Everything you need to know about SD memory cards so you don't screw up your purchase. SD card as internal memory of Android

If your phone or tablet running Android 6.0 or 7 Nougat has a memory card slot, then you can use a MicroSD memory card as the internal memory of your device, this feature first appeared in Android 6.0 Marshm.

Using an SD memory card as internal memory

Before you start setting up, transfer all important data from your memory card somewhere: it will be completely formatted during the process.

Further actions will look like this (instead of the first two points, you can click on “ Tune" in the notification that a new SD card has been detected if you have just installed it and such a notification is displayed):

1. Go to Settings - Storage and USB drives and click on the item " SD card"(On some devices, the storage settings item may be located in the " Additionally", for example, on ZTE).

2. In the menu (button at the top right) select " Tune" If the menu contains the item " Inner memory", immediately click on it and skip step 3.

3. Click " Inner memory».

4. Read the warning that all data on the card will be erased before it can be used as internal storage, tap " Clear and Format».

5. Wait until the formatting process is completed.

6. If at the end of the process you see the message “ SD card is slow", this indicates that you are using a Class 4, 6 or similar memory card - i.e. really slow. It can be used as internal memory, but this will affect the speed of your Android phone or tablet (such memory cards can work up to 10 times slower than a regular one inner memory). We recommend using UHS Speed ​​Class 3 (U3) memory cards.

7. After formatting, you will be prompted to transfer data to a new device, select " Transfer now"(until the transfer, the process is not considered completed).

8. Click " Ready».

9. It is recommended that immediately after formatting the card as internal memory, reboot your phone or tablet - press and hold the power button, then select " Reboot", and if there is none - " Power off" or " Switch off", and after turning it off, turn the device on again.

This completes the process: if you go to the parameters “ Storage and USB drives", then you will see that the space occupied in the internal memory has decreased, on the memory card it has increased, and the total amount of memory has also increased.

However, the function of using an SD card as internal memory in Android 6 and 7 has some features that may make using this feature impractical.

Features of the memory card working as internal Android memory

It can be assumed that when to the internal Android memory With a capacity of N, a memory card capacity of M is added, the total available volume of internal memory should become equal to N+M. Moreover, approximately this is also displayed in the information about the device’s storage, but in fact everything works somewhat differently:

• Everything that is possible (with the exception of some applications, system updates) will be placed on the internal memory located on the SD card without providing a choice.
• At Android connection device to the computer in this case you will “ see" and only have access to the internal memory on the card. It's the same in file managers on the device itself.

As a result, after the moment when the SD memory card began to be used as internal memory, the user has no access to the “real” internal memory, and if we assume that the device’s own internal memory was more than MicroSD memory, then the amount of available internal memory after the described actions will not increase, but decrease.

Formatting a memory card for use as internal storage in ADB

For Android devices where the function is not available, for example on Samsung Galaxy S7, it is possible to format the SD card as internal memory using ADB Shell.

Since this method can potentially lead to problems with the phone (and may not work on every device), I will skip the details on installing, enabling USB debugging and running in the adb folder (If you don’t know how to do this, then perhaps It’s better not to take it. And if you take it, it’s at your own peril and risk).

The necessary commands themselves will look like this (the memory card must be connected):

• adb shell
• sm list-disks ( As a result of executing this command, pay attention to the issued disk identifier of the form disk:NNN,NN - it will be required in the next command)
• sm partition disk:NNN,NN private

Once formatting is complete, exit the adb shell, and on your phone, in the storage options, open the item “ SD card", click on the menu button at the top right and click " Transfer data"(this is required, otherwise the phone's internal memory will continue to be used). Once the transfer is complete, the process can be considered complete.

How to restore normal functioning of a memory card

If you decide to disconnect the memory card from the internal memory, this is easy to do - transfer all important data from it, then go to the SD card settings, just like in the first method.

Select " Portable media» and follow the instructions to format the memory card.

For most people, microSD is just a form factor, but in reality it is not. You can easily insert any microSD card into a standard slot, but not all of them will work, since the cards differ in many ways.

Format

There are three different SD formats, available in two form factors (SD and microSD):

• SD (microSD) - drives up to 2 GB, work with any equipment;
• SDHC (microSDHC) - drives from 2 to 32 GB, work on devices supporting SDHC and SDXC;
• SDXC (microSDXC) - drives from 32 GB to 2 TB (on this moment maximum 512 GB), work only on SDXC-enabled devices.

As you can see, they are not backward compatible. Memory cards of the new format will not work on old equipment.

Volume

Support for microSDXC declared by the manufacturer does not mean support for cards of this format with any capacity and depends on the specific device. For example, the HTC One M9 works with microSDXC, but officially only supports cards up to 128 GB inclusive.

Another one is related to storage capacity. important point. All microSDXC cards use the exFAT file system by default. Windows has supported it for more than 10 years, it appeared in OS X starting with version 10.6.5 (Snow Leopard), Linux distributions support exFAT, but it does not work out of the box everywhere.

High speed UHS interface

SDHC and SDXC cards can support the Ultra High Speed ​​interface, which, with hardware support on the device, provides higher speeds (UHS-I up to 104 MB/s and UHS-II up to 312 MB/s). UHS is backward compatible with earlier interfaces and can work with devices that do not support it, but at standard speeds (up to 25 MB/s).

2. Speed

Classifying the write and read speeds of microSD cards is as complex as their formats and compatibility. The specifications allow you to describe the speed of cards in four ways, and since manufacturers use them all, there is a lot of confusion.

Speed ​​class

The Speed ​​Class is associated with the minimum write speed to a memory card in megabytes per second. There are four in total:

• Class 2- from 2 MB/s;
• Class 4- from 4 MB/s;
• Class 6- from 6 MB/s;
• Class 10- from 10 MB/s.

Cards running on the high-speed UHS bus currently have only two speed classes:

• Class 1 (U1)- from 10 MB/s;
• Class 3 (U3)- from 30 MB/s.

Since the speed class designation uses the minimum entry value, theoretically a card of the second class may well be faster than a card of the fourth. Although, if this is the case, the manufacturer will most likely prefer to indicate this fact more explicitly.

Maximum speed

The speed class is quite enough for comparing cards when choosing, but some manufacturers, in addition to it, use it in the description maximum speed in MB/s, and more often not even the write speed (which is always lower), but the read speed.

These are usually the results of synthetic tests under ideal conditions, which are unattainable in normal use. In practice, speed depends on many factors, so you should not rely on this characteristic.

Speed ​​multiplier

Another classification option is the speed multiplier, similar to the one used to indicate the read and write speed of optical discs. There are more than ten of them, from 6x to 633x.

The 1x multiplier is 150 KB/s, that is, the simplest 6x cards have a speed of 900 KB/s. The fastest cards can have a multiplier of 633x, which is 95 MB/s.

3. Objectives

Choose the right card taking into account specific tasks. The biggest and fastest is not always the best. In certain use cases, the volume and speed may be excessive.

When buying a card for a smartphone, the volume plays a role big role than speed. The advantages of a large drive are obvious, but the advantages of high transfer speeds on a smartphone are practically not felt, since large files are rarely written and read there (unless you have a smartphone with 4K video support).

Cameras that shoot HD and 4K video are a completely different matter: both speed and volume are equally important here. For 4K video, camera manufacturers recommend using UHS U3 cards, for HD - regular Class 10 or at least Class 6.

For photography, many professionals prefer to use several smaller cards to minimize the risk of losing all the images in force majeure circumstances. As for speed, it all depends on the photo format. If you shoot in RAW, it makes sense to invest in microSDHC or microSDXC class UHS U1 and U3 - in this case they will reveal themselves fully.

4. Fakes

No matter how trivial it may sound, it is now easier than ever to buy a fake under the guise of original cards. Several years ago, SanDisk claimed that a third of SanDisk memory cards on the market were counterfeit. It is unlikely that the situation has changed much since then.

To avoid disappointment when purchasing, just follow common sense. Refrain from buying from untrustworthy sellers, and beware of offers of “original” cards that are significantly lower than the official price.

Attackers have learned to fake packaging so well that sometimes it can be very difficult to distinguish it from the original. You can judge with complete confidence the authenticity of a particular card only after checking using special utilities:

• H2testw- for Windows;

If you have already experienced the loss of important data due to a memory card failure for one reason or another, then when it comes to choosing, you will most likely prefer a more expensive card a well-known brand than an affordable “no name”.

In addition to greater reliability and safety of your data, with a branded card you will receive high speed and a guarantee (in some cases even lifetime).

Now you know everything you need to know about SD cards. As you can see, there are many questions that you will have to answer before purchasing a card. Perhaps, best idea will have different cards for different needs. This way you can take full advantage of the equipment without exposing your budget to unnecessary expenses.

Most owners of Android devices sooner or later face the problem of lack of internal space for storing files. Regular installation of applications gradually reduces the amount of free space in the gadget, which leads to slowdowns, incorrect operation, or even a complete failure of the system to work normally. In this case, replacing the internal Android memory with a memory card will help. How to do this and what other ways there are to deal with such a nuisance, we will consider further.

Before delving into the settings and transferring all applications to a flash drive at once, you need to understand what types of memory generally exist on your Android device:

• operational - necessary for the correct operation of applications, programs and other processes that run on a phone or tablet;
• ROM - stores information about the operating system during firmware and this data cannot be transferred to third-party media;
• internal - applications are installed here automatically, as well as any user information; the system reports how much free space is left when installing new software;
• expansion card - an external drive that is designed to expand the internal memory of the device and store applications and user information.

Why can't I save apps to my SD card?

In many gadgets, it is not possible to automatically allow the installation of new applications on a flash drive. This applies to phones and tablets from version 4.4.2 to 6.0.1. In this case, replacing the internal memory with an SD card is simply necessary, and this can be done in several ways (including using third-party applications). But first you need to find out the version of Android that is installed on your gadget. To do this, click sequentially on:

1. Menu;
2. Settings;
3. About the phone.

The OS version will be indicated in the list that opens.

Programs for transferring applications to a memory card

The developers took care of the users and created programs to make the flash drive memory the main one on Android. This is especially useful for older versions of the system, such as 2.2 or even earlier.

Convenient software that contains all the necessary tools for transferring information from internal memory to an external drive. The interface is intuitive and simple. Applications available for moving are marked with icons, which, when clicked, opens all available information about them, as well as possible actions (move, copy, delete).

Move2SD Enablerv

This software is interesting to users for two reasons. The first is that it is compatible with different versions Android (including later ones). And the second is the ability to transfer data and applications that are marked in the system as “unacceptable for transfer.”

Another interesting development that simplifies the life of Android gadget users. The main advantages are simple software installation (without the need to additionally download scripts and libraries) and the ability to transfer information not as complete libraries, but only as parts.

What other methods are there?

There is another option to make an SD card into the internal memory on Android. If the version of your gadget is from 2.2 to 4.2.2, then the instructions are extremely simple, click on:

1. Settings;
2. Memory;
3. Default recording disk;
4. SD card.

A checkmark or circle will appear opposite the flash drive, indicating that the settings have changed. Now installation of applications will automatically go to the flash drive.

For users of Android KitKat and higher, the process will be more difficult and tedious. the main problem is that you will need to root your device. You can do this at home, but there is a risk of turning your device into a “brick” that either cannot be repaired, or will only be restored to life at a service center for an additional fee.

Remember that by installing root rights yourself, you void your device’s warranty and act at your own peril and risk. Whether it's worth it or not is up to you to decide. Maybe it's less risky to manually migrate new applications each time?

What do you think? Tell us in the comments if you had to get root rights, whether it was successful, or maybe you know other ways to switch the memory of a tablet/phone to a memory card.

Before we talk about which memory card is better, we should distinguish between the concepts of flash card, USB drive and memory card itself. For most, there is no obvious difference, and we will not go into detail, just mention that a USB flash drive or flash drive is designed for storing, exchanging data and is often used as an installer for various. The flash drive connects to a computer or to any other device that provides a connector or adapter for USB. Memory cards are produced both based on flash memory and using other technologies and file systems.

As for memory cards, they are to a greater extent intended for mobile devices, such as smartphones, cameras, portable music centers, DVRs, players and much more.

What is a memory card?

Memory card is a storage device that is used to record and store digital information, for example: photos, music, documents, programs and other files.

A memory card allows you to expand the factory capabilities of the device - store and use large amounts of information.

Memory card formats

There are 3 formats of memory cards: SD, SDHC and SDXC, which in turn differ into classes (according to information transfer/reception speed), memory capacity and size. Briefly about each:

1. SD and microSD (Secure Digital Memory Card) are the most common format, as they work in all devices that support SDHC or SDXC formats. The only thing you may need is a Card Reader. Memory capacity up to 4GB.
2. SDHC and microSDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) – not compatible with devices that support the SD card format. Memory capacity up to 32GB.
3. SDXC and microSDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) are the latest type of memory card, which has the largest memory capacity up to 2 TB (2 Terabytes) and at the same time is the most expensive memory card.

Types of memory cardsSDor their form factors:

microSD– are the smallest memory cards measuring 11 x 15 mm. Used as a memory card for a phone, smartphone, tablet and any other devices.

miniSD– today this type of card is less popular than microSD and has a larger size: 20 X 21.5 mm.

SD– the largest type, size: 24 x 32 mm. Such cards are used in more serious and larger devices.

Memory card speed classesSD:

No less important criterion When choosing a memory card, their speed of recording files and exchanging information with the device is important. The speed of the memory card is responsible for the speed of recording media files on the card, the quality of music playback, voluminous video recordings without audio or video delay, and so on.

How to determine the speed of SD cards?

Information about the speed of SD cards can be found on the memory card itself; it is indicated either in classes (SD Speed ​​Class), for example: SD Class 2, SD Class 4, SD Class 6, SD Class 10.

Or, the speed of a memory card can be expressed in special multipliers: 13x, 16x, 40x, 1000x and higher.

These multipliers are comparable to the speed class and are equivalent, for example:

SD Class 2: write speed from 2 MB/s - 13x multiplier;

SD Class 4: write speed from 4 MB/s - 27x multiplier;

SD Class 6: write speed from 6 MB/s - 40x multiplier;

SD Class 10: write speed from 10 MB/s - 67x multiplier; The following symbols can supplement the SD card speed symbols:

V6 or Class 6: write speed from 6 MB/s

V10 or Class 10: write speed from 10 MB/s

V30 or Class 30: write speed from 30 MB/s

V60 or Class 60: write speed from 60 MB/s

V90 or Class 90: write speed from 90 MB/s

Where, V (V Class) is Video Speed ​​Class, which are capable of recording higher video resolutions. Class V guarantees minimum performance for video recording. Such cards are used to expand the memory of video cameras and digital cameras.

Among the fastest SD cards, there are cards with a 633x multiplier, which allows you to write to the card at speeds close to 90 MB/s and read up to 95 MB/s. Today, there are memory cards that exceed this speed by 6 times, we're talking about about memory cards using the UHS-III high-speed bus. More on this below.

Also keep in mind that in reality the speed may be slightly lower than stated by the manufacturer and be sure to pay attention to the fact that. Why this happens, you can find out in.

Also, there are SDHC 1/SDHC 2 and SDXC 1/SDXC 2 memory cards with increased speed, which can be designated as UHS (Ultra High Speed). Such cards run on the faster UHS bus. They, in turn, are divided into other classes, which are designated by a number inscribed in the Latin letter U.

Today, there are two such classes on UHS:

Class U1- guaranteed speed from 10 MB/s;

Class U3- guaranteed speed from 30 MB/s.

As you can see, only the minimum threshold value of Class U1/U3 is indicated, i.e. This class includes many cards that, when used, can work with at different speeds, both 10 MB/s and 100-300 MB/s. These two designations indicate that in this case, the actual speed will exceed the declared 10 and 30 MB/s, but not lower.

UHS may have the following data bus marks and indicators:

UHS I– write/read speed, up to 104 MB/s.

UHS II– write/read speed, up to 312 MB/s.

And a new type of tire today:

UHS-III– record writing/reading speed, up to 624 MB/s.

How to choose a memory card?

1. Before buying a memory card, first of all you need to decide on the size of the SD card that you need.
2. Select the desired card format, i.e. size that fits into a memory card slot or (microSD, miniSD, SD).
3. Familiarize yourself with the requirements of your device, the quality of shooting and performance. Depending on this, you can already select the required speed class, which will work optimally with your device without braking during photo, video shooting, playback and data transfer.
4. The next, narrower parameter is additional features of the SD card, such as waterproofness, shock resistance, shock resistance temperature regime and so on. This item often applies to professional camera operators, photographers, or people who work in extreme conditions not covered by conventional SD cards. For example, the SanDisk SDHC UHS I Extreme Pro memory card can operate at temperatures from -25 to +85 °C. This card is protected from water, sun rays and blows. Such maps are used in professional equipment, in different climatic conditions from the North Pole to the South Tropic. This SD card is extremely expensive, but has a lifetime warranty.
5. The last criterion, which will be decisive for many, is the price of the card. You should weigh the cost of SD cards against your need. Of course the best cards There will be those that are of a higher class, have a high data transfer speed and a large amount of memory, but it is worth remembering that such cards may not be compatible with your device. Since large, professional equipment requires expensive, corresponding memory cards to work well, simpler devices such as phones, mp3/mp4 players and others can work perfectly on SD Class 2,4,6 cards.

Note! When choosing a particular memory card, focus on read and write performance. For example, you cannot compare the write speed of one card, say Transcend, which will be 100 MB/s, and the read speed of another card, for example, SanDisk, which will have a speed of 160 MB/s, since the read speed is always higher than the write speed. Some manufacturers indicate the write speed, while others read, thereby creating an artificial difference.

Another banal one, but important advice, which you should always remember - try to buy cards only in trusted stores or branded representative offices, since the likelihood of running into a fake is extremely high, and the overpayment for a copy or even defective is extremely high, given that branded and high-quality cards cost about 100-500 dollars USA. And professional operators and photographers even use several cards at once.

For clarity, here is an example photo with symbols and their brief designation:

Which memory card should I choose for my camera or video camera?

For large photo and video equipment, an outdated, but very fast and large-capacity card is used, which has been in production since 1994 - CompactFlash. The Compact Flash multiplier can be 800x, 1000x, 1066x, and the data transfer speed is up to 160 MB/s.

These cards are great for SLR cameras, video cameras with high resolution cinematic quality Full HD, 3D-Full HD.

For photos and cameras with HD quality, UHS Speed ​​Class 1 (U1) cards with at least 10 MB/s are a good option.

For more demanding video and photo cameras with Ultra HD 4K or 2K video recording, UHS Speed ​​Class 3 (U3) cards with a recording speed of at least 30 MB/s are best suited.

As a last resort, for recording video in Full HD (1080p) format, you can buy a Class 10 memory card with a speed of at least 10 MB/s.

Which class of memory card is best for a smartphone?

At the most simple smartphones It is difficult to notice the difference in the speed of a memory card, and for a regular smartphone, as a rule, the cheapest memory card is used. Which class is better for new, more powerful ones is another question, because the latest smartphones have the ability to take photos and videos with Full HD resolution (from 720p to 1080p/1080i), and for this you already need at least class 4 and 6 cards th, at a speed of 4-6 MB/s.

As you can see, it all depends on the needs and capabilities of your device, so it’s difficult to say for sure which memory card is better for a smartphone. 8+, for example, has the ability to shoot video in 4K UHD format (3840×2160), and for this, as you can understand from the above characteristics, an Ultra High Speed ​​Class 3 (U3) memory card is required, with a recording speed of at least 30 MB/s . So be sure to consider your device's specifications and SD card capabilities.

Technologies for creating SD memory cards are developing and, accordingly, their volumes, data transfer rates and other parameters are increasing, and along with them the price is growing. SD cards for video shooting High Quality with a data transfer speed of 160 MB/s cost about $500.

You should not chase the maximum performance of memory cards if your device performs the most simple functions, which SD cards in the cheaper segment can handle. But if you are looking for an SD card for professional equipment, then in this case it is not worth saving, because a camera with Ultra HD 4K resolution a priori will not be able to work normally with an SD Class 2 memory card that costs $3.

If your device has a small amount of internal memory and you are constantly faced with the need to delete applications, photos and videos to free up more space for installing large applications, then you need to read this article.

In this article, we will explain in detail how to install or move Android apps to an SD card on a smartphone or tablet and how to get apps installed on an Android memory card.

How to transfer apps to SD card?

Currently, there are two ways to solve this problem:

• Storing photos, videos and music in cloud storage
• Using a microSD memory card

If your Android phone or tablet allows you to install an SD card, then be sure to install an SD card. In this case, external memory will be designed to store photos, videos and music, and internal memory for applications.

However, there are situations when the owner needs applications to be saved to the SD memory card. So the question arises, how to install or transfer any suitable application to a microSD card?

So, below we will describe in detail how to make applications installed on the Android memory card by default. As a result of such manipulations, the internal memory will be significantly freed up, which will have a positive effect on the operation of the Android system.

Instructions for devices up to Android 6.0

The instructions below may vary slightly from phone to phone. On some phones there may just be a button "Move to SD". So you need to pay attention to every word associated with "Move", "SD" etc.

If your device needs to free up internal storage, move any number of apps, photos, or videos to the SD card. Also, open the app "Camera" and go to settings and set save to SD card. Instructions on how to move apps to Android memory card:

• First, open the notification shade and click on the gear-shaped settings button. You can also login "Settings" through the application panel.
• Open a tab "Device", go to the tab "Applications", and then "Application Manager". On some devices "Application Manager" has a name "All applications".
• Then go to your apps list, find the app you want to move. We will be moving the APL app to the SD card.
• Once you find the application, click on it, then click on the button "Change" as shown below. Select “Memory card” (Click on the picture to enlarge).

It is worth noting that any game or application in which speed is important is best left on the internal memory, since the data transfer speed is much faster on the smartphone’s internal memory than on an SD memory card.

Instructions for devices version Android Marshmallow 6.0 and higher

In old Android versions,SD memory card worked as portable and removable storage. On devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and higher, a feature called Adoptable Storage has been added. So, when you insert an SD card into the device, the system will automatically sum up the internal memory and SD memory card capacity and display the total memory.

The advantage is that all applications are automatically installed on the SD card. As a result, there will be no need to move applications manually.

• Insert the SD card, open the notification shade and tap "Tune". You can use the SD card as portable storage or as internal storage. If you select the function, the system will format the SD card and then integrate with the device.
• After this, all data on the smartphone will be installed on the memory card by default.

However, using such a feature will completely integrate the SD card with the internal memory and will now not work with other devices. This means you can't just pull it out and plug it into your computer to download music, photos, or videos from your computer.

Be sure to do backup copy any data or information on the computer before selecting a function "Use as internal storage", since Android will completely format the SD memory card.

It's worth noting that at any time, you can go to settings according to our instructions above and move apps from the SD card back to the internal storage.

Android 5.0 Lollipop and higher

If you are using a smartphone or tablet under Android control 5.0 Lollipop and above. Your device will use the SD memory card as portable and removable storage. This means you can remove the SD memory card and download photos or music from your computer, and then install the SD memory card back into your Android device.

In the event that you need to move applications to an SD memory card, use the instructions below:

• Open the menu, select "Settings", and then "Applications" and move any app to SD card. To do this, simply click on the application and click on the button "Move to SD card".

However, remember that apps that come pre-installed software cannot be transferred to an SD memory card. Applications installed from Play Market.

Other methods (apps to transfer to SD memory card)

There are many third-party applications in the Play Market that allow you to transfer applications to an SD memory card. Most of the applications, of course, require root access. But, there are several applications that allow you to transfer applications without root access.

AppMgr III (App 2 SD)

The most popular application that allows you to transfer almost any application to an SD memory card. It is worth noting that the application does not require root access, which is especially important for inexperienced users.

Moreover, AppMgr III is feature-rich and provides many other useful features.

• Download the AppMgr III application, wait for the automatic installation (takes 2 to 5 minutes).

• Now open the AppMgr III application and wait for the list to load installed applications on your phone. After that, click on the application that you want to move, select "Move", and then in standard Android functionality, move the application to the SD card.