[Guide][SM-T500/T505] Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 - Creating more space (no root)

[kitamurt]

don't know if someone experienced this, but everytime i'm playing a game/running an app, after some time the tablet will reboot. after the reboot, all apps are corrupted and you can't run anyone, it is temp fixed after rebooting again. but data are not saved anymore and you need to set any app from scratch manually. very unstable

 

[chalybeum]

Hi
Since no one reads this bit of the OP, let's get to it. Credit to Cloudxddd for posting the sd card fix in another thread.

Enable ADB shell
On your Tablet:

1. Open the settings app
2. Scroll down to 'About tablet'
3. Select 'Software information'
4. Continuously tap on 'Build number' over and over until at the bottom of the screen you see a toast saying "Developer mode has been enabled"
5. Go back to the main settings page and scroll down, select the new 'Developer options' button
6. Enable 'USB debugging' (press OK to confirm)

On Ubuntu:

1. Install ADB: sudo apt install adb
2. Plug your tablet into your PC via USB
3. Start ADB and check your device is connected: adb devices (if more than one device is listed, unplug your second android phone/tablet
4. You may need to approve the connection on your tablet
5. Run ADB shell: adb shell

Remove stock apps (bloatware)
In ADB shell (see above):

1. List the apps installed: pm list packages
2. Removing some apps will cause your tablet to brick (fixed by doing a factory reset from the recovery menu), so be careful
3. Search APK Mirror for the package name if you don't know what app you're looking at
4. To uninstall an app from your user but keep it on the device: pm uninstall -k --user 0 <packagename>
5. Reboot the device to ensure it can boot successfully: reboot
6. Reply below with the apps you removed and whether it was successful / safe
7. Reinstall that app: cmd package install-existing <package name> (or do a factory reset if it failed)
8. Completely remove the app and reclaim the space if you're certain it can be removed safely: pm uninstall <packagename>
9. Reboot the device to ensure it can boot successfully: reboot

Note: Some apps reinstall when you reboot.

Apps that might be safe to remove - Please reply with updates

Package name	App name	Safe to remove?
com.samsung.android.video	Samsung video player	Yes
com.samsung.android.app.dofviewer com.samsung.android.app.siofviewer	Samsung live focus	?
com.samsung.android.app.dressroom	Samsung wallpapers	?
com.sec.android.widgetapp.webmanual	Samsung user manual	Yes
com.samsung.android.allshare.service.mediashare	Samsung nearby service	?
com.samsung.android.app.clockpack	Samsung clock style	?
com.google.android.apps.youtube.music	Youtube music	Yes
com.sec.android.app.bluetoothtest	Samsung bluetooth test	?
com.samsung.app.newtrim	Samsung video trimmer	?
com.samsung.android.app.sharelive	Samsung quick share	?
com.samsung.android.scloud	Samsung cloud	?
com.samsung.android.stickercenter	Samsung sticker center	?
com.android.chrome	Google chrome	?
com.google.android.apps.maps	Google maps	?
com.google.android.apps.docs	Google docs	?
com.sec.android.gallery3d	Samsung gallery	?
com.google.android.apps.tachyon	Google Duo	Yes
com.sec.android.app.soundalive	Samsung soundalive	?
com.microsoft.skydrive	Microsoft onedrive	Yes
com.netflix.mediaclient com.netflix.partner.activation	Netflix	Yes
com.google.android.youtube	Youtube	Yes
com.google.android.videos	Google play movies and tv	Yes

Enable apps to SD
In ADB shell (see above):

1. List disks: sm list-disks
2. Partition the disk to be used entirely for apps to SD: sm parition <DISK> private
3. Partition a percentage of the disk to be used for apps to SD: sm partition <DISK> mixed <number>
4. Reboot: reboot
5. Open the 'Settings' app and and select 'Apps'
6. Select an app
7. Tap 'Storage'
8. Tap 'Change' to move it to the SD card (if the app supports this)

Hey @lukyjay ,
may I ask, how you managed to delete apps installed to /system ?
For me it throws an error because of the ro nature of the fs. Trying to remount fails due to adbd isn't allowed to run as root on production builds.
Disabling the apps works fine, but I want to reclaim the space.

 

[NivlacFireHeart760]

for me it works !

did you understand how adoptable storage works ??? no, then read this!

'adoptable-storage' tag wiki

Q&A for enthusiasts and power users of the Android operating system

android.stackexchange.com

i did the following and it works for me:

1. format your inserted SD-Card in the Tab A7 and dismount the SD-card after formatting
2. enable USB-debugging and connect with adb console to Tab A7
3. enter the following commands

adb shell
sm list-disks adoptable

i got the result

disk:179,32

my SD-card is 128GB size and i want 32GB (25% of total SD-Card)
for use as internal adopted storage

therefore i want 96GB (75% of total SD-Card) as external SD-card

to do this use the following commands (as adviced in posting #12)

sm set-force-adoptable true
sm partition disk:179,32 mixed 75
sm set-force-adoptable false

then i rebooted my Tab A7 and mounted the external SD-card (which shows 86,9GB)

the internal storage shows two items
1. internal storage 32GB
2. SD-Card adopted storage ( it doesnt tell you the adopted storage size but
it says 100GB used out of 128GB) which means 28GB are free for further usage,
at this point i have moved already all apps which are moveable to external storage.


View attachment 5261485

i use the app "AppMgr III" as App 2 sd - utility

there are no errors or other problems after rebooting or during normal use.
it just works

hth
tiwag

I want to say thank you thank you thank you so much.
My new Galaxy Tab A7 works totally fine now with your instructions.
I'm currently using a 256 GB mounted MicroSD card so happy with my results.
Thanks again Nivlac

 

[rythym05392]

With the new Android 11 update for galaxy A7 rolling out, has anyone verified if the new update allows moving apps to SD card by default ?

 

[lewmur]

With the new Android 11 update for galaxy A7 rolling out, has anyone verified if the new update allows moving apps to SD card by default ?

From what I can tell, it is only "rolling out" for the T505 and not the T500. But I doubt seriously if it will allow moving apps to the SD card. Google considers that a serious security flaw.

 

[bigr1979]

With the new Android 11 update for galaxy A7 rolling out, has anyone verified if the new update allows moving apps to SD card by default ?

I have the android 11 update and no not supported.

 

[jrel64]

This Doesn't Work on Android 11 unfortunately. Just updated my t-500 today and redo the adoptable storage process ADB thing then restarted. It does recognize the partition that I set to (which is 50%) but no option on storage (in the app) to move on SD card nor trying to install a new app (which previously work in the play store) which automatically installed the app in SD Card.

If there is any turnaround or solution it will be great. But for now, just stay away from the Android 11 update for now.

Thanks

 

[NivlacFireHeart760]

Amazing it worked flawlessly thankyou so much my daughters tablet has space again and she's not lost any of her apps . Respect to ya ....

With the new update for this particular tablet this does not work anymore.
June 8, 2021 update date i noticed June 9th, 2021

 

[NivlacFireHeart760]

Hi
Since no one reads this bit of the OP, let's get to it. Credit to Cloudxddd for posting the sd card fix in another thread.

Enable ADB shell
On your Tablet:

1. Open the settings app
2. Scroll down to 'About tablet'
3. Select 'Software information'
4. Continuously tap on 'Build number' over and over until at the bottom of the screen you see a toast saying "Developer mode has been enabled"
5. Go back to the main settings page and scroll down, select the new 'Developer options' button
6. Enable 'USB debugging' (press OK to confirm)

On Ubuntu:

1. Install ADB: sudo apt install adb
2. Plug your tablet into your PC via USB
3. Start ADB and check your device is connected: adb devices (if more than one device is listed, unplug your second android phone/tablet
4. You may need to approve the connection on your tablet
5. Run ADB shell: adb shell

Remove stock apps (bloatware)
In ADB shell (see above):

1. List the apps installed: pm list packages
2. Removing some apps will cause your tablet to brick (fixed by doing a factory reset from the recovery menu), so be careful
3. Search APK Mirror for the package name if you don't know what app you're looking at
4. To uninstall an app from your user but keep it on the device: pm uninstall -k --user 0 <packagename>
5. Reboot the device to ensure it can boot successfully: reboot
6. Reply below with the apps you removed and whether it was successful / safe
7. Reinstall that app: cmd package install-existing <package name> (or do a factory reset if it failed)
8. Completely remove the app and reclaim the space if you're certain it can be removed safely: pm uninstall <packagename>
9. Reboot the device to ensure it can boot successfully: reboot

Note: Some apps reinstall when you reboot.

Apps that might be safe to remove - Please reply with updates

Package name	App name	Safe to remove?
com.samsung.android.video	Samsung video player	Yes
com.samsung.android.app.dofviewer com.samsung.android.app.siofviewer	Samsung live focus	?
com.samsung.android.app.dressroom	Samsung wallpapers	?
com.sec.android.widgetapp.webmanual	Samsung user manual	Yes
com.samsung.android.allshare.service.mediashare	Samsung nearby service	?
com.samsung.android.app.clockpack	Samsung clock style	?
com.google.android.apps.youtube.music	Youtube music	Yes
com.sec.android.app.bluetoothtest	Samsung bluetooth test	?
com.samsung.app.newtrim	Samsung video trimmer	?
com.samsung.android.app.sharelive	Samsung quick share	?
com.samsung.android.scloud	Samsung cloud	?
com.samsung.android.stickercenter	Samsung sticker center	?
com.android.chrome	Google chrome	?
com.google.android.apps.maps	Google maps	?
com.google.android.apps.docs	Google docs	?
com.sec.android.gallery3d	Samsung gallery	?
com.google.android.apps.tachyon	Google Duo	Yes
com.sec.android.app.soundalive	Samsung soundalive	?
com.microsoft.skydrive	Microsoft onedrive	Yes
com.netflix.mediaclient com.netflix.partner.activation	Netflix	Yes
com.google.android.youtube	Youtube	Yes
com.google.android.videos	Google play movies and tv	Yes

Enable apps to SD
In ADB shell (see above):

1. List disks: sm list-disks
2. Partition the disk to be used entirely for apps to SD: sm parition <DISK> private
3. Partition a percentage of the disk to be used for apps to SD: sm partition <DISK> mixed <number>
4. Reboot: reboot
5. Open the 'Settings' app and and select 'Apps'
6. Select an app
7. Tap 'Storage'
8. Tap 'Change' to move it to the SD card (if the app supports this)

As of June 9th, 2021 and new Android update, this method no longer works for moving Apps to SD card.....
Sad face / Sad expression

 

[NivlacFireHeart760]

From what I can tell, it is only "rolling out" for the T505 and not the T500. But I doubt seriously if it will allow moving apps to the SD card. Google considers that a serious security flaw.

The feature is gone now......

 

[CynByn]

I suspect they just removed the button from the interface. Can applications be transferred via ADB?

 

[gitavinash]

The only way out i see now is to rollback to android 10. For some reason, Samsung doesn't even have an inbuilt rollback feature. That only leaves the option of rooting the device and installing the android 10 firmware.

Any ADB solution would be god-sent at this moment.

 

[CynByn]

The only way out i see now is to rollback to android 10. For some reason, Samsung doesn't even have an inbuilt rollback feature. That only leaves the option of rooting the device and installing the android 10 firmware.

Any ADB solution would be god-sent at this moment.

Samsung was banned from rolling back the firmware version in one of the previous updates. They say now rollback through ODIN does not work. And there is no other way.

What about third-party applications for transferring applications to the card under the root?

 

[gitavinash]

Samsung was banned from rolling back the firmware version in one of the previous updates. They say now rollback through ONE does not work. And there is no other way.

What about third-party applications for transferring applications to the card under the root?

Third-party apps like appmgr III do not work. I do not want to void my warranty but right now the only way out looks like getting the Android 10 firmware via SamFW and flashing the rom via magisk and odin to the android 10 version. Really hoping for some other alternative.

 

[CynByn]

Third-party apps like appmgr III do not work. I do not want to void my warranty but right now the only way out looks like getting the Android 10 firmware via SamFW and flashing the rom via magisk and odin to the android 10 version. Really hoping for some other alternative.

On another forum, several people tried to roll back the firmware via ODIN. They didn't succeed.

 

[gitavinash]

On another forum, several people tried to roll back the firmware via ODIN. They didn't succeed.

could you point me that forum ?

 

[gitavinash]

On another forum, several people tried to roll back the firmware via ODIN. They didn't succeed.

Also found this : https://www.thecustomdroid.com/galaxy-tab-a7-stock-firmware-restoration-guide/
Looks promising. Will wait some more for a non invasive solution before trying this though.

 

[lewmur]

Also found this : https://www.thecustomdroid.com/galaxy-tab-a7-stock-firmware-restoration-guide/
Looks promising. Will wait some more for a non invasive solution before trying this though.

That link only shows how to flash the latest stock ROM. You can usually get an earlier version from Sammobile, but I don't know if you can flash one over a later version.

 

[mydjtl]

Hi
Since no one reads this bit of the OP, let's get to it. Credit to Cloudxddd for posting the sd card fix in another thread.

Enable ADB shell
On your Tablet:

1. Open the settings app
2. Scroll down to 'About tablet'
3. Select 'Software information'
4. Continuously tap on 'Build number' over and over until at the bottom of the screen you see a toast saying "Developer mode has been enabled"
5. Go back to the main settings page and scroll down, select the new 'Developer options' button
6. Enable 'USB debugging' (press OK to confirm)

On Ubuntu:

1. Install ADB: sudo apt install adb
2. Plug your tablet into your PC via USB
3. Start ADB and check your device is connected: adb devices (if more than one device is listed, unplug your second android phone/tablet
4. You may need to approve the connection on your tablet
5. Run ADB shell: adb shell

Remove stock apps (bloatware)
In ADB shell (see above):

1. List the apps installed: pm list packages
2. Removing some apps will cause your tablet to brick (fixed by doing a factory reset from the recovery menu), so be careful
3. Search APK Mirror for the package name if you don't know what app you're looking at
4. To uninstall an app from your user but keep it on the device: pm uninstall -k --user 0 <packagename>
5. Reboot the device to ensure it can boot successfully: reboot
6. Reply below with the apps you removed and whether it was successful / safe
7. Reinstall that app: cmd package install-existing <package name> (or do a factory reset if it failed)
8. Completely remove the app and reclaim the space if you're certain it can be removed safely: pm uninstall <packagename>
9. Reboot the device to ensure it can boot successfully: reboot

Note: Some apps reinstall when you reboot.

Apps that might be safe to remove - Please reply with updates

Package name	App name	Safe to remove?
com.samsung.android.video	Samsung video player	Yes
com.samsung.android.app.dofviewer com.samsung.android.app.siofviewer	Samsung live focus	?
com.samsung.android.app.dressroom	Samsung wallpapers	?
com.sec.android.widgetapp.webmanual	Samsung user manual	Yes
com.samsung.android.allshare.service.mediashare	Samsung nearby service	?
com.samsung.android.app.clockpack	Samsung clock style	?
com.google.android.apps.youtube.music	Youtube music	Yes
com.sec.android.app.bluetoothtest	Samsung bluetooth test	?
com.samsung.app.newtrim	Samsung video trimmer	?
com.samsung.android.app.sharelive	Samsung quick share	?
com.samsung.android.scloud	Samsung cloud	?
com.samsung.android.stickercenter	Samsung sticker center	?
com.android.chrome	Google chrome	?
com.google.android.apps.maps	Google maps	?
com.google.android.apps.docs	Google docs	?
com.sec.android.gallery3d	Samsung gallery	?
com.google.android.apps.tachyon	Google Duo	Yes
com.sec.android.app.soundalive	Samsung soundalive	?
com.microsoft.skydrive	Microsoft onedrive	Yes
com.netflix.mediaclient com.netflix.partner.activation	Netflix	Yes
com.google.android.youtube	Youtube	Yes
com.google.android.videos	Google play movies and tv	Yes

Enable apps to SD
In ADB shell (see above):

1. List disks: sm list-disks
2. Partition the disk to be used entirely for apps to SD: sm parition <DISK> private
3. Partition a percentage of the disk to be used for apps to SD: sm partition <DISK> mixed <number>
4. Reboot: reboot
5. Open the 'Settings' app and and select 'Apps'
6. Select an app
7. Tap 'Storage'
8. Tap 'Change' to move it to the SD card (if the app supports this)

Its not perfect but figured out a way to install apps on the SD>

r/GalaxyTab - I figured out how to install applications on the SD card for the Samsung Tab A7

18 votes and 18 comments so far on Reddit

llo.la

 

[key-ancel]

Can`t move OneDrive App :c

Someone knows how to move the OneDrive app that is as a system app.