Smartphone owners Samsung often have to deal with a lack of free space in the device’s memory. High-resolution photos, long videos and large applications quickly fill up the built-in storage, slowing down the system. Fortunately, most of the brand’s models support the use of external drives of the microSDformat, which can significantly expand the available capacity. Proper use of a memory card helps not only free up space, but also speed up the operation of the gadget, since oversaturated internal memory often causes freezes.
The process of moving data on modern versions of the shell One UI has become intuitive, but users still face nuances when working with system files and transferring heavy games. It's important to understand the difference between simply copying media files and transferring the applications themselves, as these procedures are performed through different settings menus. In this material, we will analyze in detail all the available methods for optimizing storage on devices Samsung Galaxy.
Preparing a memory card and checking compatibility
Before starting any data manipulation, you need to make sure that your memory card is technically suitable for use in a smartphone. Not all cards are equally effective: recording 4K video and running applications quickly requires high-speed media, usually labeled as Class 10, UHS-I or V30. Using a slow card can cause the gallery to take a long time to load thumbnails, and the camera will freeze when shooting.
Physical installation of the drive is carried out through a tray located at the end of the case. New models Samsung often use a hybrid slot, where the memory card shares space with a second SIM card. If a second SIM card is critical to you, you will have to choose one of the options or use eSIM services if your phone model supports this technology. After installation, the system will automatically scan the media and offer to configure it.
Use memory cards up to 512 GB or 1 TB only if your model officially supports such a capacity. Using unsupported cards may result in reading errors.
⚠️ Attention: Always turn off your smartphone before removing or inserting a memory card. Hot plugging may damage the memory controller or lead to data loss.
Setting up a memory card as portable storage
After physically installing the card, the system will prompt you to select its operating mode. For most users, the best option is to use the card as portable storage. This mode gives you extra storage space for photos, music and documents, while still allowing the card to be readable on other devices such as computers or tablets. This is the most flexible option that allows you to easily transfer files between gadgets.
To activate this mode, go to the Settings → Device maintenance → Storagesection. If the card is identified correctly, you will see it in the list and can click the Storage settingsbutton. Here you can format the media to a file system compatible with Android, usually exFAT or FAT32. Formatting is necessary, since new cards often come with markup that is unreadable for mobile OS.
It is important to consider that when formatting, all data on the card will be deleted. If the media already contains important information, copy it to your computer first. After completing the procedure, the system will assign a name to the card, which can be changed in the settings for easy identification among other connected devices.
Transferring photos and videos through the Gallery application
The most common scenario for using external memory is storing media content. The built-in application Gallery from Samsung allows you to move files in batches without the need to connect to a computer. To do this, open the application, hold your finger on one of the pictures to select, and then select the rest of the files you need or use the function Select all in the menu.
After selecting the files, click on the menu icon (three dots) or button Move. In the list of sources and destinations that opens, select your SD card. The system will prompt you to create a new folder or select an existing one. It is recommended to create structured directories, for example Photos_2026 or Videos_Tripsto avoid getting confused in thousands of files in the future. The moving process will take time depending on the amount of data and the speed of the card.
⚠️ Attention: Do not interrupt the moving process by turning off the screen or minimizing the application. Interruption may result in corrupted files that become unreadable.
To automate the process, you can change the camera settings. Go to the application settings Camera and find the item Save location. Switch the toggle switch to Memory card. Now all new photos and videos will be automatically saved to external storage, saving space in the internal memory from the very beginning.
Automatically saving new photos to the memory card is the best way to prevent your internal storage from becoming full future.
Moving applications to an SD card
The issue of moving installed apps worries many users, but the situation here is more complicated than with photographs. Starting with Android 6.0, a feature appeared that allows you to combine internal memory and a card into a single space, but the company disabled this feature in its firmware to ensure stability. Therefore, you can only transfer those applications whose developers have explicitly allowed such a function in the app code. Adoptable Storage, allowing you to combine internal memory and card into a single space, but the company Samsung disabled this feature in its firmware to ensure stability. Therefore, you can only transfer those applications whose developers have explicitly allowed such a function in the app code.
To check the possibility of transferring, open Settings → Applications. Select the app you are interested in from the list. If the button Change is active, you will be able to select the option Memory card. If the button is gray or missing, it means that the application is firmly tied to the system partition and cannot be moved. Most often this concerns system utilities, banking applications and popular instant messengers.
Why many applications cannot be transferred?
Developers limit transfer, since memory cards are slower than built-in memory. This may cause widgets, notifications, and background app processes to malfunction.
There is an alternative method through the developer menu, but it requires USB debugging to be enabled and does not guarantee stable operation of all apps. Forced migration may cause the application to crash every time you launch it. It is safer to leave heavy apps in the internal memory, and transfer only the cache and data to the card, if the application supports such a function in its internal settings.
☑️ Checking the possibility of transferring the application
Using the My Files application to manage data
Built-in file manager My files is a powerful tool for manually sorting data. It allows you to see hidden folders and system directories, which is useful when you need to free up space from junk left by deleted apps. The application interface is divided into categories, but for accurate transfer it is better to use the tab Internal storage.
Navigation in the file manager is similar to working with Explorer on a PC. You can copy, cut and paste files of any format. Particular attention should be paid to the folders DCIM (photo from the camera), Download (downloads from the browser) and WhatsApp/Media (media from instant messengers). These directories usually take up the lion's share of space. Moving their contents to the card gives instant results.
| Data type | Default location | Recommended folder on SD | Transfer priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photos | DCIM/Camera | DCIM/Camera | High |
| Video | DCIM/Camera | DCIM/Camera | High |
| Downloads | Download | Download | Medium |
| Documents | Documents | Documents | Low |
| Game cache | Android/data | Not recommended | Low |
When working with a folder Android on new versions of Android, access may be limited by the security system. In this case, the file manager will ask for special permission to manage all files. Confirm this action by clicking the appropriate button in the system dialog to gain full access to data movement.
Possible errors and ways to solve them
During operation, users may encounter a message “The memory card is damaged” or a requirement to format the media, although there is data on it. This often happens due to the card not being removed correctly or the phone's power failure. Before agreeing to formatting, try inserting the card into the computer’s card reader and checking it for errors using the Windows operating system.
Another common problem is that the phone sees the card, but does not write files to it. This may indicate that the card is physically locked (if an SD adapter with a Lock switch is used) or that the card has exhausted its rewrite capacity. Cheap memory cards often fail faster than stated, especially with intensive video recording.
⚠️ Attention: If your phone constantly asks you to format a working card, do not do it right away. Try cleaning the card contacts with alcohol or inserting it into another device to check.
It is also worth considering that the interfaces and menu names may vary slightly depending on the version One UI and model of the smartphone. If you do not find an item, use the settings search by entering the keyword “Memory” or “Storage”. This is the fastest way to find the desired section in the confusing menu of a modern smartphone.
Regularly checking the status of the memory card through the storage settings will help prevent sudden data loss.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can I transfer WhatsApp to a memory card on Samsung?
It is impossible to completely transfer the WhatsApp application itself to a memory card, since the developers do not support this function. However, you can transfer media files (photos, videos, voice messages) by changing the settings inside the messenger itself or by manually moving the folder WhatsApp via the file manager to the card.
Why did they disappear from the gallery after transferring the files?
Most likely, the files were moved to a folder that the media scanner does not index, or the transfer process was interrupted. Try moving the files back to the standard folder DCIM on the memory card. Rebooting the phone to update the media database can also help.
Does the memory card affect the speed of the phone?
Yes, it does. If you move active applications to the memory card, or if the system uses it for caching, and the card's write speed is low, your phone may start to run slower. For system tasks, it is always better to use fast internal memory.
How to safely remove a memory card?
Never remove the card while the phone is on. Go to Settings → Device maintenance → Memory, click on the card name and select Disable or Eject. Only after a notification about safe removal appears can you remove the tray.
Which card format is better to choose: FAT32 or exFAT?
For cards larger than 32 GB, be sure to use the format exFATas FAT32 does not support files larger than 4 GB. This is critical for storing long videos in high quality. Android works with both formats without problems.