External storage/ SD card

[LogicalDude]

Dear all,

I have a quick question - I just bought an external Sony SD micro card with 64 GBs and I am running my Xperia XZ2 compact on the default Android 9 OS. I thought that the default option is to format the external SD card as internal one e (in order to be able to use it) but my Sony seems to be able to use it as an external one with no need for further formatting. I have 3 questions in this respect:

1) Is it possible at all to format the SD card to internal storage and if so, how do you do it?

2) If Point 1 above is possible, what are the prons and cons of internal vis-a-vis external storage and which one do you recommend?

3) If formatting as internal is preferred, how do I transfer back files from the currently external card back to the default internal storage before formatting the SD card?

Please answer all questions separately, thanks

[najodleglejszy]

@LogicalDude  formatting SD card as internal storage isn't supported because of a few reasons:

1. SD cards have slower read and write speeds than internal storage. that results in poor app performance if an app is installed on the SD - slow launch times, long load times, and so on.

2. an SD card formatted as internal storage gets encrypted and tied to the specific device. if, for example, you send your phone for repair or replace it with another one, there's no way to recover your data without having the phone you formatted it with. you wouldn't be able to plug the card into a laptop and copy your photos, for example.

3. SD cards aren't meant to have data constantly written and read from them, and that's what happens if it's treated as internal storage. it increases the wear on the card, making it much more likely for the data stored on it to get corrupted.

[LogicalDude]

Thank you, I have a few follow-up questions then:

1) Currently my Xperia XZ2 Compact recognises the SD card and I am able to transfer files (e.g. photos from my internal storage to the external one). However, I do not seem to be able to transfer apps, etc. Can you let me know what files I can transfer and which ones I cannot?

2) Why do certan device manifacturers and Android versions (e.g., Motorola running on Android 7) not allow using the SD card at all if it is not formated as internal?

3) How can I transfer files back from my unformatted SD card to the internal storage on my Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact?

Thanks and happy new year!

[najodleglejszy]

@LogicalDude 

1) you're unable to transfer apps for the reasons I've mentioned before. any kind of media files are a fair game - you shouldn't have any problem moving pictures, videos, documents, or music files from internal storage to SD and vice versa. also, it's easier to move files around with a 3rd party file manager app. Amaze File Explorer is a pretty good one.

2) that's the first time I'm hearing that. I've never had a Motorola phone, but as far as I know formatting as internal was always just an option (and usually not a recommended one).

3) have you formatted the card as internal storage in a previous phone? because if that's the case, you won't be able to access the files on another device. if you haven't, then it would be just a matter of inserting the card in your XZ2 Compact and turning it on.

[LogicalDude]

Thank you again!

One final question re my point 3 above - last week I purchased a new Sony SD card with 64 GBs of memory. I have not formatted it as internal (i.e., it is still external). I have transferred photos from my Sony Xperia XZ 2 internal memory to the SD card (which is still considered external by the device).

Where is the option/button to transfer the files back to the internal storage as I do not seem to be able to find it? I only see the option to transfer from internal to external but not the other way around, thanks.

[najodleglejszy · Accepted solution]

@LogicalDude  there's no one-click solution like there is with moving files to the SD card (which is present as a quick way of freeing up some internal storage space, nothing more). you could try doing it through the preinstalled Files app (could also be called Downloads, depending on the Android version). once you open it, tap the three dots in the top right corner and choose "Show internal storage". then find the files you want to move, long press on them, tap the three dots again, choose "Move to...", navigate to the folder you want to move them to, and then press the MOVE button. it might take a while to do if the files are in different folders, and some other file managers (like previously mentioned Amaze) might make the whole process just a little bit easier.