How I Solved My Sony Xperia C Insufficient Memory Problem

I am using Sony Xperia C for the last 3 months, I bought this phone as a cheap replacement of my previous one. The price, screen size and speed everything is OK for me. I faced only one problem, it always shows the insufficient memory whenever I am trying to install a few more apps. Even I couldn’t install any more apps from the Play Store after a few days.

I was desperate to look at some options to increase the memory size and stay with the device. I kind of love it’s slim feel. So, I searched on XDA and other online blogs to go around the insufficient memory problem. After experimenting quite a lot, finally I have reached to this goal. Check the image bellow:

Now those of you who are using Xperia C knows that it comes with a 4GB ROM, most of it are used by the system and you can get only around 500MB free space for your app installation in the device memory.

There is another partition that consists around 2.10GB space. It’s the internal storage. Unfortunately the apps do not get installed in this partition and it stays unused. you can use it only to store files.

Though I am not sure how much you can store on such a small space. So, let’s get to the point. I used 2 methods of increasing space for more apps in Xperia C. The second one is best on my thought.

NB: Those who do not know- your Xperia C supports upto 32GB of external memory card. This was the prime reason I bought the phone.

Root Your Xperia C First

For the both options you must Root your Xperia C. Rooting might be little frustrating for the new user, but I do not feel pain or hesitation when I am rooting any device.

You can root Your Xperia with King user or using Framaroot. I have used king user and frustrated with it’s behavior. Also the app was in Chinese so without graphical instruction you might find it hard to root. But you can get it done through King User. Search Google to find the latest King user or download it here: Click Here.

Here this is the Framaroot link for you to download.

01. put it inside your SD card, give permission to install and open the app. Then choose SuperSU and prss Boromir.

02. You should see a message like this bellow. If you do not get the message then try the procedure again. Sometime it takes 2-3 attempts. I do not know why!

You need to reboot your device after that, it will show android is upgrading if properly rooted, don’t panic it might take some time.

Now open the app superuser. If needed select the normal permission in super user. you can check with a root checker app from app store if the device got root permission.

Now you are ready to start the procedures.

01. Using Link 2 SD app and Partitioning Tool

This method for increasing your app installation space will need a SD card and the App Link2SD from Google Play Store. SD card with more than 4GB is a good choice to go on.

You need to partition your SD card with Mini Partiion Tool and create a FAT for files and another EXT2 partition for apps.

This second ext2 partition will not be visible in the PC after the partitioning is done, but will be shown in mobile.

We are going to use it as a second partition for moving apps through native apps to SD method.

Steps to Partition SD Card

1. Download MiniTool Partition Wizard
2. Insert your SD card on your Computer.
3. Back up all your files to the computer because partition SD card will wipe out all your data.
4. Launch Mini Tool in your computer, and then locate your SD card (Make sure to select SD Card and NOT to select your computer’s hard drive)
5. Right-Click and choose Delete.
6. Right-Click on it again, but this time choose Create New.
7. Create FAT32 partition
   • This is where media files will go.
   • Make the partition size bigger, depends on the SD card you have bought
8. Select Create as: PRIMARY
9. Next, create an ext2/ext3/ext4 partition
   • if you’re on stock ROM, choose ext2 (This is where our apps will go)
   • A suggested value of 512Mb or 1Gb would be large enough, but if you insist you can go as high as 2Gb.
10. Select Create As: PRIMARY
    • Make sure that it is both set to primary, otherwise it will not work.
11. Left-Click the Apply button on the top left corner and wait for it to finish the process.
12. Put back your SD card to your mobile phone and switch it ON.

Download and install Link2SD from Google Play. If you do not have space, please remove some apps first. This have both paid and free version. I used both. Paid version works better and also supports the developers.

1. Launch Link2SD and it will prompt you to choose between ext2, ext3, ext4 and FAT32
   • Select ext2
2. A message will be shown mount script created.
3. Reboot your mobile phone again.
4. Open Link2SD and if the message doesn’t show up again, you have succeeded in partition SD card.
5. Go to Link2SD > Settings > Mark the Auto link
   • This will Automatically link newly installed applications to the SD card upon installation.
6. If you already have some apps, Select Move to SD card, then after moving select Create Link
   • Be sure to mark the three files: app, dalvik-cache and library files, In the new paid version you can also move the APK, data and cache files in the ext2 partition.
7. To check your memory, select Storage Info.
   • This will show you the current state of your internal memory, FAT32, and ext2 partition.
8. Now you’re done and ready to install many of your favorite applications as you wish!

So, you are all set now and can install more apps and move them to your SD card. You are saving app space in this way.

Still, there are some problems. When you install some apps on the mobile it stores some necessary files on the device memory. So, even after you are installing and linking your apps to SD you might see the space is not enough. So, here comes the second solution.

02. Changing the internal Storage to the Device memory

This is by far the best method. You can change your device memory with your unused internal storage. This will give you more space for apps than the previous method.

After rooting you need to install CWM recovery for this way to move on. For this to work your  Boot Version have to be  2.14.J.2.6 or 2.14.J2.13 or 2.14.J.2.16 (Mostly for Western Countries) .

Dial *#*#7378423#*#* on your phone and Click service info, check software info. (To check the Boot Version)

• Download Pure CWM (recovery.img) for Xperia C from here and place it on SD card.
• Install Mobile Uncle MTK tools from Play store.

How to Install pure CWM recovery on Xperia C:

1. open mobile uncle MTK tools and Click on Recovery update
2. it will automatically search for Recovery.img which you placed on the SD card.
3. Now tap on recovery.img to install it; if asked to boot into recovery just tap on Yes.
4. Now you will boot into Pure CWM recovery. If you couldn’t. Then you can also manually boot int recovery by pressing Volume Down and Power button.
5. So you have installed Pure CWM for Xperia C successfully.

You need to take a full backup with custom recovery after that. Boot into recovery mood again and take a full recover as the next procedure will wipe all the data from your mobile.

1. Now download Increase Apps Storage Space of Xperia C file from this link Download Increase Apps Storage. Place it on your internal storage or in SD card. actually place it on both place if one doesn’t show up in boot.
2. Boot into recovery and flash the downloaded file using Install ZIP from SD card.
3. When installation is finished restart your Xperia C.
4. Xperia C might take 10 minutes in rebooting, Do not get worried, I have already tested the same and it is working on my Xperia C.
5. When Xperia C starts you can simply turn off the phone and again boot into recovery  to restore the backup you created earlier using CWM. If you do not want the previous data just ignore this step.

You can easily see the storage space is switched now and you have almost 2Gb of device memory and your internal memory is turned down to 210MB. Anyway, we do not need that partition. Enjoy and install as many apps as you want.

Now the best part, you can also insert a SD card now and partition it the way I have described in the first method and use it with app to SD. This means combining the both system and get as many apps as you want. But, still you can use the 2nd method only. I have used the both method and I am satisfied with the second one most.

Downloads:
01. King User Root Download
02. Farmroot
03. Recovery.img
04. Increase App Storage