others. Good news is that you can easily fix the bug. First Disable all your synchronization by going to your apps settings.

Move all your contacts to SD card and free up your internal memory

  1. Open the People application and press Menu –> Import/Export
  2. Press Export to SD card.
  3. Another popups showing many accounts like SIM, Phone and other account you’ve connected to you phone.
  4. Select top account and another confirmation dialog appears, Press OK.
  5. Repeat this for each account on your phone.
  6. When exporting done, now its time to clear data.
  7. Go to Settings –> Application –> Manage Applications and find Contact Storage in the All tab.
  8. Once you’re in Application info page, then press Clear data, then press OK.
  9. Once the data is clear, now go back to People application., press Menu –> Import/Export, and select Import from SD Card.
  10. Select files you took backup in previous step.
  11. You’re done.

2. Move apps to SD card with the help of App2SD

App2SD is a free app that move your apps to SD card. Many applications can be easily moved to SD card so that you can enjoy those apps without any internal storage problem. Good things is that App2SD list all application that can be moved to SD and from this application you can easily move all apps to SD card. This application also support push notification it means whenever you install new application it will show you notification that whether you can move this application or not.

Download App2SD from Android Market

app2sd app2sd

3. Force Application to allow moving

Click here to download the Android SDK and install it on your computer.

  1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB
  2. Open Command prompt and navigate to C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\ directory  or where you install it in your hard drive. make sure you’re in platform-tools directory.
  3. Type “adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2” press enter.
  4. Unplug your phone and restart. Now you should able to move almost all of your applications to the SD card.
  5. Again Use App2SD to transfer your application to SD card.

If you encounter any problem then please comment out.

30 COMMENTS

  1. I have to admit, this is a great “speech / how to”, to propose an App, in this situation, but it’s useless anyway!

  2. Hi Raza, unfortunately I have to disturb you by asking for assistance: When I open the command prompt and copy&paste that line of yours (C\…platoform tools) it doesn’t get recognized. What am I supposed to do? I haven’t really understood that part of your tutorial (sorry! ^^)

  3. Hi,
    have installed “android-studio-bundle-143.3101438-windows” . cant find dir saying “android-sdk-windows” all i got is
    .android
    .AndroidStudio2.1
    have checked both directory cant find any “android-sdk-windows”.
    can you direct if i am using the right AndroidStudio-Ver2.1.3 or i am looking on wrong spot.

  4. hi Razzil i have rooted my htc wildfirc s and also done the “pm setinstallLocation 2” ….now i can install apps on sdcard but again their cache are stored on internal memory and with in no time internal memory gets filled….i have installed facebook app on sd card but still its cache are stored on internal memory..
    is there any method how to completely install apps on sd card.. ?
    i have also tried some apps e.g app2sd etc but all in vain…
    please help me…thanks in advance…

  5. CAn you please ellobaorate the procedure what should i do after installing the android sdk i have unzipped and saved to desktop.
    please send the command i need to type in when the terminal window comes after typing cmd

  6. Hi
    i have the same problem in my s2
    but my contact storage date is only 5 MG!!
    i think in android V 2.3.6 some date will download to my phone
    when i connect to wifi
    with only 200 MG app on my phone , it only has 100MG free
    in internal memory (2G)
    regards

  7. Galaxy Y Young
    Thank you so much! It was affecting my messages…since thew messages rely on phone memory. Great help! :D

  8. i want to know the second step where it says to” open command prompt and navigate to…” what does it exactly mean.from where i have to open this command.please help me further for my samsung s5360

  9. Very nice post Raza.I have being experiencing same problem to..I took backup in SD card and cleared my data(in applications settings).Its nice to have free storage space.Thanks for other options as well.

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