How to Troubleshoot When You Can't Move Files to Your SD Card?

Identifying Read and Write Errors

Read and write errors are some of the most common SD card errors. If you get a notification that a read/write error occurred, there are some common SD card issues that you can check.

Some SD cards can be write-protected, which could cause this error, as it won’t allow you to transfer any data to the card. To turn off write protection, you would need to take out your card and look for a small switch on the side of your card. Switch off write protection by moving this switch.

Read write errors could also be caused by corrupted SD cards. Furthermore, if you remove your SD card before the transfer of data has completed, it could cause a read write error.

If your card is not write-protected, try using it in another device. That can help you troubleshoot if the read/write error is caused by a corrupted SD card or because something is wrong with your device.

If the SD card is not the problem, try formatting the SD card, using a different file manager app, and rebooting your device. If the problem is with the SD card, and cleaning it doesn’t help, it might be damaged, and you might just need another SD card.

Using File Manager Apps

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There are a variety of file manager apps available for Android. Files by Google is my favorite file manager app, but there are other apps as well. You can find them by simply searching for “file manager” in the Google Play Store.

File manager apps offer an alternative to the built-in file manager of your phone. They often allow you to move files manually with greater ease by offering an improved interface.

If you are using Files by Google and can’t see your SD card, open your settings on your phone. Find the Storage settings (it might be called RAM & Storage Space, but this varies from device to device) and check if your SD card is there. If it’s listed in your storage, but you can’t make SD card transfers on Files by Google, you might have formatted it as internal storage. You should be formatting it as portable storage for Files by Google to recognize it. We will talk more about formatting in a later section, so continue reading!

Moving Apps to SD Card

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Did you know that you can also move apps to an SD card? You are not limited to only storing images or documents on your SD card. By transferring Android apps to your SD card, you can open up more storage space on your device for installing new apps.

Many newer Android phones do not support this feature, though. Lower-end phones, though, which offer less internal storage, may offer it. Also, not all apps can be stored on an SD card, even if your phone offers support for it. Some apps just don’t support this feature.

You can move apps to your SD card in your app’s storage settings. Open the settings on your phone, click on Apps, and find the app you want to move. Click on it and then click on Storage (or Storage and Cache). If it is an app that is compatible with SD storage (and your phone supports the feature), you will see an option to change the storage and select your SD card as the storage location.

Common Reasons for Transfer Failures

File transfer issues could be caused by several reasons. Here are some common issues:

Corrupt SD card: The SD card is corrupt. It might be physically damaged.
Insufficient space: Your SD card is full. You might need an SD card with more storage space.
Unsupported file types: You are using a file type not supported on Android. You may be able to transfer the file, but you won’t be able to open it on your phone.

Formatting the SD Card

Formatting the SD card can often fix SD card issues. However, you may lose the data on the card, so make sure to back up your data elsewhere before you format your SD card. Here are the SD card formatting steps you will need to take:

Open up your phone’s settings.
Search for and find the Storage settings.
Select the SD card. You may have to select it instead of “This Device” from a drop-down menu.
Click on the three dots in the top-right corner.
Select the “Format” option.
Follow the prompts and confirm your desire to format it.

If you already formatted it as an internal storage, but you want to format it as portable storage, select that option instead of the “Format” option.

Note that these steps can vary slightly depending on the manufacturer and model of your phone. However, in general, the steps are the same – go to your settings, find the SD card, and find the option to format it. You can contact your manufacturer for additional help if necessary.

Checking SD Card Lock Switch

Remember to check your SD card lock switch! We’ve touched upon this before. You need to unlock your SD card if it’s locked. Otherwise, it will prevent file transfers to the card. It’s one of the first SD card troubleshooting steps you should take if you’re having trouble transferring files to your SD card.

You might not always see a read-write error pop up, but the lock could be the reason preventing the transfer. So, take out your SD card and make sure the switch is set to the unlocked position. This is generally the up position.

Ensuring Sufficient Space on SD Card

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Remember to also check your SD card’s space. If your SD card’s storage is full, you won’t be able to transfer more files to it. In Files by Google, it will show you how much free storage you have on your SD card. If it is full, free up space if you want to transfer files successfully to it.

There are a few ways to free up storage on your SD card. If there are files you don’t need, you can simply delete them. Otherwise, you can transfer them to a different device with more storage, like your computer. Another option is storing some items in cloud storage, like Dropbox or Google Drive, which both offer some free storage space.

Finally, you can buy an SD card with more storage. Transfer the files to your phone first. Then, insert the larger SD card and transfer the files back to the new, larger SD card.

Update Device Operating System

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Make sure you have the latest Android updates as well to ensure SD card compatibility. Check your device updates in your Android settings and update your operating system if new updates are available. You can usually find it under “System Updates” or something similar.

Contacting Device Manufacturer for Support

If nothing helps, you can contact your device manufacturer for support.

Ideally, though, bring it into a branch or authorized repair shop for technical support. A repair shop that offers Android support can take a look at your SD card and figure out if your device or SD card is the problem, what the problem is exactly, and which solutions are available.

Conclusion

We hope this Android SD card troubleshooting guide has helped you resolve any file transfer issues you’ve been having. If not, contact your device manufacturer or visit a local authorized repair shop for professional support. Good luck!