Android - Insufficient Storage Available

Shielder

Has anyone else with an Android based phone or tablet had this error when installing or updating apps?

I've had this a number of times and I've had to delete some less used apps in order to just update my existing apps (depite having gigabytes of memory available on my Note).

Research on the internet shows that you can get more space by rooting your phone, or installing an app called "apps2sd" or something like that.

My issue with this is that I shouldn't have to delete apps, modify my phone (rooting) or install a third party app just to upgrade my existing suite of software.

Is anyone else here experiencing this error?

Andy

bigmaz

I experience it all the time, its mental! My phone is a HTC Desire, and is a joke with regards to this issue. My wife got a Desire HD a few months after me when they came out, and it didnt have the issue, so they must have realised the problem. Lots of people moaning about it online, me being one of them, lol!

The only way I was able to improve it (not toally fix it) was to root it, not ideal, and as you say, I shouldnt have to. I cant believe we are in the year 2013, and we are restricted on the amount of apps we can install on a device :P

stugib

Shielder wrote: »

I've had this a number of times and I've had to delete some less used apps in order to just update my existing apps (depite having gigabytes of memory available on my Note).

Even though Android phones are advertised as 16GB this is usually split between 'internal storage' and what looks like an internal SD card. My Galaxy S2 has 2GB internal and 12GB internal SD (plus another 14GB on an external SD card). Once your internal storage is full you'll get messages like that. You can check what you're using on each in system settings|storage.

Shielder wrote: »

My issue with this is that I shouldn't have to delete apps, modify my phone (rooting) or install a third party app just to upgrade my existing suite of software.

That's just the way Android is built - more open/flexible but more technical to the end user than iOS.

When you upgrade it will download the new version to internal storage before overwriting the existing version. You just don't have room for two versions at once. Just use Apps2SD to move app files from internal to internal SD, problem solved.

bigmaz

stugib wrote: »

Just use Apps2SD to move app files from internal to internal SD, problem solved.

I use Apps2SD, actually, now it is built into the root I installed. It helps the issue, but unfortunately does not solve it still heavily restricted, even tho the SD card has lots of space available

grumbler

Shielder wrote: »

Has anyone else with an Android based phone or tablet had this error when installing or updating apps?

This is a very common problem, especially for entry level smartphones with small memory (that is not the case for Note).

I've had this a number of times and I've had to delete some less used apps in order to just update my existing apps (depite having gigabytes of memory available on my Note).

The old Note had 1Gb, the new one has 2Gb.

Research on the internet shows that you can get more space by rooting your phone, or installing an app called "apps2sd" or something like that.

AFAIK these apps are useless. If some app can be moved to the card, then you can do it without any help. If it cannot be moved, no app will help you.

Yes some custom ROMs allow storing the majority of apps on the SD card.

My issue with this is that I shouldn't have to delete apps, modify my phone (rooting) or install a third party app just to upgrade my existing suite of software.

Are you saying that you have not installed any apps yourself?

Neil49

There have been many posting regarding this issue and the Samsung Galaxy Ace. This particular phone has very limited internal memory for apps that have to be held in phone memory rather than on an external micro sd card and this is the problem you have encountered on your phone.

Unfortunately, aside from moving those apps that can operate from a separate memory card (and many can't) you are well and truly stuck and your only option is to buy a new phone.

Guys_Dad

grumbler wrote: »

AFAIK these apps are useless. If some app can be moved to the card, than you can do it without any help. If it cannot be moved, no app will help you.

?

I use Android Assistant to manage my phone and tablet. This has app2sd built in and it regularly clears memory for me.

Some apps do not automatically install on the sd and this moves those that can be moved. It automatically deletes those annoying apps that load on start up as well.

You are right, though. My old LG handset won't let me move apps to sd but my Sony, with a later version of Android, will.

jbainbridge

I had this on my Desire. Now running Cyanogenmod 7.2 with S2E which extends the internal memory onto a partition on the SD card ... works really well.

bigmaz

jbainbridge wrote: »

I had this on my Desire. Now running Cyanogenmod 7.2 with S2E which extends the internal memory onto a partition on the SD card ... works really well.

Hi, I have the MildWild ROM instaled on my Desire, but still restricted, not as bad as I was though. Does the ROM you have let you download and install very large apps?

Mat_Lock

HTC Desire user here - It's the HBOOT that you need to change if rooting. I used to have Revolutionary which still kept only a 150mb partition on the data drive (where apps and OS reside). I changed to CM Rev HBOOT and I gained another 100mb on this data drive.

Then I put in a 16gb sd card, put Mildwild Rom on and formatted with a 1.5gb partition to install apps (inbuilt apps2sd etc) I now have about 110mb free for app installs and cache'ing

The problem with the Desire and most other android devices is that although the majority of the app data is moved to the SD card there is still a certain amount left on the OS/Data partition and that is where the disk space limitations occur.

laptop80

Also have an HTC Desire - the lack of storage was a nightmare until I rooted it with Cyanogenmod and created a 2GB partition for use as internal memory using the following guide: http://www.andreagrandi.it/2011/08/13/howto-extend-htc-desire-internal-memory-to-2gb-using-cyanogenmod-7-and-data2sd/

Although an SD card isn't as fast as the internal memory it works very well and I have all the apps and more that I want (from spending all my time juggling apps and caches I often don't bother deleting old ones any more). Large apps are not a problem as all of the application & app data is moved across to the SD card - would think nothing of downloading a 200MB app now. There is a slight delay when loading up my Swpe keyboard etc, but it's acceptable and a good trade-off for making the phone functional again.

I used a 32GB Class 10 Samsung SDHC card - although the Desire can't take full advantage of a Class 10 (I believe 6 is the maximum) it will work ok and provided the constant read-write of using the card as memory doesn't knacker it I'll be able to use it in another phone later on. You could get the same effect with a cheaper card if you wanted though.