This is a "new" feature in Android 4.x?

[bronislav84]

Yes I know that ICS/JB have been out a while, which is why I put new in quotes. This is new to me.

Ok so I haven't installed an SD card yet in my phone, so there's no external storage area at all. First reason why I'm not using the built in screen shot taker. Where would it go? Another reason why I'm not using the built in screen shots is then I wouldn't be able to use my fingers (look at where the nails are pointing specifically) to point to what I'm confused about.

So my question is, how is there USB and SD storage being used when it isn't connected to any USB devices? There's also no SD card installed.

Ok now for the screen shots. There's three and I'm on the mobile app so bear with me please.

[bronislav84]

Second screen.

[bronislav84]

Third screen.

[bronislav84]

Please, please can somebody explain where this is coming from? I've been afraid to insert a SD card.

Is my phone making a virtual SD partition that will be moved to a real SD once one is inserted? That sounds feasible, but I have only been using 4.x a week and never saw this before.

I can kinda explain the SD, but USB? In don't understand.

Please, can somebody help?

[HunterSLAYER]

Please, please can somebody explain where this is coming from? I've been afraid to insert a SD card.

Is my phone making a virtual SD partition that will be moved to a real SD once one is inserted? That sounds feasible, but I have only been using 4.x a week and never saw this before.

I can kinda explain the SD, but USB? In don't understand.

Please, can somebody help?

Usb Storage refers to assets/additional files(sd cache) that an app has stored on your internal sd card(e.g resource packs).
Samsung coders made it so that /mnt sdcard(external) is treated as the internal sd card so "expanding" your storage on SGS III is pretty much useless as most app data can only be stored on the Internal sd card(which means once you run out of internal storage on your internal sd card, too bad.).

The only workaround to this is to ROOT(Bron, i know you're not going to ROOT, so let's just assume you won't.) and install third-party apps or change your device's default storage location manually(ROOT ONLY) to external so that you can Move apps to your External sd card, instead of the internal sd card.

The Actual apk (dalvik cache)is stored in ROM memory(Separate partition on your phone-usually a few gigs that can only be used to store apks and system related data, like build.prop and default capability.xml)

Blame the Samsung coders for the "move apps to sd" problem on non-rooted devices :>

Note:
Recently(actually it has been quite some time already since this was implemented)Google allowed app expansion but still limited the max. size of an apk to 50 MB.
What is app expansion you might ask?
Well, app expansion is updating apps with ease by downloading additional files from the Google Play Store(instead of the developer's server) whenever an update is available for an app(new resources, etc.).
Additional files(sd cache) for apps can be downloaded much faster(as Google's servers are most of the time, alot faster than developers' servers) for apps that are HUGE(like DH3 and The Dark Knight Rises).

In the past, Sd cache for apps are usually downloaded and stored in /mnt/sd card/Android/data, but now(for some apps), sd cache is stored in /mnt/sd card/Android/obb instead(this is the location where the Play Store stores the sd cache for apps.)

Downloading such HUGE apps will result in "usb storage being used"(int. sd).

*I'll not be explaining any further as this should be clear enough for you.
And also because i can't afford the time spent typing paragraphs :/

[bronislav84]

Thank you so much Hunter. Wow, so now I have one question for you if you have time. Or somebody else. How do I import or export anything from a physical SD card? It doesn't read it at all? That's hard to believe.

How do I take anything off this phone to my next phone, then? Would I have to root it to put pictures and bookmarks on the SD?

Can I temp root, change the external storage location, and then unroot and keep it that way?

I don't really care so much where apps are stored. What's important is where downloads and exports are stored.

[HunterSLAYER]

Your sgs iii can read stored content off your external sd card, such as music,videos, pdf, swf files, pictures,etc.
Apks downloaded will also be stored on your external sd card if its available, if not it would be stored on your internal sd card instead.

As long as the stored content is not linked(associated with an app) it can be stored on your external sd card and read/edited by/from your device.

Do note that some apps(i would estimate about 65% or more)forces storage on external sd cards[apps naturally would have access to some system files regardless of whether the device is rooted/not rooted.]

Mainly for tracking purposes like determining the right save file for a specific device with Imei 0123456789...if the developer decides to make use of cloud services to backup app saves{as a safeguard for people who change phones/flash roms very often}

[The location where the app's sd cache is installed-Internal or external is determined by the developer](to save memory, of course).

Temp. Root wouldn't work as at all times, your phone needs to have root access to Store apks(and assets on the internal sd card) so that when you download an app, your phone will recognize your external sd card as the default storage location(due to you spoofing its default storage location which is by default the internal sd card.)

Sent from my ASUS Nexus 7 via Xparent Red Tapatalk 2

[bronislav84]

Oh thank god. I was worried I would have to cloud everything like an iCrap when I change devices. *sigh of relief*

Hmm I see what they did. Only some apps even bother to be programmed for discerning if /mnt/SDcard is internal or external (extSDcard) or choosing where to store extra downloaded files. While they can read from the external one, it does seem to be up to the Dev if they bother programming and option for true external.

So for those apps that don't, the ONLY way is to manually move things between the physical and virtual using the built in Samsung file manager. Going to be a little bothersome, but eh, for the most part I can live with that. I just have to move everything that isn't already there to the true external when I change phones.

The file manager I "migrated" from my old phone is completely useless because it can't access the true external SD. Know any non-default file manager apps that can access stuff on external SD?

Now I just need to ask Dolphin Devs to allow saving downloads to the true external. Think they'd go for it? I can't choose the external SD for download location currently (nor can I choose it as a location for the Bookmarks addon) and would have to move every file I download manually.

Did I understand all of this correctly? Btw is this done on all Samsung devices or just some? First time using a Samsung device, so no clue.

[HunterSLAYER]

Oh thank god. I was worried I would have to cloud everything like an iCrap when I change devices. *sigh of relief*

Hmm I see what they did. Only some apps even bother to be programmed for discerning if /mnt/SDcard is internal or external (extSDcard) or choosing where to store extra downloaded files. While they can read from the external one, it does seem to be up to the Dev if they bother programming and option for true external.

So for those apps that don't, the ONLY way is to manually move things between the physical and virtual using the built in Samsung file manager. Going to be a little bothersome, but eh, for the most part I can live with that. I just have to move everything that isn't already there to the true external when I change phones.

The file manager I "migrated" from my old phone is completely useless because it can't access the true external SD. Know any non-default file manager apps that can access stuff on external SD?

Now I just need to ask Dolphin Devs to allow saving downloads to the true external. Think they'd go for it? I can't choose the external SD for download location currently (nor can I choose it as a location for the Bookmarks addon) and would have to move every file I download manually.

Did I understand all of this correctly? Btw is this done on all Samsung devices or just some? First time using a Samsung device, so no clue.

So far the S III is one of the few Samsung devices known to "behave in this way" due to the external sd card's mount location being changed thus /mnt/SDCard is identified as internal sd card instead.

If you would like to transfer content over to your external sd card from the internal sd card i would recommend using a computer and mounting both sd cards as you wouldn't want to multi-select a "million" files and tap the back button countless no. of times.


Data transfer between internal and external sd card is seamless using the computer as compared to phone.


A user-friendly file manager that can read both external and internal sd card is Es file explorer.

Sent from my ASUS Nexus 7 via Xparent Red Tapatalk 2

[bronislav84]

Ah, maybe they'll learn that people don't like this virtual storage way and change it back in the phones after. It's a headache, but not something I'd return the phone for.

Yea, problem is I don't have a working computer currently. I'm working on getting a new one.

Ah, looks like the file manager I used to use reads the external SD as just a folder, but it does read it. It would put SD at the top of the list. Still does, but that defaults to the internal while I have to navigate to extSDcard manually from /mnt/extSDcard/. Well, I can live with this.

Do you know of a program that can do "if file/folder is added to a directory, do move that file to another directory automatically" for me? I tried Atooma but it doesn't have those conditions. As it is not I'd have to move downloads and screenshots each time and I'd like to automate that.

[HunterSLAYER]

Ah, maybe they'll learn that people don't like this virtual storage way and change it back in the phones after. It's a headache, but not something I'd return the phone for.

Yea, problem is I don't have a working computer currently. I'm working on getting a new one.

Ah, looks like the file manager I used to use reads the external SD as just a folder, but it does read it. It would put SD at the top of the list. Still does, but that defaults to the internal while I have to navigate to extSDcard manually from /mnt/extSDcard/. Well, I can live with this.

Do you know of a program that can do "if file/folder is added to a directory, do move that file to another directory automatically" for me? I tried Atooma but it doesn't have those conditions. As it is not I'd have to move downloads and screenshots each time and I'd like to automate that.

I don't get what you mean in the last paragraph.
Care to explain a little bit more?

*Confused. :O

Sent from my ASUS Nexus 7 via Xparent Red Tapatalk 2

[bronislav84]

Something like this. An automation app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.atooma

This one doesn't have a condition like what I'm looking for. Whenever a file is added to a directory to move it to another directory.