External and removable storage is available on some Android tablets. The storage is in the form of a MicroSD card, which can be used for photos, videos, music, evil plans, and so on.
The MicroSD card is teensy. (That’s a scientific description.) The card fits into a slot on the edge of your tablet but can also be inserted into your computer and read like any removable media card.
The MicroSD card can be inserted into the tablet whether the device is on or off. Heed these directions:
Locate the MicroSD card hatch on the tablet’s edge.
This is what the hatch looks like, although it may look subtly different on your tablet. The card may be labeled MicroSD. Do not confuse it with the SIM card cover.
Insert a fingernail into the slot on the teensy hatch that covers the MicroSD slot, and then flip up the hatch.
There’s a fingernail-size indentation on the slot cover. When pressure is applied, the hatch that covers the slot pops up and kind of flops over to the side. The slot cover may not come off completely.
Orient the MicroSD card so that the printed side faces up and the teeny triangle on the card points toward the open slot.
Use your fingernail or a paperclip to gently shove the card all the way into the slot.
The card makes a faint clicking sound when it’s fully inserted.
If the card keeps popping out, you’re not shoving it in far enough.
Close the hatch covering the MicroSD card slot.
If the tablet is on (and has been configured), you may see an onscreen prompt. If so, ignore the prompt and just touch the OK button on the tablet’s touchscreen.
Not every Android tablet features external storage. If you can’t find a MicroSD card slot on the tablet’s edge, that feature isn’t available to your tablet.
The tablet works with or without a MicroSD card installed.
Almost always, the MicroSD card is a purchase you must make in addition to your Android tablet. Rarely does a tablet come with the MicroSD card preinstalled.
MicroSD cards come in a smattering of capacities, measured in gigabytes (billions of bytes), abbreviated GB or just G. Common capacities include 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. The higher the capacity, the more stuff you can store but also the more expensive the card. But:
Your tablet has a limit on the size of the MicroSD cards it can accept. For most Android tablets, that limit is 32GB. Newer (and more expensive) tablets can handle higher capacities. Check the tablet’s box to determine the maximum size for external or removable storage.
To use a MicroSD card with a computer, you need an SD card adapter. Insert the MicroSD card into the adapter, and then plug the SD card adapter into the computer. The adapter is an extra purchase, although some MicroSD cards come with such an adapter.
SD stands for Secure Digital. It is but one of about a zillion media card standards.
In addition to the MicroSD card, your Android tablet features internal storage. That storage is used for the programs you install on the tablet, as well as for the tablet’s operating system and other control programs.
Most of the time, you leave the MicroSD card inside your Android tablet. When the urge hits to remove it, heed these steps:
Turn off your Android tablet.
You can damage the media card if you just yank it out of the tablet, which is why youshould turn off the tablet first.
Open the itty-bitty hatch covering the MicroSD card slot.
Use your fingernail to press the MicroSD card inward a tad.
The MicroSD card is spring-loaded, so pressing it in eventually pops it outward.
Pinch the MicroSD card between your fingers and remove it completely.
The MicroSD card is too tiny to leave lying around. Put it into a MicroSD card adapter for use in your PC or another electronic device. Or store it inside a miniature box that you can label with a miniature pen in miniature letters: “MicroSD Card Inside.” Don’t lose it!
It’s possible to remove the MicroSD card without turning off the tablet. To do that, you need to unmount the card while the tablet is running.
