I got the 3GB(!) free on my S4 needed for the Android 5 update, and now no update is available?!?!?

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@ConsumerDave wrote:

I've uninstalled Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, USA Today, and much much more from my Samsung Galaxy S4 to get the 3GB(!) free needed for the Android 5 update, and now "About device" -> "Software update" tells me no update is available, even though the phone's still at Android 4.4.4?  What's up with that?  How can I get to a version of Android that lets my apps from the Play Store save stuff on my external SD card, which has tons of space just waiting to be filled?

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Assuming you're connected to AT&T's network, and you're being told that no updates are available for your S4 running 4.4.4, then you might try a facctory reset, after backing up your data.  If that doesn't work, then I would suggest you take your phone to a Samsung Experience Center, located in many Best Buy stores, and ask them to flash the update for you.  . 

Are you on ATT network with ATT SIM card?   Your ATT branded device will not update OTA if it is being used on another network.

If you are then please follow @Lilybell2 excellent advice.

 Side note:

You cannot save apps to the SD card.  You can save data, like music and photos and some other data.  You can move data by going to settings, application manager, SD card, and checking any app that it shows to save data to the card.

385 apps no wonder you have no space.  wow.  I have only 130 on my s6 edge+.

I have 64  apps on my 32 gb GS6.  And I have plenty of room left.

How can you fit 385 apps on a 16 gb device even with an SD card for data?

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@ConsumerDave wrote:

Hey I waited another 24+ hours, cleared more apps and updates off my S4 phone to get back to over 3GB free (I got to 3.04 -- you can check this under Storage), and checked Software update again.  This time It found and downloaded an update.  Then, after clicking Continue, I got to 100%, and the phone said "Update completed", restarted with new colors in the Samsung logo, and is currently "Optimizing app [NNN] of 385"  ("Android is upgrading..." it says.)  Looks like it's going to work.  

 

Hope my apps will be allowed to write to the external SD card.  Because I was running low on internal storage. (I know you can't move an entire app to an external card.)  

 

The key seems to be really having > 3GB internal memory free, which is difficult to achieve on a phone that comes with only 16GB and uses the bulk of that for system processes and apps.

While waiting for the 24+ hours, I turned off {Developer options} using the switch at the top of that menu, which may have helped too.

 

 (I had enabled those options by tapping something 7 times ... Google it.)

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It looks like you finally have 5.0.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that 5.1 will require at least twice the free space to install.  (SD card space doesn't count.)  Most have reported success at installing 5.1 with 6.4 GB of free space, but a few have reported needing as much as 12 GB.  So, you might want to give some thought to removing a lot more of your apps, at least temporarily.  

well, actually it's a lower number.  i just looked at the apps matrix and have 14 screens of 20, minus one empty space, so that's 279.  And some of those are system apps, unrefusable stuff, or just a license key.  And hey, the "United States Constitution" is only 1.48MB!

Thanks sincerely for the heads-up about 5.1.  I think I'm done upgrading.  At least Astro can now write on my external SD card, tho Maildroid seems to be failing.

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@ConsumerDave wrote:

Thanks sincerely for the heads-up about 5.1.  I think I'm done upgrading.  At least Astro can now write on my external SD card, tho Maildroid seems to be failing.

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You're very welcome, ConsumerDave.  With updates seemingly having ever larger space requirements, 16 GB smartphones will likely be going the way of the dodo bird.