USB storage vs SD card

[rick2511]

I am in the process of trying to move as many apps from my phone storage to my SD card in an attempt to speed my phone up. When I am in the Apps section of the settings menu, I noticed that I do not have the choice of "move to SD card"; my choices are "Move to internal storage" or "move to phone". If I use the "move to internal storage" button, the app moves but shows up listed next to the "USB storage app" line. What is the difference between "USB storage" and the SD card? Is the app being moved off the phone or is there some other sort of storage area I don't know about?

Using Motorola Droid Razr, Android 4.1.2, system 98.72.165.XT912.Verizon.en.US
The main add-on I have is a Nova launcher


Thanks

 

[Sajo]

I thought the "Move To SD Card" option was removed with the 4.1 OS update? I didn't think that was available anymore, but could be wrong.

 

[maomao]

You're both right.

~There's not a "Move to SD Card" option now.

~ When you move an app to Internal Storage, that info will show under "USB [Device?] Storage" - not under "SD card." I noticed that when I replaced my original SD card with a new Class 10 [HD video quality] SD card.

An SD is insertable storage that is an external device. When you move apps to the SD card, as far as your phone's concerned, that data is off the phone. Physically, that's true. Which is really confusing. The SD card isn't physically part of the phone. It's external but inserted. But you click on click on "Internal Storage" to move data to the external-but-inserted SD card!

Moving apps to your SD card also means that if your SD loosens, you'll temporarily lose that app. It's easy to open the door and see if it's jostled really loose... It will stick out part way. But sometimes the problem is more subtle and just having opened the door and shutting it again will tighten up the card placement enough to restore app availability.

Does that help?

 

[kodiak799]

My undertanding is your phones internal memory is actually an internal SD card that is partitioned for system/rom, cache, apps/data and storage (which is your internal "SD card"). My Rezound has 2.3gigs for apps/data (i.e. "phone" storage), and it forces me to leave 250-300megs of that free.

I don't think you'll get any improvement in speed because that is dependent almost entirely on ram and cpu. But if you fill that apps/data partition, it can apparently cause some apps to stop working.