Is your storage space full? If you have an Android phone with Android 6.0, you can use a microSD card to significantly expand your data storage. Buy a microSD card, insert it and follow our instructions to get rid of your problem.
Full storage space – microSD to the rescue
All versions of Android, including and after version 6.0, have a built-in function called “Format as internal memory”. The function allows you who have a severely limited phone to extend the phone’s storage space in a simple way. To get started, just get a microSD card, if you do not already have one, which is fast.
We recommend that the memory can handle transfers of at least 80MB / s. Virtually all microSD cards from major manufacturers that are UHS Class 3 certified are fast enough for our purposes. So-called microSDHC memories work well in all mobiles, but some more expensive models also support microSDXC memories that are both faster and can be larger.
Once you have acquired a memory, insert it into your phone’s microSD card reader. Then open the Android settings and go to Storage. Here you should now see both your phone’s internal storage space and your microSD card. Click on the card and then click on the menu button. Click Settings. Here there should be an option to “Format as internal memory”. When you click on that option, your card starts to be formatted. This means that ALL data on your card disappear permanently. Therefore, be sure to back up any data before proceeding. Once done, you can delete and format the card.
Convenient but not without problems
When the formatting is complete, your microSD card has been formatted to act as part of your internal storage. This means that apps, photos and music can be stored on your microSD card. However, there are limitations and problems. If you have chosen a fast microSD card, your phone should work well, but there may be small performance issues that can, for example, make some apps a little slower than they should be.
This means that this type of formatting is not recommended for phones that already have large storage space and do not need more space for storing apps. Another disadvantage is that the microSD card cannot be used with any other phone or computer once it has been formatted as internal memory. The data stored on the card can only be read by your phone. This means that your microSD card cannot be used to transfer files between different devices.
Does not work on all phones
It is worth noting that some manufacturers have chosen to disable support for using microSD cards as a complement to internal storage. If the options we describe in this article are not available in your phone’s software, you probably will not be able to format a microSD card that way in your phone either. Of course, your phone also needs a microSD card reader to work with this trick.
Android’s system for using microSD cards can be a lifesaver for users of cheap Android phones. It can turn a cheap phone with storage space full of data into a phone that can store movies, music, and a lot of apps without any problems.