How to use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow?

Table of Contents [hide]
1) Why use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow?
2) What are the two different options when using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow?
3) Pros and cons of using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage
4) Pros and cons of using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as portable storage
5) Which should I choose: internal storage or portable storage
6) Why I do not have the option to use micro SD card as internal storage in Android Marshmallow devices?
7) Which micro SD card should I get for my device?

Why use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow?

Many flagship phones in 2015 (e.g., Galaxy S6, Galaxy Note 5, Moto X Pure edition) and in 2016 (e.g., Galaxy S7, and LG G5) all start with 32GB internal storage, but  there are many middle range and budget Android phones may still only offer 16GB 0r 8GB or even 4GB storage.

Even for 32GB internal storage, owners usually can only use about 25-26GB. It seems a lot for most owners. But for some owners who play heavy games, who save some videos for long trip, or who save everything on the phone, the storage can be too limited.

For 16GB or 8GB phones, most owners may encounter insufficient storage message. They have to clean the internal storage for new apps at least a few times a year.

For 4GB phones, SD card slot is always provided. Otherwise,  the phone is useless.

Although some vendors who do not offer micro SD card support, often portrait micro SD card as slow and unreliable. For example, Samsung touted UFS 2.0 on Galaxy S6 by removing SD card support.

In most cases, yes, UFS 2.0  is  faster than most micro SD card.

But the fact is that some high-end micro SD card is as fast eMMC, which is used for the internal storage of most other smartphones.

And in Galaxy S7, Samsung added micro SD card support back.

Traditionally, Android apps can only be installed on the internal storage, not SD card. Only some app data can be moved to SD card. And the support is determined by the app developer.

So, most owners use the SD card to save photos and videos and their downloaded files in Android phones.

This makes 4GB or 8GB Android phones more or less useless because apps usually are getting larger and larger. And this gives owners poor experience (owners usually tend to compare a sub-$100 Android phones with $700 iPhone).

As Google is targeting Android for next billion smartphone users who are mainly living in developing countries, it is important to improve the user experience of budget Android phones.

This is one of the major reasons why Google took a U-turn to improve micro SD card support in Android Marshmallow 6.0.

Now, you can use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage. You can install all games without calculating storage.  Basically, 4GB or 8GB storage will not be an issue for you to try games and apps.

For high-end smartphones, if you concern about performance, you have the option to use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as portable storage as in previous Android versions.

I believe this is one of the best decisions Google has made for Android:  focusing on ALL users, not just wealthy users.

What are the two different options when using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow?

As mentioned, you can use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow with two options:

  1. Internal storage (aka adoptable storage in Android Marshmallow). You can use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage to expand internal storage.  You can save anything on the SD card. Please read this guide on how to use micro SD card as internal storage.
  2. Portable storage. You will  use the micro SD card mainly to save your media files or backups. You cannot install apps to it. Most apps will not use it for their app data. Please read this guide on how to use micro SD card as internal storage.

You need to make the decision.

Of course, you can change your mind later. But that will require formatting the SD card again. It may take time.

So, now let’s compare the pros and cons of these two options when you use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow devices.

Pros and cons of  using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage

If you use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage,  you can get these benefits:

  • Value for money for more internal storage. You can expand internal storage in an affordable way.  Most vendors may charge you about $30-$50 to get a 16GB model if the base model is 8GB. In other words, you may pay $30-$50 just for the 8GB storage. But for less than $50, you can get 64-128GB high-speed micro SD card.  Very often, most vendors/distributors just stock base mode and you may have no way to get phone with more storage locally. So, this can be a perfect solution for you.
  • Unlimited usage. you can save everything on the card. You just use your phone without worrying about insufficient internal storage.
  • Simple to use after one-time setup.  It is not necessary for you to know where the files are physically saved; everything is in the phone.
  • Security. All data in the SD card are always encrypted. Even you lose your phone, you will not worry about the embarrassing photos or videos unless the thief can unlock the phone. They cannot access the files on the SD card from any other devices.

Of course, you need know the disadvantages of using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage:

  • Formatting the micro SD card is required. The phone will ask you to format the SD card when you use it first time, or when you change it from portable storage. It can take a few mins  or longer and you need backup files on it.
  • Inflexible.  The micro SD card is encrypted and only can be read by the phone on which you format it. If you want to use the SD card on other devices, you have to format it again. When you connect the phone to a PC, or check the storage on the phone, you will not see a separate folders for the SD card. It is “merged” with internal storage.
  • Performance may be affected. The possible performance impact depends on 1). phone storage type, UFS or eMMC; and 2). your  micro SD card quality/speed.
  • Back up, back up and back up. After you reset the phone, NO device can read the SD card, including your own phone because the encryption key will be destroyed when resetting the phone. So, it is important to back up the phone before resetting.

So, before you choose to use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage, you need consider whether this is what you want.

Pros and cons of  using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as portable storage

The advantages of using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as portable storage include:

  • Flexible. You can use the micro SD card  to share data/files among  all devices. You can pop the card into any other devices to use it immediately.
  • Performance. The performance of the phone will not be affected.
  • Simple.  This is similar to what you can do with a micro SD card in previous Android devices.

However, you should also be aware of the disadvantages of using micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as portable storage:

  • Security issues.  Anyone holds your micro SD card access all data on it (just like your USB drive). Although you may encrypt the SD card, you will lose the flexibility to use the micro SD card on other devices. Also, performance may be affected if you encrypt the SD card.
  • Restricted usage. You cannot use micro SD for your apps or app data.  Some vendors may allow you to move some apps to SD card, but most apps may not support it. Even you can move the app, only part of the app will be moved, not all.
  • You cannot expand the phone internal storage.

Now, you may have better idea whether you should use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as portable storage or as internal storage.

As mentioned, you can switch back and forth later. But it can take some time to switch.

Which should I choose: internal storage or portable storage

There is no perfect solution.

But there is a solution for YOU. It all depends on your personal situation.

You may consider to use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage if:

  • your phone internal storage is not more than 8GB.
  • your phone internal storage is 16GB and you play some large games.
  • your phone internal storage is 32GB and you play a lot of large games.

You may consider to use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as portable storage if:

  • your phone internal storage is 16GB or more and you seldom play large games. You can also easily backup photos and videos to Google photos easily.
  • your phone internal storage is 16GB or more and you mainly use the phone to consume offline videos/music.
  • your phone internal storage is 64GB or more.

Of course, this is just a rough guideline if you are a new Android phone user.  If you have used Android phones for a while, you probably have a rough idea how much internal storage you need.

The bottom line is:

  1. if you need expand internal storage, use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage.
  2. if you only need storage for your media files, use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as portable storage.

Why I do not have the option to use micro SD card as internal storage  in Android Marshmallow devices?

Some vendors may disable the option to use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow as internal storage for their own considerations.

At the time of writing this, this option is disabled in Samsung Galaxy S7,  Galaxy S7 edge and LG G5.

Which micro SD card should I get for my device?

There are so many options when buying your micro SD card.  You need consider 3 factors:

  1. micro SD card type supported by your phone.
  2. the capacity you need.
  3. your budget.

A lot of owners, and even some sellers, confused micro SD card types with speed class ratings.

For smartphones, there are 3 types of micro SD card based on capacity:

  • standard-capacity micro SD (micro SCSD, or micro SD).  The capacity of  micro SCSD card is from 128MB to 2GB.  It is normally formatted in FAT16.
  • high-capacity micro SD (micro SDHC). The capacity of micro SDHC card is from 2GB to 32GB. It is normally formatted in FAT32.
  • extended capacity micro SD (micro SDXC).  The capacity of microXDHC card is from 32GB to 2TB. It is normally formatted in exFAT32 by default.

Most smartphones released in last 3 years support micro SDHC or micro SDXC (if they have a micro SD card slot).  This means the phone either have a micro SDHC slot or microSDXC slot.

If the phone has a SDXC slot, you can use any micro SD card because the slot is backward compatible.  If a phone says it supports more than 32GB SD card (e.g., up to 64GB, or up to 128GB or up to 200GB..), it means you can use any micro SD card.

If the phone has a SDHC slot, you can only use micro SDHC or micro SCSD cards. Micro SDXC card will not be recognized by the phone. If a phone says it supports SD card up to 32GB, it usually (not always) means it has a micro SDHC slot. But some may actually have a micro SDXC slot. In this case, you need check the specs of the phone to decide whether you can use a micro SDXC card.

Another parameter of SD card is the speed class rating. Please note, you only need get the correct micro SD type for your phone. The speed rating tells you how fast the SD card can write data.

Currently, there are 6 speed class ratings:

  1. Normal speed Class 2. The minimal writing speed is 2MB/s.
  2. Normal speed Class 4. The minimal writing speed is 4MB/s
  3. Normal speed Class 6. The minimal writing speed is 6 MB/s
  4. High speed Class 10. The minimal writing speed is 10MB/s.
  5. Ultra High Speed Phase I (UHS -I).  The minimal writing speed is 10MB/s. The maximum writing speed can be up to 104MB/s. For example, this one.
  6. Ultra High Speed Phase II (UHS -II).  The minimal writing speed is 30MB/s.  The maximum writing speed can be up to 312MB/s. For example, this one.

The standard only specify the minimum writing speed. So, in the same speed class, the speed may vary sharply.

The rule of thumb for buying a micro SD card for your smartphone:

  1. get the correct micro SD card type.
  2. get at least Class 10 micro SD card.
  3. get a branded micro SD card if available.
  4. the best value ($/GB) of micro SD card currently is 32GB for micro SDHC and 64GB for micro SDXC.
  5. don’t overspend on capacity. Micro SD card are getting cheaper and cheaper (for per GB).

Do you have any question on how to use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow?

If you have any questions or problems on how to use micro SD card in Android Marshmallow, or have problems with SD card in Android Marshmallow, please let us know in the commenct box below.

The community will help you.

For any questions or problems with Android Marshmallow, please check our Android Marshmallow Guide page.

If your question is about Android Lollipop, please check out Android Lollipop Guide page.

View Comments

      • even am also having the same problem.i have configured SD card as portable storage. if i transfer files from pc to moto g3 mobile they are getting stored in SD card but some files are taking lot of time to transfer and some files are not even getting transfered to mobile its just getting struck.and also if i play music which is stored in SD card in mobile the google player is unable to play them.if i move pictures or videos from internal storage to SD card,some files are not correctly moved.its just showing the message as file cant be opened or inplace of the pic there will be blank picture saying cant be opened.. can you please tell me what is the problem and how do i solve this..i have got the mobile 1 month back only.after updating the mobile to marshallow i have placed he SD card.please reply me soon..also tell me how to transfer files from pc to mobile

        • For transferring files from PC to the SD card, as you set the SD card as portable storage, you can power off the phone, remove the SD card from the phone, use the SD on the PC directly (if your PC has a SD card reader) or with s SD card reader.

          If you want to connect the phone to the PC, and transfer files to the SD card, you should copy files in several batches. Don't copy so many files at one time.

          For transferring files from phone storage to SD card, you should do this in the phone, not on the PC. You can use the built-in file explorer (settings--storage), or any third-party file managers (e.g., ES file explorer).

          • Thank You for the suggestion sir,May i Know what do u mean by several batches?is it means 2 to 3 files at a time.and can the maximum file sharing limit can be 40 mb etc to transfer the files from pc and mobile at a time.and For transferring files from phone storage to SD card, I have done it in phone only, but some images which are moved to SD card are showing Black screen.can you please tell me how to get back the original image

          • just don't try to copy a few hundred files at one time. you can experiment it to get the suitable number. it depends on the pc, usb port, usab cable and phone. So it is hard to give a generic number.

            when you transfer images from phone storage to sd card, what app did you use? Did you check the file with the file explorer? Don't rely on Gallery app.

          • i didnt use any app sir..i have recently bought SD card..when i kept it in the slot for the first time,at the time of choosing portable storage..i have choosen move images to SD card.images are stored in sd card but if i open some them ,it is displaying black image..i have installed ES File explorer app ,in that if i open the image ,it is showing COULD NOT LOAD IMAGE ..can you please tell me,how to transfer files from internal storage to SD card without any error in the files.i am new to android sir.dont know how to do..please help me out

          • You can use ES File explorer to copy a few files to test it first. This is the correct way. Normally, you should copy, check, then delete the original files.

            You can format the SD card on the phone once to see whether it helps. This will remove all files on the SD card. You need back up your files on the SD card before formatting it.

          • I have bought my moto g3 1 month back.I am new to android.i have several doubts regarding apps,mobile usage and am facing problem in playing music available in SD card.can you please answer them.

            1)when i first started using the mobile it has updated to marshallow,after that i have placed a new SD card.Do i need to format the sd card before storing the files.i have selected portable storage option.and placed the Sd card i have choosen move files to SD card at the first time of placing SD card in mobile.some of the photos are displaying black screen in Sd Card.how can i get back the original photos

            2)i have tried to download GBwhats app,the browser has shown a message saying your motorola mobile is having battery issues and will be locked if u dont download battery saver app.it directed me to the app which should be installed.so i installed DU BATTERY SAVER and DU SPEED BOOSTER apps.is it good to use this apps?if not ,what apps should i have to use.

            3)i want to use Voice recorder app to record audio files,can you please suggest which app is good to use

            4)i have connected my mobile to PC by setting MTP file transfer to copy images and music .i have gone to appropriate folder and right clicked the image and selected send to option.but it is just showing the dialog saying image is copying.but if i wait for certain amount of time also it is not getting copied,it shows the same dialog box saying copying image to certain location(SD card/pictures),but if i check, its not sending the image to SD card.

            and if i do the same with mp3 music files they are getting copied to SD Card/music folder.but google music player is unable to play the files.it shows a message saying MUSIC PLAYBACK ERROR for some mp3 files and for other mp3 files it just kept skiping between songs with in time period of 1 second.

            5) Sir i have installed whatsapp in the mobile.as it is dual sim .is it possible to have two whatsapp in the phone .can you please provide the download link..i have tried to install the apk file of GB whatsapp but its not working.
            can you please help me out.

          • 1). it is better to format it on the phone before using it, although it is not a requirement if you want to use it as portable storage.
            2). Don't install such apps. Never!!
            3). It depends on your needs. You can try this one, or this one.
            4). Test one file before trying many. Also for music playing, try VLC for Android.
            5). Always get apps from Play store or other reliable sources. WhatsAapp does NOT support two profiles in one phone. For other apps except WhatsApp, you can try App cloner.

          • Thank you so much for your help sir.

            sir regarding to 2nd point,may i know why i got the message in browser saying your phone will get locked.is that message a fake one?but the app they have mentioned to download was from play store.sorry for troubling you.but i want to know,so if in future if i got any more messages like that ,i can understand,instead of getting panicked.

            sir can you please solve my following problems

            1)sir may i know which apps to download for antivirus , app cleaner (i.e trash cleaner),and also do i need to install any battery related apps

            2)when i use mobile continuously for 30-45 minutes its getting heated.do i need to install any apps to cool down the temperature of mobile

            3)Do i need to install any more apps to keep my mobile run better.

          • It is probably just an advertisement. Don't trust such ads/apps.

            1. You do not need such apps. Never!!! if you get apps from reliable sources only (e.g., Play store), your phone is safe. Do not click ads, or links from unknown senders.

            2. It is normal. Do not install any apps for this. Never.

          • sir to lock the apps which app is good to use in motog3.

            sorry for troubling you sir with all my questions,but i dont know any one who can suggest me about all mobile related issues.Thank you so much for your help.

          • There are many free app lock apps in play store. It depends on your needs. You can try this one.

            Personally, I would not use such apps on my phones.

  • I have a Moto g 3 with the SD card configured as internal storage. I want to move music downloaded via Google Play, but I can't find any way to do this. My true internal storage is full but my card is almost empty except for some apps I moved there. Moving Google Play to the card does not seem to be an option. Help!

    • If you set SD card as internal storage, the system will take care of the storage and you should not worry about where the files are saved. You can not access SD card as septate storage any more. When the internal storage has insufficient storage, SD card will be used automatically as internal storage.

      • Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. Some things get saved to the hard drive, some to the SD card.

        • As you already set the SD card as internal storage, the system will manage the SD card and decide which files are saved in which location.

          Why do you have the concern on how the system uses the SD card?

          If you want to manage the SD card, you need set it as portable storage. Please note many apps do not allow you to save app data to SD card in this case.

          • Well, because it has chosen to fill my hard drive and not use my SD card. I can't add new apps because the phone is full even though the SD card is barely used. So basically, it's not working the way you describe. Maybe there is a malfunction in my phone or SD card.

          • It is normal. The system will try to use internal storage first.

            Did you format the SD card (and finish the procedure) to use SD card as internal storage? if you have finished the procedure, it should be ok.

          • I'm having the same problem, I'm so pleased someone else has said this, I thought I was going mad, my phone keeps telling me I'm running out of storage but I formatted my SD card to be part of the memory, it's not putting anything on my memory card and I can still go to settings and storage and it's telling me the SD card and phone storage are separate. Did you find a solution? I've done factory reset and cleared the cache. Tesco mobile say it's just a glitch and we're waiting for Motorola to fix the marshmallow update, it's driving me mad!

          • There are no known problems on using SD card as internal storage on Moto phones.

            When you set SD card as internal storage, the system will use it's algorithm to decide which location will be used for new files. Normally, it will try to fill phone storage. You should not worry about this. Do you get any warnings on low storage? Or do you have problems to install new apps?

            Of course, you need make sure you follow the procedures to set SD card as internal storage.

            Most problems related to using SD card as internal storage are due to that some owners didn't follow these instructions to format the SD card and finish the procedure.

            If you get any problems, you can take a screenshot of settings - storage. Then tap SD card. Take another screenshot. Then share the screenshot on our Facebook page.

      • ive done the same on my moto g 3. i can transfer my apps on on device to the SD card. but when i am connecting my device to the laptop only internal storage of 12gb is showing and the remaining 30 gb of internal storage of sd card is not showing. is there any step to solve this problem.?

  • I had a class 6 micro SD card. With LP my apps and related data were stored in this card. Now i have upgraded to MM. I'm informed I need to get a class 10 SD card to use as internal storage. If so what happens to my app data stored in my class 6 SD card? Will my apps function as normal?

    • Class 6 is not recommended. But you can still use it for internal storage if you don't care to much on performance.

      For app data, it depends on individual apps. Some apps offer backup, some don't. You can try Helium to backup them.

  • I am having the same issue with my Moto G 2 (Android 6) telling me I am out of space with the SD card barely used. And some apps are causing the SD card to crash (dissapear) and those apps the system stored on the card no longer work.

  • I have a Moto G3 on Android M and I formatted my class 10 Samsung Evo 16gb as internal storage. After a week or two it says that my SD card is removed when it is in the phone and then my apps don't work. I then have to reformat it again and have to wipe all my data. How do I fix this problem? Any help is much appreciated.

    • Not sure. When it says SD card removed, you can power off the phone, then try to insert it again (and make sure it is inserted tightly). Normally, it is not necessary to re-format it.

        • You should not remove the SD card if you choose to use the SD card as internal storage. Other devices cannot read the SD card before you format it again.

  • THERE IS a problem with the SD cards as internal memory, at least for the MotoG 3rd gen!

      • Hi, i also own a moto g 2015 model upgraded to marshmallow. I used the sd card as internal storage and for the second time, my sd card suddenly " cannot be detected" when i shut down and turn on my phone, nothing changed, it still cannot be detected. After a while my phone informs me that my "sd card is corrupted" and it is useless now because i cannot even reformat it.

        • If you even cannot format it in other devices, it means it's a hardware failure. Most SD vendors offer warranty for a few years.

          • I have the same problem. I tried several SD cards (that are compatible with the device) but it's always the same: after a week or two it shows that my SD card cannot be detected anymore. It doesn't matter if I'm using it as internal storage or not. It's not a sd card problem, I'm convinced it has something to do with the device itself.

      • On my Moto G3 (8GB), with the 32 GB SD card properly formatted* as internal storage, I can move apps to the SD card manually but the device doesn't seem to recognize the additional space for downloads or for recording images/video.

        If I reformat as portable storage, I can use the space for media but not for apps.

        Clearly something isn't working properly.

        *My process for formatting was:

        1. Accessing "Storage & USB" settings.
        2. Selecting the SD card.
        3. Using the top-right menu to format as internal.
        4. Following the reformatting tool to completion.
        5. Restarting for good measure.

        Maybe I missed something but if so it's not something obvious...

        • If you format the SD card as internal storage, it's not necessary to worry about internal storage. It's not necessary to move files. The system will make decisions based on available storage and file type. Initially, internal storage will be used faster for performance considerations.

          Anyway, just leave it after you format the SD card as internal storage.

          • Except I can't download new apps or take pictures/video when the internal memory is full.

            The downloads and camera don't seem to recognize the increased storage when the card is formatted to work as internal memory.

          • Did you actually get the issues after using SD card as internal storage? It is very unlikely.

            But if your internal storage is almost full already before using SD card as internal storage, it is recommended to backup the phone, do a factory data reset, then try again.

          • "Did you actually get the issues after using SD card as internal storage? It is very unlikely."

            I did. And it sounds like I'm not the only one.

            "But if your internal storage is almost full already before using SD card as internal storage, it is recommended to backup the phone, do a factory data reset, then try again."

            In case it's useful for anyone else, the factory reset seems to have done the trick. You just have to make sure the SD card is properly formatted before re-adding your apps. In my case I had about half a gig of space left before trying to format so I guess that's not enough for some reason.

            If you do the auto-recovery, it will automatically re-download your apps before you have a chance to reformat the card. So be sure when you go through the recovery tool that you de-select all the optional apps to avoid refilling your card.

  • So I just updated my Moto E to the most recent version of Marshmallow excited that I could use my 32GB SD card and integrate it into my internal storage. So I hooked up my Moto E to my computer via USB, copy and pasted all the data (music, pictures and videos) I had on my SD card (I knew it would be erased when reformatting my SD card for internal storage) onto my computer. I completed the update with the SD card essentially wiped and integrated into my internal storage. Now it will not allow me to transfer the files back onto my Moto E from my computer. I get an error message. Help!

    • What error message? After setting micro SD card as internal storage, your PC will not see the SD card directly. You just create a folder on the phone and transfer files to it.

  • Following on from Simon's advice and Scott's experience, I also did a factory reset (two, actually). However, I still have the same issue. When going through the recovery tool I also de-select all the optional apps so I can reformat the SD card first..

    SD card is formatted as internal storage, but all downloaded apps or camera photos will only save to the 4.53GB of internal (i.e. on the phone) and not the remaining 14.21GB on the SD card.

    I'm at the end of my tether with this so any help would be welcome! I'll upload some screengrabs at your Facebook site.

    • Not sure about the issue. Did you actually encounter storage issues/errors (e.g., insufficient internal storage...)?

      You can test it in this way: 1). backup your data; 2). set lock screen to swipe; 3). factory data reset; 4). set the phone as a "NEW" one; 5). format SD card as internal storage, 6). go to play store to install some apps.

      It is normal, the system will try to use phone storage initially. As long as you have 2-4 gigs free space in phone storage when you set SD card as internal storage, you should not encounter storage issues, as I know and tested.

      • This solution worked for me for media. Apps are still a problem though. I have to move then manually and micromanage my drive allocation when installing updates. Such a pain.

        Motorola support said some SD cards may not be high speed enough even though they meet the stated requirements. It sounds like a cop out to blow off issues that obviously a fair number of people are having.

          • Similar to Scott, it's mainly apps that I have an issue with. When I get close to the storage limit of the phone (e.g. 4.23GB used of 4.53GB available), it won't install any apps or update them as there is "no available storage".

            Does anyone have any recommendations for a decent micro SD card, or know what the stated requirements are? I have a Sandisk Ultra 16GB card, but it's useless for storing apps to. They take so long to load and most crash at least once a day, even though I've only used 712MB of the stated 14.2GB available.

            This Samsung card received good reviews for some tasks, but not for use as internal storage (e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2VQ6FTWHC96D2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewpnt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00WIMC5C4#R2VQ6FTWHC96D2).

          • The review probably partially correct on the speed. But Moto G may not fully utilize UHS 3 bus speed.

            Anyway, if it is within your budget, you can get a SanDisk extreme (or Extreme Pro) card with UHS 3 (marked with both U3 and class 10)

            But no one can guarantee it will work as you expected.

  • I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and a 64g SD card. I've formatted the card, but never see an option to setup my card as portable or internal. I'm not sure how to make the change. Where do I go to do that?

    • Samsung disabled the adoptable storage in all their current phones with Android Marshmallow. You can only use micro SD card as portable storage in Samsung devices even after you update the phone to Marshmallow.

  • I upgraded my Moto G 2nd Gen to Marshmallow. I put in a new Class 10 Micro SD 32gb and set it as portable storage. I plugged the phone into my PC expecting to be able to transfer the files from my older, slower and smaller card onto my new one, but I do cannot access the new card in Marshmallow the way I was able to in Lollipop. When I open the phone I get a message that "This folder is empty". I know there is stuff in there and I get an error when I try to copy and paste from the old DCIM folder to the new one when I take the SD card out of the phone and read it through a card reader. Help

  • Hi, i've bought a motorola moto G 3rd edition lte. i choose to use sd card as internal storage. after few weeks it start to not recognize sd card or to unmuont sd automatically whenevere it wants. every time i have to reboot the phone to access again to sd. how can i solve the issue? i'm even not able to backup photos because every time i connect with wifi the phone unmount the sd. Help plz

    • I never head of such an issue.

      Can you connect the phone to the PC through USB cable to backup photos?

  • I have a MOTOG 2nd gen. My SD card is set as portable storage. I updated to marshmallow a few months ago. I need to transfer my photo files from my SD card (in my phone) to my computer (Windows 7). The last time I did this was in January before I updated my phone. It has always worked in the past. I have selected the MTP option for the USB cable. The phone and SD card show up in folder explorer on my computer, and shows the amount of memory used in it (9GB out of 16GB). However when I try to open the folder it says it is empty. (My phone is unlocked and plugged in to the computer).
    Things I've tried:
    1. Tried on another laptop- same exact problem
    2. Tried "import" through a photo software on laptop- says there are no pictures in the SD card
    3. Tried downloading Motorola Device Manager- still got the same 'empty' message
    4. Tried in PTP option for the USB

    Nothing has helped. I would appreciate any help you can give me. There's a lot of great pictures on the SD card I hope to retrieve.

    Thank you!

    • As a portable storage, you can power off the phone and remove the SD card from the phone. Then use it on computer directly. Most computers have a SD card reader. If not, you can get a USB SD card reader from local computer store. It should cost you only about 1 to 2 dollars.

      For the problem you encountered, you probably should format the SD card once in the phone. You should backup files before format it. Normally, after updating to Marshmallow, for the old SD card in the phone, you should format it once in Marshmallow.

      • Thank you so much for the information! I'll get a SD card reader and try that out directly.
        Hopefully that will work and then I can re-format the card.

  • I am using moto g2 after updating to marshmallow I can't able to view my SD card files in PC..I have chosen mtp option only then why the files are not viewable ????

    • I guess you set SD card as portable storage (if it is internal stoage, PC will not see or access a separate sd card in the phone). You need format the SD card once after updating to Lollipop.

  • Hey :)
    I have a moto g 3 and used to use the sd card as portable storage. But since my internal storage was almost everytime full (some larger games), yesterday i decided to migrate the sd card. I wasnt home so i tried to migrate it, even without power supply. It started moving data, but then it suddenly crashed (only the moving process, not the entire phone). Since it cancelled app storage movements before (i tried to move the storage of some apps, it aborted, i tried again, it worked) i tried to do it again. Again, it crashed. After doing this, i wanted to do that at home, but didnt have time. Later, i noticed that several internal features didnt work anymore. Examples were the home button (didnt work at all, had to use the "switch apps" button on the right to get out of apps) and the menu one sees when wiping down twice (the one where you can adjust brightness, wifi, bluetooth and so on).
    Then, the phone started to crash several times, restarting without any reason. Today, the same thing happened, except that it wouldnt restart again and i wasnt able to start it. Even tried the bootloader with all available modes, no effect at all there. From my perspective i think that it could be something with files moved half way. Maybe some system internals? I also noticed that today the menu where you can migrate the sd card showed that, when i would migrate, it would be done in approximately 1 sec and that i would gain - 1 B (minus 1 B).
    Now, after waiting some hours and putting it on power supply, the phone started again, but the features not working before don't work now too (home button, etc)
    Now i fear it crashing again. I will try to safe my data, as much as i can, and in the worst case reset the phone manually to factory settings. But i hope someone here knows how to help me and if there is an easier way around.
    Thank you so much in advance,
    Anton

    • What do you mean "migrate the SD card " when you use it as portable storage?

      If the phone storage is very low, may problems may happen.

      • That is how it calls the progress of changing the SD card from portable storage to internal, while keeping already saved data.

  • Hi, I'm using a Moto E 2nd gen upgraded to Marshmallow. My SD card is used as portable storage and I've certain apps that I moved to the card using the phone's move to SD function when it was still on Lollipop.
    Now if I want to apply updates to these apps, will these updated apps still remain on my SD card or they will be automatically moved to internal storage like newly downloaded ones? Thanks for your reply.

    • It should be in the internal storage.

      Actually, if you plan to use the micro SD card as portable storage, you should move the apps to the internal storage and format the SD card once.

      • Thanks simon. No I don't want to move my apps to internal storage to occupy the limited storage space and that I want them to be still usable if I move my SD card to another phone. So just to reconfirm, does it mean if I want to keep the same app on my SD card, I'd better not update the app?

        • If you update the app, you cannot moved the app to SD card. Some (less and less) apps may still be able to use SD card for offline contents. But don't rely on this.

          If you set SD card as portable storage without formatting the SD card in Marshmallow, you may have problems with the SD card on PC. You may also have some other random issues.

          • But the app is already in the SD card before Marshmallow. And when I upgraded to Marshmallow, it didn't ask me to format the card but just asked me to choose to set it as internal storage or external storage which I chose the latter. So far my PC can recognize my SD card and all apps on the SD card run smoothly without any problems (knock the wood).
            My only question is, if I update this app now, will it stay in my SD card as it now?

          • As mentioned, if you update, the updated app should be in the internal storage, not SD card. You have no option to move it to SD card.

            SD card, if used as portable storage, may only save some offline files for some apps. But you cannot move app data to SD card .

  • What happens if I want to convert my card from internal storage to a portable storage?

    I mean, apps and parts of the system rely on my sdcard, when I remove it, there should be a serious problem. Is this a problem? Is there a solution?

    Sincerely

    • If your phone has sufficient internal storage, you can convert SD card from internal storage to portable storage. But to be safe, you should backup there phone before change SD card settings.

  • I have a Moto E 2nd generation which I updated to Marshmallow, and I inserted a 32GB SanDisk Ultra class 10 SD card and reformatted it as internal storage. For a while it was working fine, then the phone started to auto eject the card, and was putting up the message that the card had been unexpectedly removed (in fact, it was still there and I hadn't touched it). Rebooting seemed to work for a while, now though it recognises the card for only a few seconds after rebooting and then auto ejects again. I have a number of photos on the card which I was unable to back up for a week or so due to not having a WiFi connection, now I can't back them up because the card is getting ejected. I tried another SD card, and that seems to be recognised... what next? I'm loath to do a factory reset because I think I'll lose all my photos.

  • I've inherited a Moto G 2015 edition with Android 6. I performed a factory reset and updated everything. The phone will not, however, recognise micro SD cards at all. I've tried 3 different 32GB cards. All are FAT32 formatted, all can be read on my PC (via USB adapter) and show no faults or issues, but put them in the phone and nothing, no detection, no new card dialogue. I've tried the SD cards in another phone (Galaxy S3, android 6) and all get correctly detected.
    Any ideas or help greatly appreciated. (PS I've checked the cards, contacts on the card, contacts in the SD card slot - all to no avail, all are clean and appear perfect).

    • You probably have to visit local service centre to check the phone. It sounds like some hardware problems with the SD card slot.

  • Looking to buy a memory card for my moto G2 (2014). Does anyone have any advice? Want to buy the best one possible.

      • Please help me, I can't format SD card as internal, after doing that it says card corrupted, if I do portable storage then it works, please help

  • hi, I am using Moto G3 16GB with Samsung 16gb SD card class6 since 1year. Today I am seeing an alert that Device does not supporting this SD card. also when I m trying to format SD card as Internal/portable seeing an error "Volume partition disk:179,64 private' filed with 400 9 command failed". Any leads to how to rectify this and to have this SD card activated?.

    • Can you use the SD card on a PC directly (using a d card reader)?

      Probably, the SD card is corrupted.

  • My phone is karbon android one marshmallow. I only have 4 gb internal memory. So i recently baught 16 gb sd card and set as internal storage. Even then i can not update or install new apps. It says low memory. What i observed is, though the sd card is formatted as internal storage, the O.S is not taking that way. Only apps with move to sd card option, are only getting moved to sd card. Plz help. Thanks in advance.

    • It is too late if the phone storage is already low. Some files are always saved in internal storage.

      You may pay special attention to:
      1. when you set the SD card as internal storage, you should choose "Move now", NOT move later.
      2. if the internal storage is already low, you should back up the phone, eset the phone, set up the SD card as internal storage, then install apps.

  • i want to use my sd card as portable storage .... the problem is in that case my music player can not get write permission on it ... my phone is rooted and please tell me how can i get full writing access for my music app on sd card (as portable storage)?
    thank you

    • All apps have write permission on portable storage with own folder. Your app must support SD card.

      For music player app, it should only requires read permission. This is available for all apps for all folders.

      You can try it with vlc for Android app. It should be able to play all music files in SD card.

  • Hello! I am using a Sandisk Ultra class 10 48 MBps Micro SD with my motoG3. (I bought this only after the MM update). My concerns and observations are as follows. any help in this regard is much appreciated. And I use my SD card as portable storage and not internal storage.
    Suddenly my apps stopped showing the files stored in the SD but will show those in Internal Storage. (For eg Gallery or music players). I go to settings>storage and SD I see my card there. I open and all the files are there, I can open photos and music as individual files from there but not from the apps. in fact the apps stopped detecting the sd card altogether. Some times I dont see the sd card in Settings>storage and SD and when I remove and reinsert SD, it appears and apps detect the files but only for say an hour and then same, gone.
    My card had crashed once even when i was using it as internal storage.

    If you can help me with diagnosis or solution of the problem, it'll be great help.

    Many thanks in advance.

    • Did you install any task manager apps, or antivirus apps offer battery saving apps, out other similar apps? Such apps may unmount SD card. You can try to disable such apps.

  • Hello
    I am uncertain if changing sd card to internal storage has worked correctly. I am using a Moto G 2nd generation 8Gb build number MPB24.65-34 running android 6.0. I changed to internal and restored the phone apps etc and got message storage is full and some functions will not work. I completed the process as per your quide. On restart after installing SD card I got message SanDisk Unsupported SD card but carried on and set card as internal, erased and formatted and then got message SD card is slow. I did not get any failure messages. After restoring apps etc in settings Storage and USB I have device storage 9.59Gb total used of 22.50Gb, Android OS 2,49Gb, int storage 5.16Gb used of 5.51GB and SanDisk SD card 1.93Gb used of 14.59GB and notification that storage space running out.
    In Storage and USB is it correct to display the SD card separately from the internal storage? How can I confirm the sd card is now part of the devices internal storage.
    Thanks for assist.

    • Yes, SD card usage is always listed even you set it as internal storage.

      Your problem is probably caused by 2 facts:
      1). After set SD card as internal storage, You must follow the steps and select move data now, NOT move later. This is to instruct the phone to use SD card whenever possible. Otherwise, the phone will try to use internal storage when possible. This affects apps installed after the change. If the internal storage is already low, you should backup the phone and try a factory data reset.
      2). How you restore the apps. You should install them directly from play store. Most apps for backing up and restoring apps very likely use internal storage.

      When you set SD card as internal storage, you should get a quality and fast SD card.

  • I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Tab A and have a 32GB mico SD card in place configured as portable storage. Android version is 6.0.1. I want to read files on the SD card from an Android app I'm creating. Two questions:
    1. I've been unable to find a consistent way to locate the SD card. Using Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() doesn't work as the files located under the returned directory are not those actually on the SD card. I resorted to using the app Explorer (version 3.0.1) and looking under /mnt, /sdcard, and /storage. I found it under /storage/BA13-11FB, but have no idea where BA13-11FB came from?
    2. In the article under disadvantages of using the SD card as portable storage it states: "You cannot use micro SD for your apps or app data". I've confirmed that my app can't create a new subdirectory or create a file in this directory as the permissions are rwxr_xr_x - so only root has write permission to this directory and I don't want to root my device. My app IS able to read a file that is already on the SD card. So if the SD card can only be used to load data onto it either externally when its in another device or using Android File Transfer when its inserted, why is the OS creating a directory Android/data/ on this SD card and placing a bunch of subdirectories under it for other applications that I have no control over? It seems I can delete that directory without consequence but its simply returns.

    • For developer related discussions, you may check other developers communities. At least we cannot give you a good answer for your question.

      Samsung's implementation of SD card in Marshmallow is an exception. But the permission is correct. Apps can only write to its own folder, not other folders. The data folder if for that purpose. You can bypass this limitation by granting the permission explicitly. ES File explorer is an example.

  • Hi, I am having an Moto G 3 Turbo mobile with Marshmallow 6.0.1 version and using an Scandisk ultra 32 GB class 10 48 Mb/s memory card as an external Storage. Initially the phone worked well but currently i am not able to access my SD card and also not being able to view photos and movies stored in it. Generally I restart the phone and then I can view it but it only lasts for 15-20 mins (on the higher end) and the same problem persists. Then again I need to restart my phone to access the SD card.
    I took it to the customer care center and they informed that it is an generally problem with Marshmallow 6.0.1 with class 10 SD card and advised me to either go for an lower class of SD card or reset my phone to factory settings. I was not convinced with the answer and request you to advise me on this regard.
    Thanks.

    • I don't think the problem is related to class 10.

      When you cannot access the files on SD card, did you check settings - storage? Is SD card still mounted?

      If the SD card was used before updating to Marshmallow, you should backup the SD card and format it once in Marshmallow in settings - storage.

  • I HAVE LENOVO A7000 AND I USE SD CARD AS INTERNAL STORAGE BUT WHEN I MOVE APKS PHONE TO SD CARD THEY ARE WORK VERY VERY SLOW I WANT TO CHANGE MY SD CARD SO PLEASE SUGGEST ME WHICH SD CARD IS BEST FOR SPEED

    • The SD is usually slow. Also, the speed can also be limited by the phone hardware (chipset).

      None can guarantee the SD card is "fast" enough for you.

      You can try get Sandisk ultra 32GB. The extreme line is usually faster, but I suspect your phone can benefit from it.

  • Tried this in Samsung on7. Formatted the SDCARD using the phone -storage-format
    Two of my SDCARD corrupted. So use it with caution

  • i forget the memory card in marshmellow. now phone wants to erase and format the sd card for further use. but i donts want to loose data. Any possibility to reopen this sd card in phone or access it on other device so i ll get data .???

    • If you did not format it yet, your can use it on any other devices and all files are still there. You can copy the whole SD card to your pc.

      If you formatted it already, then it's too late.

  • hello.
    I have an Alcatel ONE Touch Idol 3 and after installed the 6.0 Android version it's working harder.
    The main problem is with the SD card. It's not recognised. When I want to convert into Internal Storage appears an error "command '43 volume partition disk:179,64 private' failed with '400 43 Command failed'."
    My SD card is 16 GB class 10. What can be done?
    Thanks

    • If you user SD card as internal storage, it will be even slower. It seems your SD card has some protected blocks or corrupted blocks. If I were you, I would try to get a new SD card.

  • Hi, I have a phone where the SD card has been formatted as internal storage.
    After a few weeks of normal operation, for some problem (not related to the SD card) the support of my phone asked me to do a "Factory Data Reset". Before doing this operation I saved all data on the phone with a simple backup (I thought the data are saved on the SD card and a simple Factory Data Reset won't create any problem reading them back). And now the problem, after the mentioned operation the phone just ask me to format again the SD card (in any way I want to use the SD card, internal storage or standard SD). No way to read the data inside the SD card! All my data lost!
    It is this normal? I read that the SD card formatted as internal storage cannot be read in any other phone or PC but never that it cannot be read on the same phone after a simple factory data reset.
    Is there any way to solve the problem and get my data back? Please help. Thanks

    • It's normal. If you format the SD card as internal storage, the SD card is encrypted and the key is saved as part of your account info (not on the SD card itself for security considerations).

      When you factory data reset the phone, the key is also destroyed. So when you set up the phone again, your SD card cannot be read even by the phone any more.

      • Due to the encripting operation, I suppose there is no way to to get my data back. Ot there is any particular procedure to get acces to the SD card, of course using the same phone?
        If not, I hope this information will be reported on official Android site. I really didn't find anything about it and this is the reason why I proceeded with the factory data reset.
        Thanks anyway for your information.

        • As I know, you cannot access the data on the SD card after factory data reset, even with the same phone. This is to protect data on the SD card. You should back up any important data before resetting. Actually, you should back up important data regularly because you don't know when the storage may be corrupted.

      • Due to all listed limitations I think the best way it is to buy a phone with at least 64GB and forget the SD card.
        Or use it just as before and save on it only pictures and music. No a very good improvement for Android.
        Thanks and regards

  • I am Having A htc desire Eye Phone ,
    When I am Upgrading the Android 6.0. Last Week ,I can not use the normal speed class 10 64GB Sd Card.
    When I want to use a removable storage,My phone asks me to use the UHS-I Class 3 Speed Memory Card.
    Can I raise My Question,Whether I can use the Transcend SDXC 64GB UHS-I Class 10 Memory Card For My Phone .....
    Whether it will sets or not....
    Can You Pls help me for in this situation.......,
    Kindly Pls reply for this answer.....

    • As I know, HTC desire Eye should use any SD card. You should not get any error messages when using any micro SD card.

      What error message did you get? You may try to backup the sd card, then try to format the SD card in the phone.

  • Hi,
    I'm using a Moto G 2nd Gen. Samsung EVO 32 GB micro SDHC UHS-1 card class 10. I did read through all the other posts, and my problem is very different. I have the card set to portable storage, and use it mainly for storing music. I don't use may apps. Anyway, after the MM upgrade, it has happened twice that when I turn on the WiFi, (Phone is set for auto update over WiFi only) for some reason the card starts to act up. Music will not play, some songs just skip, some have errors, then the card reads corrupt in the phone. Re-format the card, and it happened again. Now, I am afraid to turn on my WiFi for fear it will happen again. While I am not "loosing" anything (file on PC), it is just a pain to keep doing this. Any thoughts?

    • Nor sure about the issue. Portable storage should has nothing to do with the update.

      it may be just a random issue.

  • Hi,

    My problem is with a Samsung Tab A 8.0. When upgrading to MM it didn't give the option of adoptable or portable, it apparently just made the SD portable. Now I don't have any option to move apps to SD card anymore, so I can't even use all of the apps I was using with Lollipop. Has Samsung disabled the feature on Tab A as well? If so, is there any way to go back to Lollipop?

  • I recently bought moto x style, 16 gb varient ,
    But i want to use heavy games like ashaphalt,nova 3,modern combat 3 etc.
    Just now i came to know about having an option of using sd card as internal storage,
    Sir,so please tell me which sd card i should buy to use in,that will work on my phone flawlessly,
    I don't want any problem,i want to directly install these games in sd card from playstore
    Please recommend me the sd card

    • In that case, you should buy the model south more internal storage. Using SD card as internal storage is still experimental. No one can guarantee there would be no problems for any SD card. Anyway, normally SanDisk extreme or ultra series are good enough.

      Anyway, for gaming, SD card is not as good as the the physical internal storage.

      • Thanks u so much ,a question more ,i'm in doubt
        If i download these types of games from playstore ,will those automaticaaly install on sd card or i would have to move it?

        • When you format the SD card as internal storage, you should follow the instructions to migrate data. This migration actually sets SD card as default storage. Apps installed from now on will be installed on SD card. This means you should not add SD card as internal storage when you already have very limited storage. The migration doesn't move existing apps. Only media files and a few app data may need migrated.

  • I've bought recent Moto G4, can share a bit of experience of using it. I don't think I have exactly the same problem with an SD card like it have been described in the article, however I've noticed that G4 with Marshmallow have several problems with SD.
    I will tell at once that I've been using my SD as an internal storage, and this is an SD card with UHS-I. The problems start here... First one is that my device kinda often notifies me about mistakes of not being able to write/read from SD. Try to imagine that you're seeing a beautiful moment and want to make a photo/video. But, damn, without restart of the phone you simply cannot do it! After the restart everything works again. The second is that when you're trying to record an audio message (for example when you're driving a car) your cell simply refuse you to do it notifying you about some mistake connected to recorder. The third, that some apps simply can kick you out and stop working. It's really annoying. I decided to figure out how can I solve it writing to the official support. They said me to make a reboot of my phone. And that's what I've done. However even after reboot the problem with SD still appears what spoils totally my impression of this cell.
    Maybe I do something wrong, I can't deny that. I'm here for finding some answers.
    If someone faced such kind of problem, I'm asking this person for a help.

    • 1. Next time, when you get the error message, take a screenshot or note down the exact message.

      2. It's not related to SD card. Very likely, other app is hogging the mic. Sometimes, Google now may have this issue when you set OK Google detection on any screens. But the issue was almost fixed.

      3. Is it specific to some apps only? You can try to clear recent apps to see whether it helps. The issue could be due to memory or cache. You can also try to clear cache partition and cache of the specific app.

      • Thanks for help.
        The point is that this message about mistake stopped to appeal after I moved all my apps to the internal storage of the telephone. From your article I understood that in the beginning when your device asks you in which mode it should set an SD, if you choose "Internal storage" mode, it will expand your internal memory, but not preserve there the apps itself (only their data if what). That's why... Probably I did a mistake... Cause after I integrated my SD with internal storage, after that I still saw that mostly apps are able to be transferred to the SD card somehow (??? can somebody explain me how and why???) and that was what I did. After that I started to receive problems which I described below. I wrote here to find an answer, but while waiting I also tried to transfer back all the apps to the inner memory. And it worked. After I received an answer here with a request of a screenshot, I was waiting while my device will send me some notifies about a mistake so I can send it here. But it's gone...
        Right now I will simply reply step by step on the questions.
        So the second, I don't have any apps which could hold on the microphone. Only Viber and Whatsapp which as I told you I use for audiomessages, but they are working always in a stand by mode, so I don't know how can it be a problem.
        The third, yeah I've noticed that this feature appears only with apps using internet connection. They can do a different job, for example one is viber and the second is TripAdvisor. They both use data... Also Facebook and other apps using data can crash somehow. I have CleanMaster to clean app data every day. It didn't work with that issue. I've tried many times. What helped me at once was a restart.
        But as I already told here, it all have been fixed by returning of the apps to the inner memory. Anyway, thank you so much for answers. If something will go wrong I'm gonna report here, maybe it will be helpful for somebody.

        • Thank you for sharing the update. It will surely help other readers who are facing similar issues.

          The Change storage is available for some apps after you choose SD card as internal storage. This is mainly for apps installed before you choose the SD card as internal storage. Or if you did not choose to migrate data now, when you set SD card as internal storage, the default location is still internal storage. In this case, you can find this option for some apps installed after setting SD card. Anyway, it is recommended to set SD card as internal storage on a clean (e.g., after a factory data reset before restoring apps) phone.

          All apps that can use mic may hold the mic. But sometimes, OK Google detection may hog it.

          NEVER use clean master. NEVER, and NEVER. What's the available internal (actual, not SD card)storage in the phone? You need keep about 0.5-1GB free internal storage for heavy apps like Facebook.

          • Thank you for your advice.

            Yeah, I understood that I did wrong to transfer apps to the SD after choosing SD working mode as an Internal storage. I guess I simply didn't need that at all cause I have 16GB default space on my Moto G4. I wanted to expand it. Before it I had HTC One X with 32 GB (without SD slot to expand memory), and after a year it started to pop up that it's not enough of inner memory or so what when it was almost no apps at the phone, cause I guess all the app data simply flooded my space. Then I thought that if I use my SD on Moto G4 as a portable storage, it may appear the same problem and I won't have an opportunity to transfer the app data on SD... I'm not an advanced user so there are some things which I might not understand. Your article made clear for me some of these issues.

            I usually don't use Ok, Google so it might be something else. For me it's still something to find out.

            And the last, as you highly not recommend to use Clean Master, so can I ask an advice about this kind of app for device, which would clean my cell from the apps garbage from time to time? Thanks in advance.

          • For the mic issue, any apps that can use mic may hog it.

            For cleanmaster, I am not a fan of Cheetah Mobile. It's not necessary to have such apps in Android at all. If you are a heavy user, you can reboot the phone once a week.

          • Well, I thought the problem is gone but seems like it's still going to bother me. There was no problems about a few days. I thought I've found the solution. But then making a pictures of important documents (I'm saying this to point out that it was a series of photos), suddenly my camera kicked me out without saving the last picture I made and pop up the message "Mistake. Please restart the camera." Ok, I did. This time camera didn't allow me to do any picture with the same mistake. I was going to make a screenshot, as it was adviced here, but I couldn't do even that. My tries finished with "It's not possible to save the screenshot. The memory (!!!) is unavailable" as I am using an SD as an internal storage... I went to Settings---Memory and found 13Gb of 57Gb busy. So in fact, the memory I have enough. Anyway I thought that still I need a screenshot of these two mistakes now, and I went to Google Store to download something what can do it instead of standard "power"+"sound low" buttom. I found an app and tried to download it, but (!!!) Google Store notifies me about disability to install the app. I tried everything... I followed Google troubleshoot advices, but I couldn't get anything. Then I started to search in the internet, found a few solutions which different people proposed like changing the name of "Pictures" folder for the "Pictures2", cleaning the cache and etc. It was all vain. I also tried to restart my device several times... After I don't remember which time the problem have been gone. By it's on. WOW. Don't get what is going on here, and I also don't get if it's a hardware problem (so I should go to the service and change my device) or it is a software problem (so I should search for solution or wait Android team to fix it).
            Any advices?

          • If there are any issues with SD card (when you use it as internal storage), you probably have to restart the phone. SD card is always less reliable than the internal storage.

  • I am using Moto G2 and upgraded to marshmallow. Later set my sd card as internal memory. Everything was working fine till my phone crashed and the same had to be formatted. On inserting the sd card the phone is not sensing and it say the card needs to be formatted. What shall i do as the card had photos of my daughter and is required by me
    Kindly Help

    • As mentioned in other comments, if you reset the phone, the SD card (which you used as internal storage before resetting) cannot be read by any devices. You have to format the SD card again to use it.

      When you choose to use the SD card as internal storage, it's encrypted and only your phone can read it. If you reset the phone, the encryption key is destroyed and no device can user there SD card unless your format the SD card. This is designed to protect your data on SD card.

      For photos, you should enable automatic backup in Photos app.

  • When the new Marshmallow update hit on my phone, I installed it. There was an option that sd card can be used as internal memory, I did that cause the internal storage of this phone is really low. I had put all my data into this sd card after formatting it into internal storage. After a month my phone lost it's OS. I went to the nearest mobile repair and got my phone back but it had lollipop version installed on it so I downloaded the Marshmallow update and installed it. Now my phone says that the sd card is unsupported. Please can anyone help. Thanks in advance

    • If you used the SD card as internal storage, then only the phone can use the SD card. If you reset the phone or flash the phone (this is what happened to your phone), the SD card cannot be read by any devices. Your original phone cannot read it as well. This is not a bug. It's designed to work in this way to protect your privacy.

      The only way to use the SD card is too format it. Of course, this means you will lose ALL data on the SD card.

  • Sir I forget to back up my data and I reset my phone. After reset my memory card not showing and it's required to format.... could I recover my data from card plz plz suggest any method..pllzzzzz

    • If the SD card was used as internal storage, there are NO ways to recover the files after a reset. Before factory data reset, ONLY the phone can read it. Now, no device can read it technically because the encryption key was destroyed when you reset the phone.

  • I recently got a sd card and i was planning to making it a external storage after i wait for the bar to get full it says that my sd card is slow and that i should move stuff so i try to move the stuff but then when i press on the move button it says that the unfortunately setting has stop working i press on ok and it does the same again and again im wondering if im the only one having this problem?

    • When you use the SD card as external storage, it's not so critical whether it's slow or fast. What did you mean exactly "for the bar to get full"?

  • sir,
    plz help me, I recently buy a lenovo phab 2 (not phab 2+). and i installed sdcard as portable so when i was going to move the images from on folder to another there is only option for copy files not the option for cut OR move so everytime i have to copy the all files,paste it to another folder on same sdcard and then delete the old files...plz sir check it into lenovo phab 2 (marshmallow).

    AND

    otherthing is that i also can't rename the folder in marshmallow in lenovo phab 2 plz sir help me.

  • Respected Sir

    I am new to android, When i attempt to save a new phone contact in android 6, it lists four places to save
    1.Phone,
    2.Sim1,
    3.Sim2,
    4.Gmail...
    Sir, which one I need to choose to save the contact and tell me the advantage of the same

    • it is better to save to your Google account so that you can access such contacts from any other devices as well.

  • Can I degrade my asus max phone marshmallows to lollipop? What the way? Pls help sir. I'm disappointed this marshmallows. It is hard and bad. Lollipop is good. No problems in lollipop. Pls help me. I'm tired this marshmallows stupidity

    • There is no official way to downgrade in Android. You have to flash the phone. You need to find the correct old firmware, and know how to flash ROM.

      Do NOT try it yourself unless you know what you are doing. You can visit ASUS service center and ask them to flash the old firmware for you.

  • One more sir. How to increase asus max phones headphone volume? It is no higher than other phones. I'm a trance music fan with loud volume liner. But can't increse high volume this phone. Very disappointed. Help me sir.

  • Hi! Android 6, Lenovo Tab3. Internal sd card. Im unable to move a folder to sd card (as directory i guess), its not seen as directory or anything else nowhere, except for Storage&Usb. (Even cannot create New folder, there next to folder Application and Cache). SD card is not seen as directory by "file move like" apps. There is only property to copy in Recent->Internal storage/Drive - no sd card directory visible, as no "move to" option. Its a personal data folder not OS. Tap on "Show sd card" (upper right corner) does nothing. So I'm not able to do nothing to my external storage (even seen by any app). How to move a folder... from fast site of storage to slower. Thanks!

  • Yes, i did. There is option to move/copy to sd card, but tap on it lead again to internal (tablet) directory, not sd. You answer to any post, thats very nice, thanks!

    • You can install Asus file manager (it's free in Google play). In the Asus file manager, can you see the SD card? You can share the screenshot in our Facebook if you cannot see SD card in Asus file manager.

  • Did it, but Asus recognized only tablet memory. I noticed in many options/windows that tablet memory is shown/written as sd card instead of Storage. Iм thinking, is there option in control panels to control behavior of sd card - obviously the system does not recognize it as an integral part. I remember, after formatting the card as internal, there was a little icon of it in the menu bar on the desktop which i removed, but don't think that this violates functionality in some way.

    • SD card usually is mounted as external SD. SD card is traditionally reserved for internal storage that user can access. But different vendors may have different settings.

      Did you mean you formatted as internal storage? I don't think Lenovo supports using SD card as internal storage.

  • Yes sd card is formatted as internal storage. I think OS manage if sd can be internal, not hardware. So, the card is formated as internal and is visible in Settings->Storage. There are clear visible two directories: "Internal storage" (tablet memory) and external sd card - called... SDSclad.

    SDSclad is not visible nowhere else except in Settings->Storage. The only option to see and use it, is in Settings->Apps - there i can change change location of an app to be moved to SDSclad.

    Im able to move apps to SDSclad trough Settings->Apps. Only apps. Can not do that for photos, folders, files, because SDSclad is not visible in os or any app manager.

    I'm able to move to it only apps. I can rename it. There is directory on sd card with Applications where apps moved and a folder Cache - nothing else.

    I found in some applications (managers) Android tablet storage is written as sd card. But it is built in memory, not external sd.

    What i did was ejecting the sd card, restarted OS - nothing.

    I think Android does not allow on sd card, formatted as internal, to be moved any other than apps. I don't know what to think. It allows sd card, formatted as internal, to be used as part of "starting place", but not as usual for file storage.

    • If you formatted the SD card to internal storage, then all apps will not see it as an external SD card. The partition for SD card is merged with internal storage logically/virtually. Only Settings - storage & USB can see it because you need to manage the SD card there.

      As you now use the SD card as internal storage, it's not necessarily to move apps or files to SD card. The system will manage the usage. What's the problem you are facing with using the SD card? Again, you are not supposed to manually move files to SD card (and actually, by default, you cannot).

      Please note, the SD card now can only be used on this device. If you want to use it in other devices, you have to format it again.

  • "If you formatted the SD card to internal storage, then all apps will not see it as an external SD card. The partition for SD card is merged with internal storage logically/virtually. Only Settings – storage & USB can see it because you need to manage the SD card there."

    Here is the tricky part. Two memories form a whole. But one part of that "whole" is slower. So the one wants to put on slower part (of the whole) files and apps that he doesn't use often. He can do that. But partially. He can move apps there, but not executable files. Question is why?

    "The system will manage the usage." "What’s the problem you are facing with using the SD card?"

    No. System does warn me about dangerous low memory and wants me to free up more space. So it does not recognize free space on sd card or even sd card itself (in that case). May it can managed inside settings, but you mention that it does it automatically, if i saw that clear.

    simon "What’s the problem you are facing with using the SD card?"
    petar "How to move a folder… from fast site of storage to slower. "

    System allows to copy files (apps) on sd card. Аdmits that there is … other space than "whole". But does not allow to put on that space executable files.

    More logicaly is to allow that for executable files, and the reason is that it is slower for apps. Apps need more speed and must be placed on internal space. But i understand general - can not save my photos to the... "slower part of the whole".

    I have question like that. If i install navigation app of 3G (maps, etc.) and OS does not allow to ne move it on sd card (with lot of space), where to put photos or other things. I can by another device, but thats not the point. Something wrong here.

    • First, are you really sure you have the option to use SD card as internal storage or external storage in your Lenovo device?

      If you are using the SD card as internal storage, it will NOT move existing files to SD card. It will only offer the option immediately after formatting the SD card. You should choose to transfer files at that time. If you get the low internal storage warning, it usually means the internal storage was already low when you format the SD card as internal storage.

      The system is smart enough to know whether to save files. But some files must be physically in the real internal storage. You are not supposed to manage the location of the files. In application manager, you may have the option to change the storage for some apps. But some of the files may be not moved to actual as SD card. This depends on vendor and app implementation.

  • I have a Galaxy S7 and the only option it gives me is to format to Portable mode. There is no internal mode option. Right now some apps I can move to that SD card and they stay -other apps I moved to the card and then it automatically bounces back to the internal. All I want is to free up space on my internal which is almost completely maxed out. Let me know what happens if I format to Portable mode.

    • Samsung removed the feature of using SD card as internal storage. You can only use SD card in Samsung phones as portable storage.

      There are no easy solutions except getting a phone with larger storage or getting a Motorola phone (which supports SD card as internal storage).

  • Deleting the post does not removes the problems. Anyway I'm here to purpose the same, to delete back link. It wasn't good. Sory. Thanks again

    • What post? Sometimes the spam filter may remove comeents wrongly. But due to huge spam comments, we are not able to check them one by one. If you shared a link through comments and it's not shown, you can let us know the keywords and we can try to manually check them.

      You can also share the link in our Facebook page.

  • I use a docomo xperia z3 compact android 6 marshmallow, my problem is, I cant format my sd card to internal storage.When I format my sd card, there is only one option "format to portable sd card" there is no "format to internal storage". I'm using a toshiba micro sd card class 10. What shall I do? Please help?

    • Sony disabled the feature of using SD card as internal storage (adoptable storage).

      You should get a Motorola phone if you need to sue micro SD to expand the internal storage.

  • Hi
    I followed the instructions for my Vodafone Smart 6 Ultra to install an SD card (TDK 16GB Micros SD SDHC) with a view to using it as internal memory. I have Android 6.01 on the phone so I assume this is Marshmallow and I should have the two options for use as internal or portable memory, but in the set-up there is only the option for portable memory. I formatted the card but no change.
    Do you have any advice please? I did not think that my phone was one of the ones where the internal memory option is disabled
    Thank you

    • Not sure about that phone which was probably manufactured by ZTE. Anyway, manufacturers can disable the adoptable storage.

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