No option to format sd card as internal

rsdealer

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Oct 6, 2017
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I have an LG MS550 (16gb) with Nougat. I have a newly formatted (FAT32) 32 gb sd card I want to set up as internal storage. In Settings/storage, there does not appear to be an option to format this sd card as internal; there is an option to make it portable.

What now?
 
First, you need to be using a phone that is running at least Android "Marshmallow" (or newer) or be able to upgrade to it. Second, you will need the instructions I am including below. And third, you need a phone that has not been restricted by the manufacturer from making this change. Which does happen.

NOTE: If any of the steps are missing on your phone, or they don't work for you, then you have a phone that either has an older Android version or has been restricted by the manufacturer.


How to turn the "External" SD card into "Internal" storage on "Marshmallow" a.k.a. 6.0.

NOTE: Please be sure you start with a blank SD card. It needs to be blank because when the card is converted to "Internal" storage, it will be formatted (wiped) and encoded (making the cards data only readable by that device).

1. Go to device “Settings”, then select “Storage”.
2. Select your "SD Card", then tap the “three-dot menu“ (top-right), now select “Settings” from in there.
3. Now select “Format as internal”, and then “Erase & Format”.
4. Your SD Card will now be formatted as internal storage.
5. Reboot your phone.

NOTE: If you don't reboot the phone, many things may not work correctly, so make sure you do.


How to turn the "External" SD card into "Internal" storage on "Nougat" a.k.a. 7.0.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure you start with a blank SD card. When the card is converted to "Internal" storage, it will be formatted (wiped) and encoded (making the cards data only readable by that device), so anything on it prior would be gone.

1. Go to "Settings", and then select "Storage & USB".
2. At the bottom of the list you should see the SD card's details, including the option to format it and make it "Internal" storage.
3. Once this is done, reboot the device and you can start running things from the card.

If you don't reboot the phone, some things may not work correctly, so make sure you do the reboot.

 
I sent the information, just in case you were looking in the wrong settings. Which happens a lot.

However, if yours will not allow for it, or the three dots are missing, etc., then, as it also states, your device was restricted by the manufacturer. That we can't change. The only way around such a thing is to root the device, which personally I wouldn't recommend. And if the phone is under warranty, then it would void the warranty to do so.

You do have the option to move all kinds of other files to the card, just not apps.
 
May 15, 2018
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Hello,

I am trying to figure out how to do this on my Moto X4 Android One, which has just been updated to Android 8.1. Is it possible in Oreo? My quick Google search hasn't yielded any specific results.

Thanks!




 
Jul 28, 2018
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