If you own a Samsung tablet or an older Galaxy phone with an SD card slot, storing large files like photos and videos on an SD card can save storage space on your phone. This additional storage space method is affordable, and moving pictures from your Samsung phone to an SD card is straightforward regardless of what Samsung device you have.
We walk you through how to move photos and files from your Samsung device to an SD card. If you still struggle for space, free up space on your device by deleting unused apps and using cloud storage options to store your photos.
Before you get started, you need to install an SD card on your device. This isn’t as simple as placing it into your device’s SD card slot. Follow these steps to install and format your SD card correctly:
Formatting your SD card wipes any data on it, but it is necessary to transfer photos successfully.
These steps are the same regardless of your Samsung phone or tablet. If your SD card doesn’t show up, remove and reinsert it, as your device should automatically detect it when properly installed. If it still doesn’t appear, follow the steps in the previous section to reinstall your SD card.
Your Samsung device starts moving your photos to your SD card. You’ll receive a push notification when the transfer is complete.
If you own one of the latest Samsung phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S24, it doesn’t have an SD card slot. To move your photos to an SD card, you’ll need:
Whether you want to move photos via the cloud or USB-C cable depends on how many images you want to move, the quality of the images, and how much time you have. We walk you through the pros and cons of each option.
Cloud storage services make moving photos a breeze. You only need access to the same service from both devices and a stable internet connection. However, you’ll usually pay a fee to store large amounts of data with cloud storage services. After uploading your photos to the cloud, download them and move them to your SD card using the method outlined above.
Pros
Cons
Transferring photos from your Samsung device to another device with an SD card slot via USB-C cable is simple. However, it is inconvenient to use as you’ll need both devices during the process.
Pros
Cons
An SD card is a cheap and portable way to store large amounts of photos, but it has disadvantages. If the card is lost or broken, the data is permanently lost, and transferring pictures can be frustrating when many modern Samsung devices don’t have SD card slots.
The best alternative is one of the many cloud storage services, but this comes with disadvantages, including subscription fees and potential photo quality loss.
We recommend using both methods. Store your photos on an SD card, but use a cloud storage service to back up your photos. Google Photos is preinstalled on most Android phones, but other excellent alternative services will keep your photos secure.
An SD card is an excellent way to store photos without taking up space on your Samsung phone. However, start strong by taking good pictures, so follow our handy guide for taking better photos with your Android phone.
Maybe if we start telling people the brain is an app they will start using it!
