Mobile

Install Apps on SD Card on Galaxy Note 9 [Make it default]

Just like any other accessories, the SD Card has its own importance. The SD cards have been developed to rescue some common problems that users face regarding low internal memory on their phone. They are no longer limited to safe stuff like photos, videos, and other downloads. Now, you can install applications directly on the SD Card instead of internal memory. In this tutorial, we’ll help you make the SD card as the default installation path for apps on Samsung Galaxy Note 9 smartphone. After you implement this method, all applications will automatically install on the SD card (memory card) rather than using the internal memory.

You could save the internal memory for other purposes. Even though the Galaxy Note 9 comes with commendable internal storage, sooner or later, you might want to insert your SD card. It has multiple benefits. First of all, if you use an SD card for storage purpose, that will keep the internal memory usage at minimal. That helps to sustain a solid and fast performance. And of course, you can easily transfer files from SD to your PC and other devices. If you’re looking to improve performance, then you must visit our recent tutorial to speed up Galaxy Note 9 for better performance.

To set the memory card as default installation path, you don’t have to achieve root. Neither it requires any kind of application or utility. There’s a hidden option within the Android operating. We will use that option to set the SD card as the default installation path for applications on Galaxy Note 9. The most noteworthy thing is that doing so won’t harm your phone in any manner. Neither it voids the warranty of your phone or has in the risk involved.

We are talking about the Developer Options. This panel features extensively powerful options that can help you elevate the user experience. Mostly, all OEMs including Samsung and Google keep this option hidden within the operating system for some reasons. Since this panel has powerful features, it can cause a dramatic impact on the user experience if used unknowingly. Basically, this panel developed for Android Developers so they can bring us useful stuff for us. For ordinary users like us, the Developer Options has plenty of useful features to improve the performance and productivity of any Android phone, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Actually, you can do a lot with the Developer Options on your phone. You can control animations, dive deep into the background processes and locate the culprit apps lowering the performance, set default USB configuration, set limits on background process, improve the gaming experience, and so on. If you ever wish to fake location on your phone, then you gotta use the Developer Options. Only, that will help you serve this option. Out of the box, enabling the Developer Options takes only a few seconds. The process remains the same for the most of the Samsung Galaxy smartphones. If you’ve earlier used Galaxy S7 or S8, Note, then you must have the knowledge of it.

So, the first step is to enable the Developer Options on your phone. Just follow the below tutorial that I’ve already published on our site:

Or just follow the below instructions:

  1. Open the Settings menu on your phone.
  2. Tap on Software Information.
  3. Now, tap on About Phone.
  4. Locate ‘Build Number’ and tap 7 times on it.
  5. It will activate the Developer Options and it will appear in the Settings like this: Enable Developer Options on Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Now, you can access the Developer Options directly from Settings->Developer Options. Since you have this option enabled on your phone, now proceed further to make the SD Card as the default installation path for applications.

Make SD Card as Default Installation Path for Apps on Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Under the Developer Options, you’ll find ‘Force allow apps on external’ option. Once we enable this option, going forward, applications from Google Play store or any other source will directly install to the memory card of your phone.

They won’t consume the internal memory. That helps it running smoothly all the time and saving internal memory for run-time processes.

The following instructions will help you get through this configuration:

  1. Open the Settings menu on your phone.
  2. Navigate to ‘Developer Options’ and open it.
  3. Under the Developer Options, locate ‘Force allow apps on external’: Install Apps on SD Card on Galaxy Note 9
  4. Enable this option on your phone.
  5. Exit this menu.

That’s you gotta do. Now, each time you install an application, it will take space on the external storage (SD card) instead of utilizing the internal memory. For existing applications, we recommend you to uninstall them and install them.

That keeps a huge load off from the internal memory. That supports performance and helps in maintaining it. I remember the time when we used to root our phone to achieve such a thing. From past few years, the Android OS has been developed so well that it makes most of the tasks easier and effortless. Must check out the list of helpful applications for Galaxy Note 9.

We hope that our Samsung Galaxy Note 9 users would like this tutorial. If it helps you in any way, then must share your experience in the comment section below. We create such stuff regularly, therefore you must bookmark this page.

17 Comments

  1. Definitely a winner, didn’t know if I was gone pull my hair out or bury myself with stress google searching for this answer. Problem solved. That a a billion times….

  2. Apps don’t download to the SD card and move back to internal storage when updates occur. Any way to solve this problem?

    1. Hi Tony,

      You can do that. Open Storage settings on your phone. There, tap on the three-dot menu and there you should see option to make SD card as default one.

      1. Hi Deepak, my phone doesn’t give me that option. It only gives me an option to format the card which I did when I first installed it. My phone is brand new and all software is up to date.
        Thanks,
        Tony

        1. Hi Tony,

          While it says to format this SD card, there should be an option like formate as Internal memory, after that, it should act like the internal memory.

  3. I have the Galaxy Note 9. What was promised was explained in a very clear & concise way with screen shots to assist me. I’m happy that it promised help for the Note 9 & that it didn’t list the instructions for a Galaxy S8/S9.
    I had been searching online all day & then I rephrased what I wanted..
    “Note 9 default SD card”. The Google search brought me to your site as the 1st option as an article/webpage!

  4. I’m glad this is helping some people. It’s not working for me. I did recently update my note 9 to Pie, so not sure if that matters.

    None the ideas thus far have worked. There is no three dot option, as described here, that I can find.

    Help?

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