Owners of brand smartphones Honor often face a lack of built-in memory, especially on budget and mid-segment models. Installing modern games and “heavy” social networks quickly fills the available space, which leads to a slowdown of the system and the inability to take new pictures. In such situations, the only rational solution is to use an external microSD card for storing user data and apps.
However, the process of moving applications to Android, including on the shell Magic UI or EMUI, has its own technical nuances and limitations. Not all apps can be easily transferred, and some phone models require special steps to activate the storage consolidation feature. In this article, we will look in detail at how to properly configure a memory card and transfer data to it without losing the functionality of the devices.
Preparing a memory card and checking compatibility
Before you start transferring data, you need to make sure that your device technically supports working with external drives in the required mode. Most smartphones are Honor equipped with a hybrid slot where you can install either a second SIM card or a memory module. Make sure that you are using a high-quality card format microSDHC or microSDXC with a high write speed so as not to slow down applications.
Insert the card into the slot and wait for the system notification. Typically, Android suggests using the drive as portable storage or as internal memory. To fully transfer applications, it is critical to select the “Internal Memory” mode (Adoptable Storage), although on new versions of Android this option is often hidden by manufacturers. If the standard menu does not offer formatting for internal storage, you may need to activate it through the engineering menu or ADB.
⚠️ Attention: Formatting a memory card in internal storage mode will completely clear all data on it. Be sure to save important photos and documents on your computer before starting the procedure.
Standard transfer method through system settings
If your smartphone model supports the native transfer function, the process will be as simple as possible and will not require third-party software. Go to the main settings of the device and find the section responsible for memory management. The path may differ slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same for the entire line Honor.
Go to menu Settings → Storage or Settings → Applications. Here you will see a list of all installed apps. Select a specific application that takes up a lot of space, such as a heavy game or instant messenger with a large cache. If the function is available, you will see an active “Move to SD card” button.
Click on the button and wait for the process to complete. The system will automatically copy the application files and part of the cache to external media, freeing up space on the internal partition. It is worth noting that not all system applications widgets can be moved - developers often block this opportunity for critical system components.
☑️ Check before moving
Using extended storage mode
On modern versions of Android, Huawei and brand Honor implemented a function that allows you to combine internal memory and a microSD card into a single space. This method is considered the most effective, since the system itself decides where to write new data and application cache, without requiring manual transfer of each file.
To activate the mode, go to Settings → Memory. If the card is installed, click on it and select the “Format as internal memory” option. After this, the phone will offer to transfer existing data. This process turns the card into an encrypted partition that will not work on other devices without reformatting.
Using this mode has its own characteristics. The speed of your smartphone directly depends on the reading speed of your memory card. Cheap class 10 cards can become a bottleneck, causing interface freezes and long app loading times. It is recommended to use drives marked UHS-I or UHS-II for maximum performance.
Use memory cards from trusted brands (Samsung, SanDisk, Kingston) to avoid data loss and application failures.
| Card type | Min. recording speed | Recommended use | Compatible with Honor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 10 | 10 MB/s | Photo, video, music | Low (not suitable for applications) |
| UHS-I U1 | 10 MB/s | Full HD video recording | Average |
| UHS-I U3 | 30 MB/s | 4K recording, heavy games | High (optimal) |
| UHS-II | 60+ MB/s | Professional shooting | Maximum |
Data transfer via computer and file manager
Sometimes standard settings do not allow you to transfer the application body itself, but they do the ability to free up space by manually moving media files and cache. This method is suitable for instant messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, which save tons of photos and videos to the internal memory by default.
Connect your smartphone to the computer via a USB cable and select file transfer mode MTP. Open your phone's internal storage and find the app data folders. Most often they are located in directories Android/media, Android/obb or in the root folders with the name of the application.
Copy the contents of these folders to a memory card. After transfer, you can delete the originals from the internal disk. Some apps will require you to specify the new file path in their own settings. For example, in the bootloader settings Telegram you can change the save folder to the path to the memory card.
What to do if the computer does not see the phone?
Make sure that the cable is working and supports data transfer, not just charging. Try a different USB port or install Huawei HiSuite drivers on your PC.
Features of transfer on different versions of Magic UI and EMUI
The memory management interface changed significantly from version to version. On old shells EMUI 8 and 9, the transfer function was more accessible and understandable. In new versions Magic UI 4, 5 and higher, developers often hide the ability to completely transfer applications, leaving only the transfer of media files.
Users of new models, such as Honor 50, Honor 70 or Honor Magic, should pay attention to the presence of proprietary optimization tools. In the Phone Manager application, there is sometimes a “Cleanup” section that suggests moving large files to the card, but does not touch the APK files of the apps themselves.
If you updated your smartphone to the latest version of Android and the transfer button disappeared, this does not mean a breakdown. This is a conscious decision by Google and the manufacturers to improve system stability. In such cases, you can only rely on manually clearing the cache or using cloud storage.
⚠️ Attention: The settings interface may differ depending on the regional firmware version (Global, Russia, Europe). If you do not find the described items, check for system updates.
Troubleshooting and common errors
During the transfer process, users often encounter errors such as “Not enough space” or “The application does not move.” The first error can occur even if there is a lot of free space on the card, due to the file system or hidden partitions. The second error is most often due to the fact that the application developer has prohibited installation on external media.
It is also possible that after transferring the application stops starting or crashes. This indicates a low speed of the memory card or that the system did not mount the partition correctly. In this case, try returning the application to the internal memory and formatting the card again.
Another common problem is the loss of widgets on the desktop after transferring the app. Widgets are strictly tied to internal storage and cannot function from external storage. You will have to re-add them to the screen after the data migration is complete.
If an application is mission-critical and frequently used, it is better to leave it in the internal memory for maximum responsiveness.
Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to transfer all applications to a memory card without restrictions?
Unfortunately, no. System applications and some apps that require high speed data access (for example, navigators or heavy 3D games) are blocked by developers from being transferred. Also, part of the cache always remains in the internal memory for fast operation.
Will the application work if you remove the memory card?
No. If an application is completely moved to the memory card or installed in consolidated storage mode, then when the card is removed, it will no longer launch, and its icon may disappear or become inactive until the media is returned.
Will the phone slow down after transferring applications?
Yes, this is likely. The read speed of built-in memory (UFS) is usually several times faster than that of microSD cards. Transferring heavy applications to a slow card can lead to increased loading times and periodic interface slowdowns.
How to return an application back to the internal memory?
The process is similar to transferring it to a card. Go to Settings → Applications, select the desired app and click the “Move to internal memory” or “Change” → “Internal memory” button.
Why is there no transfer button to the SD card on the new Honor?
Starting with Android 10 and above, Google has limited the ability to use memory cards as internal storage for third-party applications for security and performance reasons. Many manufacturers, including Honor, follow this rule.