Smartphone owners Honor often face a situation where the internal memory of the device fills up critically quickly. This is especially true for fans of mobile games, which can take up from 2 to 10 GB of space each. When the system storage is full, the phone starts to work slower, and installing new applications becomes impossible.
Fortunately, most brand models support memory expansion through format cards microSD. However, the process of transferring data is not always intuitive due to the features of the shell EMUI or MagicOS. In this article, we will analyze in detail all the available ways to free up internal space and move game files to external media.
Before you begin manipulation, you need to make sure that your memory card is working and has sufficient write speed. For modern heavy games, cards of class UHS-I U3 or V30are recommended, since slow drives can cause freezes in the gameplay.
Preparing a memory card and diagnosing the system
The first step is the physical installation of the media and its correct initialization by the system. Insert the card into the slot, which is usually located in the SIM card tray on the side of the case. After recognition by the device, go to settings. Find the section Memory or Storage in the parameters menu.
The system will prompt you to select the drive operating mode. The Portable Storage mode is best suited for transferring games. In this mode, the card is used as an additional drive for media files and applications. The "Internal storage" mode encrypts the card for a specific phone, which makes it difficult to read on other devices, but allows the system to see it as a single whole.
⚠️ Attention: Formatting a memory card in internal storage mode will delete all data that was previously on it. Be sure to back up important photos and documents before starting the procedure.
Check the card status in the settings menu. If the system writes "The memory card is damaged" or "Not supported", try formatting it via a computer in the file system FAT32 or exFAT. After this, repeat the procedure on your phone.
Use memory cards with a capacity of 64 GB or more to comfortably install several large games. 32 GB cards can quickly fill up with a cache of modern projects.
Standard transfer method through phone settings
The easiest way to change the location of the application is to use the built-in Android tools. This method does not work for all games, as developers can prevent their product from being moved to external media in the application manifest. However, it’s worth a try first.
Open the menu Settings and go to the section Applications. Select item Manage applications. In the list, find the game you want to move. Click on its name to open a page with information.
On the application information screen, find the button Memory or just the button Moveif it is active. If the button is gray or missing, it means that the developer has blocked this feature programmatically. In this case, you will have to use alternative methods described below.
- 📱 Go to Settings → Applications → Select a game.
- 💾 Click on "Memory" or "Storage".
- 🔄 If the "Move" button is active, press it and wait for the process to complete.
- ✅ Make sure that the checkbox is opposite "SD card".
It is important to understand that when transferring in this way, only the main part of the application (APK) is moved to the card, and the cache and saves often remain in the internal memory. This saves space, but does not free it up completely.
Configuring the card as internal storage (Adoptable Storage)
If standard transfer is not available for most of your games, you can try combining the internal memory and microSD card into a single pool. This feature, known as Adoptable Storage, allows the system to consider the card as part of the system partition.
To activate this feature, go to Settings → Memory. Select your SD card and click on the menu (three dots) or settings button. Select the "Format as internal storage" option. The system will warn you about data loss and the need for high card speed.
| Format type | Advantages | Disadvantages | Recommended speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable | Easy to remove, read on PC | Not all applications are portable | Class 10 |
| Internal | All applications are available for transfer | The card is tied to the phone, slower | UHS-I U3 / V30 |
| Hybrid | Balance between speed and volume | Requires manual control | Class 10 |
After formatting, the system will automatically begin transferring data. You can manually choose which apps to move by going into the settings for each one. The "Move" button should now become active for most games, even those that previously resisted it.
⚠️ Warning: When using internal storage mode, removing the card without first "unmounting" it in the settings may result in a system crash and loss of application data.
What to do if the format to internal storage button is inactive?
Some manufacturers, including Honor, may hide this option in certain firmware versions. In this case, you can try activating it through your computer by connecting your phone in USB debugging mode and entering the command: pm set-force-adoptable true. However, this requires root access or specific ADB drivers.
Transferring game cache and data files manually
Many modern games, such as PUBG, Call of Duty Mobile or Genshin Impact, load the main resources (textures, models, sounds) into a separate folder. Often this folder takes up more space than the application itself. It can be moved manually through the file manager.
Use the built-in file manager Files or a third-party advanced tool, for example Total Commander or X-plore. You need to find the game data folder. Usually it is located along the path Android/obb or Android/data in the internal memory.
/storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/com.game.name/
/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.game.name/
Cut the folder with the name of the game (for example, com.tencent.ig) and paste it into a similar directory on the memory card. The path on the map will look like /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Android/obb/, where XXXX-XXXX is the identifier of your card.
- 📂 Open the file manager and go to Internal memory.
- 📁 Find the Android → obb or data folder.
- ✂️ Cut out the folder with the name of the game package.
- 📥 Paste it into the corresponding folder on the SD card.
After moving, launch the game. If she doesn't see the files, she may need access rights to the external media. In some cases, you need to create a symbolic link, but this is only possible on rooted devices.
Manually moving the OBB and Data folders frees up the most space, since this is where gigabytes of game resources are stored, and not just the installation file.
Using utilities to automate the process
If manual movement seems too complicated for you, there are specialized applications that automate this process. One of the most popular utilities is App2SD or Files To SD Card. These apps scan your device and show you which applications can be moved.
Install the selected utility from the Google Play Store. Give her the necessary permissions to access the files. Run a system scan. The app will divide applications into three categories: on the phone, on the map, and those that can be moved.
Select a game from the "On Phone" list and press the move button. The utility itself will perform all the necessary operations to copy files and change paths in the Android registry. This is especially convenient for bulk data transfer.
⚠️ Attention: Third-party utilities cannot bypass Android system restrictions without root access. If the move button is inactive in the phone settings, most likely it will be inactive in a third-party application.
Some apps offer the "Link2SD" function, which requires superuser rights (Root). This is an advanced method that allows you to transfer absolutely any application by creating links on a memory card. However, rooting Honor may void the warranty.
Possible problems and solutions
During the process of transferring games, users often encounter various errors. The most common problem is that the game stops starting or crashes immediately after opening. This may mean that the memory card is too slow for streaming textures.
Another common error is the message "Application not installed" when trying to transfer the game back to the phone. In this case, it is recommended to completely delete the game and download it again, having first selected the memory card as the default installation location in the Play Market store settings.
It is also possible that artifacts or long loading times for levels may appear. This is a direct sign that the card reading speed is insufficient. In this case, it is better to leave the game in the internal memory, and transfer photos and videos to the card.
☑️ Diagnosing problems with the game on the SD card
If the memory card is detected with errors, try cleaning the contacts on the media itself with a soft eraser and wiping them with alcohol. Contact oxidation is a common cause of mobile storage failures.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to transfer a game to a card if the phone does not have a "Move" button?
Not using standard means, if the developer has prohibited it. However, you can try formatting the card as internal storage or using manually moving OBB folders through a file manager.
Will progress in the game be deleted when transferred to a memory card?
No, progress is usually saved, since it is stored either in the cloud (Google Play Games) or in a protected part of the internal memory, which is not affected when transferring the main files. However, it is recommended to make a backup before starting.
Why does the game run slower after transferring to an SD card?
The reading speed of microSD cards, even the fastest ones, is usually lower than the speed of the phone's internal flash memory (UFS). Heavy games require fast loading of data, and the card may not be able to cope with this, causing freezes.
Is it possible to use one memory card on different Honor phones after transferring games?
If the card is formatted as "Portable storage" - yes, the files will be visible. If it's like "Internal storage" - no, since it is encrypted for a specific device and the encryption keys are stored in the processor of the first phone.
How to return the game back to the internal memory?
Go to Settings → Applications → Select the game → Memory → Click "Change" or "Move" and select "Internal memory". If the manual method was used, simply return the OBB/Data folders back to the internal memory.