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Help My SD card used as internal storage is full. Could I change it with a new card with more capacity?
- Thread starter Pochoco
- Start date
The micro0SD that's used for "internal storage" is actually an EXT4 partition on the SD. I think you'd need a PC running a Linux OS, like Kubuntu or something. Clone the EXT4 partition to the larger SD, and then resize it using GParted. Assuming this could be done, as the micro-SD was encrypted by the phone.
I use Linux myself on a laptop, but I've never used a micro-SD as "internal storage" on an Android device.
I use Linux myself on a laptop, but I've never used a micro-SD as "internal storage" on an Android device.
i don't think that is possible from what i understand. i believe that the internal is encrypted like you have mentioned and thus will be hard to copy. op, you might be able to move things like photos and other files, but your data from apps and such will not be accessible.
Davdi
Android Expert
If you're using Linux and are comfortable sing the terminal (Command Line in Windows speak), you could use the dd command which does a bit-for-bit copy to the larger card. you cold then resize the (copied) partition using GParted. If it doesn't work (I've no idea if it would in practice, but it's reasonable to think it might), you've still got the original card.
A better strategy could be to connect the phone to a computer via USB and just copy off the content you want to keep folder at a time. then put the new card in the phone, format it as adoptable (internal) storage and copy stuff back from the computer. Again, no guarantees as I don't use a card formatted as internal storage.
It's generally not a good idea to use sd cards as internal storage as they will get written to much more often than if you just use one as removable storage, this can (and does) cause cards to fail much quicker than would otherwise be the case. If a card used as internal storage does fail, then you've just lost everything on it (apps and data). There's really no need to use cards in this way UNLESS your phone has very limited storage (<16GB )
A better strategy could be to connect the phone to a computer via USB and just copy off the content you want to keep folder at a time. then put the new card in the phone, format it as adoptable (internal) storage and copy stuff back from the computer. Again, no guarantees as I don't use a card formatted as internal storage.
It's generally not a good idea to use sd cards as internal storage as they will get written to much more often than if you just use one as removable storage, this can (and does) cause cards to fail much quicker than would otherwise be the case. If a card used as internal storage does fail, then you've just lost everything on it (apps and data). There's really no need to use cards in this way UNLESS your phone has very limited storage (<16GB )
Milo Williamson
Extreme Android User
I had to give up on my android card, for an odd reason I cannot find it anywhere.. 
But do we know that this is a partition in the first place? The OP says "SD card used as internal", which to my mind implies that the card has been formatted as internal storage. If so then there's no option of increasing partition size. And while I don't format SD cards as internal storage, I'm willing to bet that you can copy media etc from them to a computer but not any apps or app data stored on them.
If there is a solution it may depend on what is using the space. Can you free up enough space on the phone's storage that you can migrate your apps back to the phone (other stuff can be copied to a computer then copied back after cards are swapped)? If you can do that then you could put a new card in, format that as internal, then copy/migrate stuff back to the new card as desired. The real problem is app data: apps you can simply uninstall and reinstall after replacing the card, but if you want to keep their data and can't move them back to the phone you need a backup that works (in principle you can back up to Google, but while some people swear by it I had a bad experience the one time I tried it and so never rely on it myself).
If there is a solution it may depend on what is using the space. Can you free up enough space on the phone's storage that you can migrate your apps back to the phone (other stuff can be copied to a computer then copied back after cards are swapped)? If you can do that then you could put a new card in, format that as internal, then copy/migrate stuff back to the new card as desired. The real problem is app data: apps you can simply uninstall and reinstall after replacing the card, but if you want to keep their data and can't move them back to the phone you need a backup that works (in principle you can back up to Google, but while some people swear by it I had a bad experience the one time I tried it and so never rely on it myself).
Davdi
Android Expert
A card formatted as internal will be encrypted with a key securely stored on the phone, I think in the /system partition. All data on the card will be encrypted so it's only readable by the phone it's installed on. A card formatted as internal storage will have a single encrypted EXT4 partition occupying the whole volume. Note that a Factory data reset will generate a new encryption key and the card will become unreadable as the key used to encrypt it no longer exists.
Unless you have a phone with very limited storage (<16GB) there's no benefit, and several downsides, to using a card as internal storage.
Unless you have a phone with very limited storage (<16GB) there's no benefit, and several downsides, to using a card as internal storage.