How Install, Use and Erase a SD Card in an Android smartphone

So.

You’ve finally maxed out that measly 8GB of storage space that your smartphone has. Before you decided to run out and buy the latest smartphone you see on sale, perhaps what you need to do is to install an SD Card.

SD Card installation - Easy as pie

Some Smartphones may have an outside slot for the SD Card; the more secure smartphones keep it inside. Keep that in mind the next time you go smartphone shopping.

First you have to power down your android smartphone. Then remove the back cover and look for where the SD Card slot is located. Then lift the latch open. Carefully place the SD Card into the slot and then close the latch until you feel a click.

Then put back the cover on the back of your smartphone, making sure to cover the battery compartment and press down firmly along the edges.

That was the easy part!

Installing your SD Card – Portable vs Internal Storage

The smartphone will then notify you that it has detected a SD Card. In the notifications, you select Setup and then you have to choose between one of the two:

1.      Portable storage

2.      Internal storage

Portable storage means SD Card and its content i.e. files, photos and music can be easily transferred to another device. Good to note here apps cannot be moved to portable storage.

Internal storage stores apps and data only for this device and is uniquely coded to the smartphone. Thus removing the SD Card and reinserting it will cause the SD Card to be formatted once reinserted.

After you follow the instructions on the screen, touch Done.

Save the Data - Moving Apps to your SD Card

Once you’ve set up your SD Card as “internal storage” you can move some apps. Some apps cannot be moved to your SD Card, as they came with the smartphone. This creates more space for apps that cannot be moved to the card. The procedure is as follows:

Open Settings menu 

Select Apps under Device.

Find the app you want to move to your SD Card

Select the App by touching.
  

Touch Move to SD Card.

Wait while smartphone moves data.

If you've decided to go the portable route and chose “portable storage” you can copy your content i.e.  files, photos and music, to the SD Card and remove them, as you would a thumb drive. This is an even better what to free up your internal storage and SD Card, as you can store those files on a PC.

To move you content the following procedure is highly recommended:

1.      Copy files, photos and music to an SD Card

2.      Open Settings menu

3.      Touch Storage 

4.      Touch Internal Storage

5.      Choose the files, photos and music to move to your SD Card.

6.      Touch and hold the files, photos and music you want to move. A gray checkmark will show up

7.      Touch the More Menu > Copy to… in the top-right hand corner

8.      Under “Save to” select your SD Card

9.      Navigate to where you want to save the files

10.  Touch Copy

Erase the Data - Stepping up to a new smartphone

But what if you want to sell your smartphone and use the SD Card? You can backup that data and erase it.

1.      Open Settings menu

2.      Touch Storage 

3.      Select your SD Card.

4.      Touch the More Menu > Settings > Format in the top right

5.      Erase all data i.e. files, photos and music by touching Erase & format

Warning: Unmount your SD Card before removing it, otherwise you may lose your files.

Then remove your SD Card in the same way you'd remove a thumb drive:

1.      Open Settings menu

2.      Touch Storage

3.      Touch Eject to unmount a micro SD Card.

That's it. Sharing is caring so share these SD Card tips with as many people as you can!?