Apps2SD FAQ

Frequently asked questions (General)

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What is Root?

How to get root permission?

The rooting process varies from device to device, you can try a Rooting service or look at the awesome XDA forum for a working method on your device

How can I check whether my phone is properly rooted?

Download any root checker from Google play and check

What root management apps are supported?

All root management apps including SuperSU, Kingroot, Kingoroot, Magisk phh SuperSU etc are supported. But Magisk phh SuperSU or Chainfire SuperSu is recommended

What is the difference between Apps2SD free and Pro version

Nothing: Apps2SD Pro is now free of cost

I'm a Free user and just bought the Pro version how do i safely migrate from Free version to Pro version

First of all thank you for your support. Follow the below steps:
        1) Update Free and Pro versions from Play store
        2) Open Pro version and use "Import Apps2SD free settings" option in main page to import settings. On successfull import Pro version will offer you to uninstall Free version ignore it for now. Pro version will now close
        3) Open Pro version again if there is no crash then go ahead and Uninstall/Freeze/Disable Apps2SD free version. Note: This step is a must, you should not run both Pro and Free version at the same time, it'll cause lot of problems
        4) Recreate the mount script in Pro version and you are good to go

I'm getting License check failed error in Apps2SD Pro, how to fix it?

Please follow below steps:

1) Clear Play Store data and cache
2) Wait for an hour or two
3) Clear Play Store data and cache
4) Reboot
5) Open Apps2SD Pro (Make sure you have internet connection). It'll cache the licensing data

How can I learn about Apps2SD features?

Checkout the Features section

Is busybox required for Apps2SD?

Yes, Apps2SD comes with a copy of busybox which can be installed using "Install Busybox" option

What is the difference between "Move To SD Card (Native Android APP2SD)" and "Link/Unlink or Link apps" in Apps2SD?

Native Move to SD moves the apk and lib files to a secure folder on your SD card's main FAT partition. Whereas Link/Unlink or Link apps moves the apk, odex, dex, lib, data, cache etc to 2nd partition of your SD card and creates a Symbolic link at the original location

What are the advantages of "Link/Unlink or Link apps" over "Move To SD Card (Native Android APP2SD)" and vice versa?

Advantages of "Link/Unlink or Link apps" over "Move To SD Card (Native Android APP2SD)":
        Using symbolic link you can move apk, odex, dex, lib, data and cache to 2nd partition of sd card. Native move to sd allows you to move only apk and lib files
        When you enable USB mass storage to share files with your computer the fat partition of your sd card is unmounted so any app moved using native move to sd will stop working. But apps linked using Apps2SD will continue to work. All apps doesn't support Native move to SD. Apps2SD provides force move (requires root) for apps which doesn't support Native move to sd

Advantages of "Move To SD Card (Native Android APP2SD)" over "Link/Unlink or Link apps":
        Native move to SD doesn't require root
        Native move to SD doesn't require 2nd partition on your SD card

How can I create a partition on my SD card?

You can use Apps2SD built in Partition tool for creating partition. Check out "Partition Tool" section for more details. If partition tool is not working on your device then use Gparted or Minitools on a pc to create the partitions. 1st partition should be fat32 (This partition will be your sd card) and 2nd partition should be ext4/ext3/ext2/f2fs (This partition will be used to link apps). Note: if you use Gparted or Minitools to partition the card make sure you choose primary for all partitions

I get error with the mounting of my Ext partition. It says device busy, what to do?

Your second partition may be already mounted. Most probably your rom has already built-in a2sd, try to disable a2sd on your ROM

I can't see my SD card 2nd partition. Can I view/edit it's content?

Yes. Your SD card is mounted on /data/sdext2 folder. You can use any root explorer to view/edit it's content but i don't recommend modifying it.

Every time the phone boots some linked apps are missing and I'm asked to do a soft reboot the phone in order to see my linked apps, which could be the cause?

If you use SuperSU/Magisk phh Supersu as your super user management app then choose "I've su.d support on my device" option while creating the mount script. If you don't use SuperSU then switch to SuperSU or choose "Advanced method" (Lollipop+) option while creating the mount script

How do I know my device supports f2fs?

Google is your friend. Or you can go ahead and format the 2nd partition as f2fs using the inbuilt partition tool, recreate mount script and reboot. If you don't get any error on boot and the 2nd partition is successfully mounted then good news you've f2fs support

I've linked an app, but when I go to "Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications" I see that the app is still on my Phone, "Move to SD card" button is active, why?

By creating symlinks you get Android to assume these apps are installed into the internal memory, though in fact all the files are located on the SD. To check if an application is linked or not use Apps2SD application

I am getting read-only file system error and cannot link any app anymore, what to do?

Use the Partition Tool to repair the SD card 2nd partition

The free space doesn't increase after linking the applications, what could be the reason for this?

Moving files to 2nd partition and creating symlinks can delay the freeing of storage space; you might need to wait some time for the change to be visible. Or you can reboot the phone to see the changes immediately

I can't see some apps that I've linked on "My Apps" in market. How to fix it?

Try clean cache & data for Market application within Apps2SD. If some apps are still missing from "My apps" afterwards, just install any app from the market and they will show up

What happens if I uninstall a linked application?

If you uninstall a linked application all the linked files will be automatically deleted from the SD card by Apps2SD

What happens if I update a linked application?

If you update a linked application new apk, dex and lib files will be placed in the internal memory at first and then they will be automatically relinked by Apps2SD in the background. You don't have to manually relink after updating an application

I saw a new version of Apps2SD in the market, do I need to unlink my applications before upgrading and then relink with the new version?

No, you don't need to do anything special before upgrading unless it is mentioned in the release notes, you can directly upgrade to the new version. Always read the release log before updating to a new version

I've games with huge obb data but 2nd partition on my sd card is very small and I don't want to repartition. Is there a way I can move the obb data to main fat partition of sd card instead of 2nd partition?

Yes. Beginning from Apps2SD version 3 you can now select which partition to use for obb and external data. Although this is only applicable to manual link. If you use auto link feature Obb and external data will be linked to 2nd partition

What happens to my linked apps if I uninstall the Apps2SD app? Will my linked apps will be automatically uninstalled or moved back to phone memory? And then if I install it back will they stay there?

Nothing happens. All linked apps remain intact and can be run even if you uninstall Apps2SD. And if you install Apps2SD back, you can see that they are there as linked

Apps2SD is saying something about Chainfire's latest SuperSU is required. What is this?

Chainfire's SuperSU is the Superuser access management tool of the future. On Lollipop devices which has Selinux enabled you need Chainfire's latest SuperSU to use mount command (used to mount 2nd partition (if mount at boot is not supported) and bind folders) because Selinux employs mount namespace separation. Google "mount namespace separation" for more details. If you don't use Chainfire's SuperSU then set selinux mode to permissive

I can't see obb or external folder of linked applications. Why?

Android uses Mount namespace separation if Selinux is enabled. This prevents apps from interfering with each other’s mounts so that race conditions between two apps trying to manipulate the same mount cannot occur. Fortunately Chainfire's SuperSU version 1.93 and greater has an option to disable "mount namespace separation". So just do it. If you don't use Chainfire's SuperSU then set selinux mode to permissive

Can i restore apps from SD card 2nd partition after factory reset, ROM flash or in general?

Yes, if you're using the pro version you can use the Restore apps(sdext2) option from Link apps to SD card module.

Note: If the apk of an app was not not linked but other components (data, lib, obb etc) were linked then make sure the app is installed to relink these components

I want to change my SD card, do I need to unlink all the applications and link again to new sd card?

No. Copy the contents of SD card 1st partition (fat32) to OTG/PC and use the Backup function to backup SD card 2nd partition (make sure there's no error), remove the old card, insert new card, create two partitions if not already created, Delete mount script using "Delete mount script" option in "Link apps to SD card" left navigation menu, Create mount script using "Recreate mount script" option in "Link apps to SD card" left navigation menu, copy SD card 1st partition (fat32) backup into SD card 1st partition and restore the SD card 2nd partition backup using Restore function and you're done
Note: If SD card 2nd partition used size is more than 2GB use Phone storage to save the backup or any partition with non fat32 filesystem

I want to increase the size of my SD card 2nd partition/Recreate partitions on SD card, do I need to unlink all the applications and link again to the new partition?

No. Copy the contents of SD card 1st partition (fat32) to OTG/PC and use the Backup function to backup SD card 2nd partition (make sure there's no error), create two partitions with appropriate size using the Partition tool, Delete mount script using "Delete mount script" option in "Link apps to SD card" left navigation menu, Create mount script using "Recreate mount script" option in "Link apps to SD card" left navigation menu, copy SD card 1st partition (fat32) backup into SD card 1st partition and restore the SD card 2nd partition backup using Restore function and you're done
Note: If SD card 2nd partition used size is more than 2GB use Phone storage to save the backup or any partition with non fat32 filesystem

Is there a size limitation for backup?

No. As of version 13.3 there is no size limitation (The filesystem needs to support it though). For older versions backup larger than 2GB is not supported.

I upgraded/changed my ROM and I cannot see my linked apps, their files are on the 2nd partition but the system cannot see the apps. How can I make them available, do I need to reinstall and relink them again?

No, if you didn't wipe data when updating ROM the only thing you need to do is to run "Recreate mount script" within Apps2SD and do a normal (not soft) reboot. If you wiped data, then use the Broken App Cleaner to remove all unused files/folders and link all applications again

Note: Starting from v116 you can import all your linked apps and data from SD card 2nd partition. This is a Pro only feature

When I try to create Mount script or try to uninstall a system app or convert an app i get a message about "Systemless root" detection. What is this?

Apps2SD has detected that the su binary is installed in a non system partition, this is generaly done to keep the system partition intact so banking/financial etc services can be used which generally don't work on a rooted device. If you are fine with system modification then you can disable this warning in Apps2SD settings by selecting "Ignore systemless root" option

When I try to link certain apps (like Facebook, Gmail) it cannot be linked and gets error, sometimes the app crashes. How to fix it?

Try to "disable" the app before linking, you can enable it after the linking is completed. This feature is now supported while linking/unlinking

What does the icons and colors mean in App Detail window?

Red icon means internal storage. Blue icon means phone storage(Emulated SD card). Green icon means Real SD card storage

How to do a clean uninstall of Apps2SD?

If you don't want SD card 2nd partition to mount then use "Delete mount script" to delete the mount script then uninstall Apps2SD normally

I really like your app how can I help?

∙ I'm glad you liked the app. You can help me in below ways:
∙ Buy the Pro version
∙ Spread the word about Apps2SD
∙ Write a review about Apps2SD in review sites or forums
∙ Write tutorials on how to use Apps2SD
∙ Create a tutorial video on how to use Apps2SD
∙ Help translate the app in your preferred language
∙ Any other way you can think of

I still have question(s) what should I do?

Use the contact form to drop your question(s) and I'll add the answer(s) to the list

How to use the partition tool?

Select create option then select the SD card from the SD card drop down. Use the slider to set the 1st partition size or enter manually. The 2nd partition size will be calculated automatically. If you want to create a swap partition then check the checkbox and enter the desired swap size. Then click Yes and follow the instructions. Note: all data will be deleted

How many partitions I can create using the partition tool?

You can create upto 3 partitions: 1st fat32/exfat/f2fs/ext4/ext3/ext2 (it's your SD card), 2nd ext2/ext3/ext4/f2fs (it is used to link the apps), 3rd swap partition (it's optional)

I want to format 1st or 2nd partition individually without touching the other partition, how can I do it?

Instead of selecting Create select Format. Then select the partition you want to format and it's file system. Note: all data will be deleted

I want to have only one fat partition on my SD card, how can I do it?

Use Storage option in Android Settings to erase your SD card. It will wipe all partitions and create one big fat partition. Note: it'll delete data from all partitions on SD card so backup all the necessary files

What are file systems the tool supports?

For 1st partition fat32, exFat, f2fs, ext4, ext3 and ext2 are supported. Even though exFat is supported by the tool it might not be supported by your device. So make sure you have exFat support before creating/formatting as exFat. For 2nd partition ext2/ext3/ext4/f2fs/fat32 are supported. Even though f2fs is supported by the tool it might not be supported by your device. So make sure you have f2fs support before creating/formatting as f2fs

I don't see f2fs or exfat in the drop down why?

That means Apps2SD doesn't support these file systems on your device

But I really want f2fs or exfat support how can I get it?

Use some other tool to format as f2fs or exfat then recreate mount script and you are good to go

I still have question(s) what should I do?

Use the contact form to drop your question(s) and I'll add the answer(s) to the list

What is Folder mount?

Using folder mount you can bind/link a folder to another folder. For e.g. bind/link a folder in internal SD card to external SD card

What do you mean by bind/link? Does it bind or link?

It does both. If both the source and destination are on Linux file system then they can be linked using symbolic link. A symbolic is permanent but bind is lost on reboot (Apps2SD rebinds them on boot)

Ok got it what it does but how to use it?

In Link/Mount points window click on the plus icon, it'll open the "Folder Mount" window. In the Folder Mount window enter the below details and click on ok. If both the source and destination have Linux file system then click on Create symlink option

Ok I tried entering the paths but I got some error, can you explain why?

There are some restrictions on the folders you can bind/link. The error messages are self-explanatory

Ok I was able to create a folder mount, got a successful message but nothing happened, the folder is still not bound/linked, why?

It just created the pair, in Link/Mount points window click on the toggle button to switch on/off the pair

I've read all the above points but still not able to create folder mount pairs

If you're using the Pro version there is a module named "Folder Mount (App analyzer)" in which you can select an app and create folder mount pairs for obb, media and external data with just two clicks

I still have question(s) what should I do?

Use the contact form to drop your question(s) and I'll add the answer(s) to the list

What is SD card booster and how does it work?

SD card booster increases the read/write speed of your SD cards (both internal and external) by changing the read ahead cache value

What is read ahead cache value?

Google is you friend

What cache value should I use?

The cache value differs from device to device so you have to do hit and trail until you find the optimum value

Ok so what are the allowed cache value? Is there any restriction?

Yes. The allowed cache value is between 128 and 8192. And it should be multiple of 4

What do you mean by hit and trail?

Set the cache value, apply then do a speed test. Repeat the process and see which value gives the best result

How to do the speed test?

Click the test button in SD card booster wizard or click on MMC Speed Test from main menu

How to use the speed test?

Select the SD card, set the file size then click start

What should be the file size?

Minimum size is 300MB, you'll get more accurate result for larger size

There is a huge file named vicky.bonick on my SD card, it has garbage data, why the file is on my SD card?

This is the test file used for SD card speed test. The file should have been deleted once the test is complete. If the file is still present then it means you would've got an error while doing speed test. Go ahead and delete the file

Is there any report where I can see the test results?

Yes. In speed test use report menu option

The report shows very few details, I want more details how can I get it?

Long click on any row, it'll display more details

I still have question(s) what should I do?

Use the contact form to drop your question(s) and I'll add the answer(s) to the list

What is Swap manager and what does it do?

Using Swap manager you can manage your swap partition(s) and swap file(s). You can switch on/off swap. Create/delete swap file(s). Here is a useful link about what is swap. https://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/5.2/Deployment_Guide/s1-swap-what-is.html

When I reboot I see a notification "Enabling/disabling swap partitions/files", what is this?

The swap details are lost on reboot so Apps2SD restores the swaps based on your preference before reboot. Note: you can disable it in settings

I don't have a swap partition, can I use a swap file?

Yes. In swap manager create a swap file and switch it on. Make sure you create the swap file in a folder with Linux file system (ext2/ext3/ext4/f2fs etc)

Can I delete a swap file?

Yes. Long click on the row having swap file then delete using delete option

I still have question(s) what should I do?

Use the contact form to drop your question(s) and I'll add the answer(s) to the list

What is Hibernate apps (Greenify) and how does it work?

As the name suggests it'll hibernate selected apps till next boot or they are manually run. The selected apps will be hibernated when screen turns off

What does SDfix do?

If apps are not able to write to external SD card then use the SDfix. It patches Android permissions to allow apps to have write access to external SD card

What is Fix device lag and how does it work?

It uses the fstrim (wipe unused data blocks internally) command to trim system, data, cache and sd card 2nd partition. Triming results in faster I/O operations. Check "Fix Device Lag" section for more details

Why Screen recorder is not supported on Android Jelly Bean and below?

Required apis to record screen is not available on lower versions of Android so it is not possible

I still have question(s) what should I do?

Use the contact form to drop your question(s) and I'll add the answer(s) to the list