====== Locus data on external SD card ======
----
 
===== OS-related assumptions =====

==== Android 11+ ====
In November 2021, Google launched a **[[https://developer.android.com/about/versions/11/privacy/storage|new file management system]]** in Android 11 and the following versions, bringing a major change to the way Locus Map and other applications handle their data:

  * by default, **the app has full read/write access to its private folder** in ///Android/data/// system directory (either in the internal storage or in the external storage - removable SD card)
  * it is possible to move the main app's directory also to ///Android/Media/// sector which is **better accessible** both by the user and by the other apps

==== Android 5 - 10 ====

  * Locus Map installs itself in the root of your device's **internal storage**. The default directory structure //"/Locus/.."// is created during the installation and can be freely shared between Locus Map 4 and Locus Map Classic (good ol'times...). 
===== Locus Map in the internal and some data in external storage - RECOMMENDED =====

If you want to free as much space in the inner storage as possible and keep a reasonable performance of the app, this is the best solution. **Keep the main directory ///Locus/// in the internal storage** and [[manual:user_guide:settings:misc#default_directories|move the following sub-directories]] to the **external SD card**:

1) in the app **private folder** in ///Android/data/// or ///Android/Media/// sectors (///Android/data/menion.android.locus/files/Locus/// or ///Android/media/menion.android.locus///):
  * ///Maps/// - raster maps
  * ///MapsOnline/// - definition files, temp data of online maps
  * ///MapsVector/// - vector maps, e.g. LoMaps or OpenAndroMaps (slightly slower on SD card - we prefer to keep it in the internal storage)
  * ///SRTM/// - offline elevation data
  * ///geocaching/// - user images, spoilers, HTML listings, offlinized data etc.

2) anywhere on the SD card:
  * ///Backup/// - ZIP files with backup of tracks, routes, points and settings

<WRAP center round important>
**External themes** of vector maps must remain in the default //Locus/MapsVector/_themes// directory. Otherwise, the app doesn't load them.
</WRAP>

===== All Locus Map's data on the external SD card - NOT RECOMMENDED =====

Every app on Android has its own private folder on the external SD card which is writable only for this app and as such can be used as the only storage space for the app. However, in case of Locus Map, **we do NOT recommend it**, because:

  * Locus Map performance on SD card is much slower than in the inner storage
  * External SD cards can easily malfunction and you can **lose all your maps/tracks/points data**

Anyway, if you decide to use this option, **[[manual:user_guide:settings:backup_fsys#set_the_main_directory|follow these steps >>]]**