Installing apps on micro SD card in Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5 not possible
Samsung and LG appear not to support the adoptable storage function in the firmware on their latest top models. As a result, it is not possible to install apps on micro-SD cards, while that is a major innovation of Android 6.0.
The fact that Samsung does not allow users to install apps on a micro-SD card in the Galaxy S7 or S7 edge was discovered by Ars Technica. The same applies to the LG G5, reports Android Central. Both smartphones run on Android 6.0 and should therefore offer support for adoptable storage, the new function with which memory cards are seen as internal memory and can therefore also be used as such.
Both LG and Samsung seem to have disabled the feature in their latest top models. LG has not provided an explanation for this, but Samsung reports in a response to Ars Technica that the manufacturer has chosen not to use adoptable storage. According to Samsung, micro-SD cards are used to transfer files, such as photos and videos, between, for example, a laptop, tablet and smartphone. This is not possible when using adoptable storage, the memory card is then formatted and can only be used as internal storage in the relevant device.
Formatting the card on first use could cause unexpected surprises for users, Samsung says. The manufacturer thinks that the function is mainly intended for cheap smartphones, which only have 4 or 8 GB of internal memory. Yet it is striking that Samsung omits the choice for adoptable storage, because the manufacturer only supplies the Galaxy S7 models with 32GB of internal memory. There are no longer models with extra storage space for sale at an additional cost. The same seems to apply to the LG G5.
The unmodified version of Android 6.0 offers users the choice when inserting a memory card to format it as internal storage, or to use the card as a removable memory card. In the latter case, no apps can be installed on the memory card, just like older Android versions. It is also conceivable that it will still be possible via detours to enable adoptable storage on the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5.
LG G5