Tablet, Huawei, memory full

[Allan(nb Albert)]

On 24/03/2022 at 06:48, LadyG said:

My tablet seems to keep filling up and needs cleaned, but it lasts for only an hour or so. 

I've tried to remove stuff, but I don't know what I am doing, I find the tablet has no room for apps, it's not like my phone. 

Could it be something to do with sync? 

It asks me to perform deep clean, but I can't find a way to do this. 

I might buy a new tablet, as glass is broken, but would rather wait till contract ends, and sort everything at once. 

 

I understand from your later post that the tablet in question is a Huawei MediaPad T5. Over the last six months I have tried to assist two people who have run out of space. In both cases these were 16GB models not the larger 32GB or 64GB ones. The problem is that the operating system EMUI/Android 8 takes up most of that space leaving little space for user installed apps and files (from memory (pun intended) EMUI/Android 8 leaves just less than 4GB for user data/apps). 

The solutions tried (in order) were -

1. Removing redundant files using the operating systems "cleaning" facilities.
2. Removing user installed apps that were no longer needed.
3. Removing user files that they could do without.
4. Installing a microSDXC in the card slot and moving data  to it*
5. Forcibly removing "locked" apps that are supplied with the operating system but are not needed (bloatware)**

* Note - Many high end tablets do not support this type of feature and even if they do some Apps do not. There were some technical problems on the T5 with this.
** Note - This requires specialist skills and a PC running windows or linux.

Both T5 users ended up with usable systems but one decided to shortly upgrade to a tablet with with 64GB to avoid future problems.

I would suggest you check your tablet storage via the model number or via settings. If your T5 is 16GB, then work through the list although I think you will need some help with 4 and probably not be able to find anyone that can help with 5.

It might be better to bite the bullet and replace the T5 with a tablet with more storage now rather than later.

Not sure if this applies to LadyG but my advice would be to never take a phone deal that includes a "free" tablet without checking its specs.




 

Edited March 28, 2022 by Allan(nb Albert)

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, Allan(nb Albert) said:

I understand from your later post that the tablet in question is a Huawei MediaPad T5. Over the last six months I have tried to assist two people who have run out of space. In both cases these were 16GB models not the larger 32GB or 64GB ones. The problem is that the operating system EMUI/Android 8 takes up most of that space leaving little space for user installed apps and files (from memory (pun intended) EMUI/Android 8 leaves just less than 4GB for user data/apps). 

The solutions tried (in order) were -

1. Removing redundant files using the operating systems "cleaning" facilities.
2. Removing user installed apps that were no longer needed.
3. Removing user files that they could do without.
4. Installing a microSDXC in the card slot and moving data  to it*
5. Forcibly removing "locked" apps that are supplied with the operating system but are not needed (bloatware)**

* Note - Many high end tablets do not support this type of feature and even if they do some Apps do not. There were some technical problems on the T5 with this.
** Note - This requires specialist skills and a PC running windows or linux.

Both T5 users ended up with usable systems but one decided to shortly upgrade to a tablet with with 64GB to avoid future problems.

I would suggest you check your tablet storage via the model number or via settings. If your T5 is 16GB, then work through the list although I think you will need some help with 4 and probably not be able to find anyone that can help with 5.

It might be better to bite the bullet and replace the T5 with a tablet with more storage now rather than later.

Not sure if this applies to LadyG but my advice would be to never take a phone deal that includes a "free" tablet without checking its specs.




 

It has introduced me to a tablet, has replaced a laptop, I need no more to be honest. 

I realised it was likely to be something they had to give away, I m not complaining, it's just the fact I currently have 3 x Three contracts, two routers, one phone contract. 

I could buy a bigger better tablet, but then would not know how to join it to the contracts, 

I spy a tiny hole in the slot itself, I will have to search around to see if I can find a pin, go from there. 

I've done 1 to 3, stuck at 4, tx

I'd prefer to just buy a bigger tablet from the Three shop, but trying to keep this thing alive till my contracts run out and I will be in a better bargaining position. whenever I go in to a Three shop they sell me another contract. 

Edited March 28, 2022 by LadyG

[Tony Brooks]

49 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I could buy a bigger better tablet, but then would not know how to join it to the contracts, 

 

I got the impression that tablets take a mobile phone sim and if so it is just a question of taking the sim out of the old tablet and fitting it into the new one - that is provided the new tablet is not clocked to one provider like mobile phones can be. Now I will be told it is more complicated than that because I have never done it..

[Allan(nb Albert)]

54 minutes ago, LadyG said:

It has introduced me to a tablet, has replaced a laptop, I need no more to be honest. 

I realised it was likely to be something they had to give away, I m not complaining, it's just the fact I currently have 3 x Three contracts, two routers, one phone contract. 

I could buy a bigger better tablet, but then would not know how to join it to the contracts, 

I spy a tiny hole in the slot itself, I will have to search around to see if I can find a pin, go from there. 

I've done 1 to 3, stuck at 4, tx

I'd prefer to just buy a bigger tablet from the Three shop, but trying to keep this thing alive till my contracts run out and I will be in a better bargaining position. whenever I go in to a Three shop they sell me another contract. 

The problem with using the micro SD on the T5 is that Huawei block it on some models and changes have to be made to get it to work. 

 

Quote

Hi, I bought my wife the T5 model last year (16GB) without knowing that this was set up by Huawei to block the use of an SD card for storing apps or setting up as internal memory. Therefore, it's constantly full, even though she hardly has tons of apps. Even clearing stuff out and doing a deep clean isn't freeing enough storage. I've found no way round the issue by googling. Have I really paid for a dead duck, and what are Huawei gaining by including an SD slot, but rendering it pretty useless (Apologies if this topic has been covered)

It might cost you £10-£15 to find out.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

37 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I got the impression that tablets take a mobile phone sim and if so it is just a question of taking the sim out of the old tablet and fitting it into the new one - that is provided the new tablet is not clocked to one provider like mobile phones can be. Now I will be told it is more complicated than that because I have never done it..

The majority of tablets do not take a phone sim because the expectation is that they will be used at home or in other places where they will connect via WIFI to a router which provides a broadband connection via a landline.

On a boat you don't have a landline (unless this is provided by your marina). Thus the tablet will have a sim card. Alternatively it will connect via WIFI or bluetooth to a MIFI (i.e. a mobile router or phone that does).

I guess many boaters get a "free" tablet that takes a sim as part of a data only package. Not sure that suppliers lock tablets to a network in the same way that they do phones. The practice would seem pointless as the telephone number is redundant.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Allan(nb Albert)

[jdoe]

I have Samsung S7 FE Tablet and can't fault it make sure not to cheap out on such devices and make sure the tablet you're looking to buy can hold an SD card of some sort for extra storage.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

39 minutes ago, jdoe said:

I have Samsung S7 FE Tablet and can't fault it make sure not to cheap out on such devices and make sure the tablet you're looking to buy can hold an SD card of some sort for extra storage.

That's a good bit of kit. However, I would make the point that it would be better to ensure that you have adequate storage on the tablet when you buy it rather than rely on being able to add more via an SD card.

Not sure your post will go down well with ipad users who do not have the option or those Android users where the ability to use an SD card is slugged.

 

[cuthound]

I have a Samsung A10 tablet with an SD card to expand the memory.

 

I find most apps can't be transferred to the SD card and those that can move back to the internal memory every time the app is updated, so mainly use the SD card to store music, photo and document files.

 

 

[Allan(nb Albert)]

20 hours ago, cuthound said:

I have a Samsung A10 tablet with an SD card to expand the memory.

 

I find most apps can't be transferred to the SD card and those that can move back to the internal memory every time the app is updated, so mainly use the SD card to store music, photo and document files.

 

 

An apps author has to explicitly make an app transferable to SD and some don't bother. Also, for a variety of technical reasons apps that use certain features are not transferable anyway.

Modern versions of Android support three ways of using SD -

1. Moving apps (as above)

2. Moving everything from internal storeage to SD (only of use  if SD card capacity is larger than internal memory)
3. Holding individual files (also as above)

One of the problems is that individual suppliers modify Android such that, even if you have an SD card, some or all of the above might be switched off.

... and this is what Huawei did with certain versions of EMUI/Android 8. I think, but don't know, that this might be due to reliability issues with SD. The latest Huawei tablets sport a non-standard SD which is physically the same shape as a micro SIM.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Allan(nb Albert)

[LadyG]

3 hours ago, Allan(nb Albert) said:

An apps author has to explicitly make an app transferable to SD and some don't bother. Also, for a variety of technical reasons apps that use certain features are not transferable anyway.

Modern versions of Android support three ways of using SD -

1. Moving apps (as above)

2. Moving everything from internal storeage to SD (only of use  if SD card capacity is larger than internal memory)
3. Holding individual files (also as above)

One of the problems is that individual suppliers modify Android such that, even if you have an SD card, some or all of the above might be switched off.

... and this is what Huawei did with certain versions of EMUI/Android 8. I think, but don't know, that this might be due to reliability issues with SD. The latest Huawei tablets sport a non-standard SD which is physically the same shape as a micro SIM.

Oh dear, I don't think I can cope with that, yet to attempt to open the drawer for the sd card. 

I'm sure it's the operation system as I've never been able to add apps, though some are already there. 

Edited March 31, 2022 by LadyG

[Slim]

On 30/03/2022 at 12:42, cuthound said:

I have a Samsung A10 tablet with an SD card to expand the memory.

 

I find most apps can't be transferred to the SD card and those that can move back to the internal memory every time the app is updated, so mainly use the SD card to store music, photo and document files.

 

 

That's the problem I've had with several Samsung tablets over the years.