Is your Android phone’s storage starting to fill up? You can regain some space by moving large files and applications to a microSD memory card. A simple and economical operation.
This is often the prerogative of entry-level smartphones. These inexpensive models generally have minimal storage space which is no longer really in line with today’s uses. 32 GB, 64 GB or even 128 GB represent very small capacities and are quickly filled with the quantity of photos and especially videos captured on a daily basis. As a result, the smartphone starts to struggle and notifications frequently appear as soon as you launch an app, indicating that the storage space is reaching saturation.
However, very affordable smartphones generally benefit from an advantage that is disappearing over more high-end models. They often include a SIM card drawer allowing one or two cards to be inserted for connection to the mobile operator’s network and above all, a slot for a microSD format memory card. Since the smartphone manufacturer is not seeking to achieve absolute thinness of the chassis as is the case for premium mobiles, there remains enough space in the mobile to accommodate such a device. Might as well put it to good use.
Especially since the price of this type of memory card has fallen sharply. We can now find 128 GB cards for around fifteen euros or only around twenty euros for models offering 256 GB. Enough to multiply the available space by two, four or even much more (some smartphones can accommodate cards 1T TB memory). However, be sure to choose a card from a known brand (Samsung, SanDisk, Kingston or even Lexar) and avoid unknown Chinese brands at the risk of having a card that does not offer the capacity indicated or worse, completely defective. Finally, choose a card that is fast in reading and writing to optimize the use of the elements that will be recorded on it.
Also, if your smartphone accepts a memory card, you can expand its storage capacity at a lower cost. For almost 10 years (starting with Android 6, Marshmallow), Android has allowed this additional space to be used not as an external storage device but as a simple extension of internal space. The memory card then becomes associated with the smartphone. This avoids a number of file movement manipulations. Here’s how to use a microSD card on your mobile and store applications and other files on it.
To get more storage space on your Android smartphone, you have invested a few euros in a microSD card. Here’s how to configure the smartphone to make the most of this new space. We carried out the following manipulations with a Realme C67 powered by Android 14.
► Keep your smartphone on. Open the SIM card tray and insert your memory card into the slot provided. It is impossible to make a mistake about the meaning thanks to the shape of the location and the keying. Carefully close the drawer and wait a few seconds.
► Launch the Google Files application that normally comes with your device. Otherwise, you can download it for free from the PlayStore.
► Google’s file manager presents the items saved on the device organized by categories. Scroll down to the section Storage devices. Press on SD card.
► In the window that appears, press the three points superimposed at the top right of the screen. Choose Storage Settings.
► The information on the card is displayed. Tap the option Format.
► Google offers to format the card as external storage. An option to consider if you want to move the desired files there yourself and not merge the internal storage of the device with that of the card. Otherwise, tap Format differentlyat the bottom left of the screen.
► This time, the app offers to format the card as internal storage. This option is much more practical since Android will manage alone how to store elements on the smartphone (internal storage or SD card). In return, you will not be able to use this card anywhere other than the mobile for which it is used. And if you remove it from the smartphone, malfunctions may occur due to missing files. Push the button Format and confirm your choice in the dialog box that appears. Please note, all contents of the card will be erased. If you have retrieved a previously used card, check that the data it contains about you is of no use.
► Formatting of the card then starts. At the end of the process, the Google Files application can directly move the content (media files) to the card to relieve the internal space of the smartphone. Press on Move content. The operation may take several minutes depending on the writing speed allowed on the memory card and the volume of data to be moved.
After performing the above manipulations, it still remains to move large applications to the memory card. The next apps you download will be automatically stored there. Here’s how to move them yourself.
► Long press on the icon of an application to move to the memory card. Then press the menu App info which is displayed.
► The application information page is displayed. Tap the section Storage space and cache.
► If the application is compatible with moving to the memory card, a button To modify presents itself. Tap it.
► Check the box corresponding to the memory card in the menu that appears.
► Confirm your choice by pressing the button Move at the bottom of the screen.
► The application takes place on the microSD card. You can run it as usual, nothing changes. However, it can slow down if the card read/write speed is a little low.
► Caution. If you remove the memory card from the smartphone, you will no longer be able to use the apps you have moved there. Their icons will appear grayed out on the mobile screen. Likewise, you will no longer be able to access the photos and videos saved there. You won’t even be able to take photos anymore, as the Camera app tells you that it has no storage space to save photos.
► Finally, if the memory card in turn reaches saturation, you will have to clone it from a computer (a USB or SD adapter is often supplied with the card) in order to recover its contents and copy them to a card of greater capacity. An operation which can be complex and not necessarily successful. So plan for a card with a comfortable capacity the first time to avoid these subsequent manipulations, which are always painful.