How to Change Mobile Memory to SD Card

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2021-10-13
Carl Paige

Android smartphones feature a range of hardware specs with different built-in storage capacities, including 8GB, 16GB, 32, GB, 64GB, and higher ROM configurations. If your mobile phone comes with any of the first two internal memory options, definitely you’d need to augment the handset’s storage space with an SD card.

But what if you’ve been using the device for some time before realizing you’d require an external memory card? How then can you use the card as your phone’s built-in memory? This article was written to address this quandary.

In the following sections, we’ll explain how to change mobile memory to SD card. If you’re one of the phone users who ask, “How do I switch from internal storage to SD card?” you can also find the solution to the problem in this post.

How to Change Mobile Memory to SD Card

How can I change storage from internal storage to SD card?

The process of configuring your memory card to work as your smartphone’s internal storage is known as adopting. While many devices support the adoptable storage option, some phones don’t.

Generally, TECNO, Infinix, and itel smartphones have the feature, allowing you to use memory cards as internal storage when activating the SD card on an Android device. Before you get started, first back up the data on the SD card because it will be formatted during the adoption procedure.

Here’s how to change storage to an SD card:

  • Insert the memory card into the smartphone
  • Wait a couple of seconds for the device to detect it
  • Head to Settings > Storage
  • On getting to the storage page, tap on the SD card’s name
  • Press the More option, which is the three-dot icon at the top right corner
  • Select Format as internal storage
  • The next page that shows up asks you whether you want to proceed with the change or not
  • Now, press Erase & Format to format the card as built-in memory
  • Wait a few minutes for the process to finish

When complete, you’ve successfully changed your phone’s internal storage to the SD card. This lets you use the card as a kind of permanent storage option. However, you need to bear in mind that to remove the SD card, you’ve to first use the Eject feature in Settings > Storage > SD card.

Otherwise, the files on the card might develop errors and become corrupt. Going through this section, you’ll be able to find the answer to your question, “How do I switch from internal storage to SD card?”

How to move apps to SD on Android

In this section, we examine how to transfer phone storage to a micro SD card. After switching your phone’s storage save to a memory card, the next step is to move apps, photos, videos, and other content of the device's built-in memory to the SD card.

You can do so using the following guidelines:

  1. Go to your phone menu and launch the Settings app
  2. Or open the device control panel by swiping down the home screen, then tap on the Settings icon
  3. Scroll down and press Apps
  4. In some smartphone models, you’ll go to Settings > Storage > Internal storage > Apps
  5. On the next page, go through the list of all apps on your phone and locate the specific app you want to move to the memory card
  6. Tap on the app when you see it
  7. Then, find the Change button and press it
  8. Hit the Move button
  9. To move any other apps, press the Back button (bottom left or right of your screen)
  10. Then, repeat steps seven and eight.

Please, note that it’s not all apps on your smartphone you can transfer from the internal memory to the SD card.

You can always undo the procedure by following these steps:

  1. Go to Settings in the menu or Quick Settings
  2. Scroll down and press Apps
  3. Or Settings > Storage > Internal storage > Apps
  4. On the next page, check the list of all mobile apps on your device and find the specific app to be moved to the internal memory
  5. Press the app when you find it
  6. Then, locate the Change button and hit it
  7. Press the Move button
  8. To move any other apps, hit the Back button (bottom left or right of your screen)
  9. Then, repeat steps eight and nine.

That concludes this aspect of today’s post on how to change mobile memory to an SD card.

Wrapping up

To move files from internal storage to an SD memory card, simply follow the instructions highlighted above. Phones that feature internal storage spaces of either 8GB or 16GB will require the SD and device file transfer procedure.

This is due to their relatively lower internal memories, which means if you own such a smartphone, you’ll need to supplement the available storage space with a micro SD card. The procedure to change your phone’s storage saver is straightforward once you follow the above tips on how to change mobile memory to an SD card.

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