Modern motorists and pedestrians actively use Yandex Navigator to build routes, but over time the application begins to take up gigabytes of the internal memory of the smartphone. This is due to the constant updating of maps, voice packages and caching of traffic data. When the internal storage becomes full, the system begins to slow down, and installation of other apps becomes impossible.
Fortunately, there are several ways to free up space by moving the application itself, or, more efficiently, its heavy data to an external drive. In this article we will look in detail at how to transfer Yandex Navigator to an SD card depending on the version of your operating system Android. Not all methods are universal, so it is important to carefully familiarize yourself with the features of your device before starting the procedure.
Features of working with memory in Android
The operating system Android has undergone significant changes in file system management in recent years. Previously, users could easily transfer any APK files and their data to external media through the standard menu. However, starting from versions 6.0 and higher, the security policy Google has become more stringent.
Now many system applications and services that are critical for the operation of the device are protected from movement by default. This is done so that when the memory card is removed, the phone does not lose functionality. Yandex Navigator belongs to the category of navigation software, which often requires quick access to data, so the system may limit its transfer.
However, the bulk of the space is occupied not by the app's executable files, but by offline maps. They are the main goal of optimization. Moving maps to an SD card can free up up to 10-15 GB of internal space, which significantly affects the performance of the smartphone.
⚠️ Attention: The speed of the navigator directly depends on the speed class of your SD card. Using slow cards (Class 4 or Class 6) can lead to slowdown of the interface and long loading of maps when scaling. It is recommended to use standard cards
UHS-I Class 10or higher.
Before any manipulations with files, create a backup copy of your important data. Sudden removal of the memory card during recording may damage the file system.
Preparing the SD card and smartphone
Before you begin transferring data, you need to make sure that your drive is correctly formatted and ready for use. The card inserted out of the box may have a file system that is incompatible with the requirements Android for recording large amounts of data.
Go to the settings of your device and find the section Storage or Memory. Select your SD card and check its status. If the system prompts you to format it as "Internal Storage" (Adoptable Storage), this is ideal for transferring applications, but it will make the card unreadable on other devices without formatting.
If you plan to use the card as "Portable Storage", make sure it is formatted in file system FAT32 or exFAT. For cards larger than 32 GB, the system Android usually recommends exFATsince FAT32 does not support files larger than 4 GB, and map files in the navigator can be large.
- 📱 Make sure that the SD card is detected by the system in the menu
Settings → Storage. - 💾 Check the availability of free space: maps of Russia and the CIS will require at least 10-15 GB.
- 🔋 Charge your smartphone to at least 50% to avoid power outages while copying files.
- 📂 Install a file manager, for example Total Commander or Files by Googleif your phone does not have a built-in one.
Method 1: Transfer through application settings
The simplest and safest method that works on some smartphone models (mainly Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei with old shells versions) is to use the built-in transfer function. This method allows you to move the application body itself along with part of the data.
Open the menu Settings of your smartphone and go to the Applications or All applicationssection. In the list of installed apps, find Yandex Navigator. Tap on it to open the application information page.
On the information screen you should see a button Memory or immediately the button Change (or Move to SD card). If the button is active (not gray), click on it and select the option Memory cardin the window that appears. The system will automatically begin the migration process.
Settings → Applications → Yandex Navigator → Memory → Change → Memory cardHowever, if the button is inactive or missing, this means that the application developer has prohibited the transfer at the manifest level, or the version Android blocks this operation for system services. In this case, proceed to the next section of the instructions, where we will look at manually moving maps.
The "Move" button may not be available on Android 10 and higher for most navigation applications due to file system access restrictions.
Method 2: Manually moving offline maps
This is the most effective method that is guaranteed to work on all versions Android. Its essence is to manually transfer folders with downloaded maps to the internal memory to an external drive, and then create a symbolic link or simply specify a new path in the settings, if the application allows it.
First, open the file manager and go to the internal memory of the device. You need to find the folder where Yandex Navigator the cards are stored. Most often, the path looks like this: Android/data/ru.yandex.yandexnavi/files/maps or just the root folder Yandex in the root of the internal memory.
Select the folder with maps (usually it is called maps or contains files with extension .nmp) and perform the "Cut" operation. Then go to your SD card. Create a similar folder structure there so that the application can find the data. For example: SD card/Yandex/maps.
After moving the files, launch the navigator. Go to Menu → Settings → Offline maps. The application may report that no cards were found. You will need to specify a new path to them or simply click the "Download" button again if the files are not detected automatically. In some cases, clearing the application cache after the transfer helps.
| Data type | Approximate size | Recommended storage location | Impact on speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executable file (APK) | 100-200 MB | Internal memory | High (launch) |
| Offline maps of regions | 2-8 GB | SD card (Class 10) | Average (address search) |
| Voice packages | 100-300 MB | SD card | Low |
| Traffic and photo cache | 500 MB - 2 GB | Internal memory | High (rendering) |
What to do if the application does not see the cards after transfer?
Try to restart the device. If this doesn't help, check your SD card permissions in your application settings. Sometimes you need to grant permission to write manually through the system dialog.
Using the Adoptable Storage function
The function Adoptable Storage (Adaptive Storage) allows you to combine the internal memory of your smartphone and the SD card into a single space. When this option is enabled, the system formats the card and encrypts it, after which it considers it part of the internal storage.
To activate this mode, insert the card, go to Settings → Storage. Select your SD card, click on the three dots in the corner of the menu and select Storage settings. Next, select item Internal memory. The system will warn you that all data on the card will be deleted.
After formatting is complete, you will be able to transfer Yandex Navigator and any other applications as if it were regular internal memory. This solves the problem with the inactive transfer button. However, there is a significant drawback: removing this card and inserting it into a computer or other phone without full formatting will no longer work.
⚠️ Attention: When using the "Internal Memory" mode, failure of the SD card can lead to the loss of application data and their inoperability. Choose only reliable drives from well-known brands, such as SanDisk or Samsung.
☑️ Check before turning on Adoptable Storage
Problems and possible errors during transfer
In the process of optimizing storage, users often encounter various difficulties. One of the most common is the “Not enough space” error, even if there are free gigabytes on the card. This is due to the fact that the file system requires additional space for file allocation tables.
Another common problem is loss of connection with maps after rebooting the phone. This happens if the SD card is mounted by the system later than the navigator application is launched. In this case, the navigator simply does not have time to see the map files at startup.
Messages about damaged map files may also appear. This indicates that the memory card has bad sectors or low write speed. If you encounter this, try formatting the card on your computer using the utility SD Memory Card Formatter.
In some cases, especially on custom firmware, access rights to the folder Android/data on the external card may be limited. To resolve this issue, you may need to grant special permissions through your file manager the first time you access this directory.
⚠️ Attention: Menu interfaces and item names may differ depending on the smartphone manufacturer (Samsung, Xiaomi, Honor) and shell version. If you do not find the described items, use the search in your phone settings.
If the navigator works slowly from the map, try moving back only the folder with the cache of images and diagrams, leaving heavy offline maps on external media.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to transfer Yandex Navigator to an SD card on Android 11 and higher?
Directly transferring the application itself (APK) through the settings is often impossible due to security restrictions Android 11+ (Scoped Storage). However, you can and should transfer folders with offline maps manually through the file manager, which will free up the bulk of memory.
Why, after transferring maps, does the navigator write "Map not found"?
Most likely, the folder structure is broken. The application searches for maps along a strictly defined path. Make sure that an exact copy of the directory structure that was in the internal memory is created on the SD card, or specify a new path in the settings of the application itself, if such a function is provided.
Does the transfer affect the speed of the navigator?
Yes, it can. The speed of loading maps and drawing the interface depends on the reading speed of your SD card. If the card is old or cheap, there may be delays when scaling the map. For comfortable work, use UHS-I standard cards.
Do you need root access to transfer data?
In most cases, root access is not required. Using standard file manager tools, you can move files to folders Android/data on an external card. Root may only be needed in rare cases if the system completely blocks access to certain system directories.
What will happen to the cards if I remove the SD card?
The navigator will stop seeing offline maps and switch to online mode, consuming mobile traffic. If there is no Internet, navigation will become impossible. All data will be saved on the card and will be available immediately after it is reinstalled.