How to Change the Default Storage for Android Device

When I bought my new Android smartphone, it came with 1 GB of internal storage which is not that great because part of it is being used by the Android itself. After I installed a few apps in the phone from Google Play, it started to give warning and failed to install any new apps any further. I was puzzled first, but after two hours of asking around the Android geeks, I figured that I had used up all the internal storage for installing the apps and no more space was left for more apps. On the other hand, my 16 GB microSD card has almost nothing on it except a old song sung by an old friend of mine. I solved my problem by changing the default write storage to the external microSD card. You can also change your Android device’s default storage to external SD card using these simple steps:

  1. First of all you have to open the Android settings screen. In all the versions of Android, you can do this by finding the Settings icon in the All Apps section and tapping on it once.Android Change Default Write Disk
  2. In the settings screen, scroll down a little until you find an item named Storage and then tap on it. This will open storage related settings screen.Android Change Default Write Disk
  3. In the storage settings screen, change the option for Default write disk to External SD card. The internal SD card refers to the internal storage memory of the phone and external SD card means the memory of the microSD card.Android Change Default Write Disk

That’s it. After this most of the writing and data saving options will take place on your external SD card instead of the internal storage – saving you from errors and warnings related to low disk space. For better results, make sure you use a large capacity microSD card with a higher class rating (class 10 would be perfect).

24 comments

  1. changed my phone default write disc to sd card, and i have a whole lot of space still yet the storage hasnt adjusted to sd card and i am unable to make any download

  2. It refused to change coz my phone, tecno spark 3 pro, only shows me SD card but it doesn’t show external or external SD card. Why is it that way?

  3. I inserted a new SD card on my phone infinix smart 2. I changed the phones default write disk to SD card now I can’t change it back to the internal storage

    1. Because now Android is storing data on SD card and it is in use. Turn off the phone, remove the SD card and start phone again.

  4. i read your steps,but many of androids mobile doesn’t have this default write disk option.please mention the brand and their model number which have this option or setting.Thank you

  5. Please help me… My phone only has one write disk mand it is the sd card. I still have 4GB in my internal storage but i cant download a 1GB game. please help.

  6. how to change apps from phone memory to sd card..in lyf flame;8 I don’t have that choice on setting is move to sd card what can I do

    1. My andriod doesn’t display options to change from internal to external storage ,what can i do

      1. This might mean you system does not want to do this seen if you remove the SD card could damage or corrupt the system and app while the device is on. This is a main reason why it not a option. This has all ready been proven

  7. I can’t at all. I click that and it saves them to the internal storage, and I can’t do it manually because I don’t know how.

  8. That option does not exist on my phone. My phone runs Android 4.4.2 (KitKat). When I go into Settings > Storage, there is no “default write disk” segment at all.

  9. Hi
    This doesn’t work on my phone. I have it set to external SD card but it still saves all apps to the phone’s internal memory and I have to keep transferring my apps to SD manually. Any ideas why the setting doesn’t work and how to fix it?
    Thanks

  10. put an sd card in , changed default storage to sd card, every 10 minutes I get a notification to change default setting because the phone keeps reverting back to phone storage on its own, driving me mad now

    1. This might mean you system does not want to do this seen if you remove the SD card could damage or corrupt the system and app while the device is on. This is a main reason why it not a option. This has all ready been proven

  11. Can you help me…I don’t see that option in my phone …..I have a 16 GB micro SD and 1 GB internal SD card..and all the apps move to the I ternal SD card and my external SD card is pretty much empty

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