The Best Ways to Upgrade My Android Phone's microSD Card

Upgrade Method

Many Android devices must be turned off before you can remove the microSD card, since the card is inaccessible without removing the battery. If you're unsure of the recommended approach for your device, check its documentation. If you can get to the microSD card without removing the battery, you can unmount the card and take it out. This approach works but is more complicated, so you might prefer to just turn the phone off because that will work with any Android device. If you do want to leave the phone on, press the 'Menu' button at the Home screen and select 'Settings,' then 'Storage' or 'Storage settings,' then 'Unmount SD card.' Removing a microSD card usually requires that you gently press it into the slot until you feel a click; then release the card, and it should partially eject, allowing you to pull it out the rest of the way. To put the new card in, just gently insert it until you feel it click into place.

Upgrade Options

You will find thousands of options for microSD cards if you search online. Dozens of companies manufacture them, and each one usually manufactures several types. Your best option is to buy one from a reputable company. Cards from companies Kingston, SanDisk, Transcend and Verbatim are normally good quality, and in the rare event that your card has a defect, a good company will usually replace it for you. Most electronic stores or stores with an electronics department will have many of these cards, or you can find them at various sites online such as Newegg.com and Amazon.com.

Capacity Options

You should check the documentation for your phone to see what capacity microSD card it can use. Most modern phones can use microSDHC cards, though often their documentation will simply say 'microSD.' Technically, a standard microSD card has a maximum capacity of two gigabytes. A standard microSDHC card has a maximum capacity of 32 gigabytes. These cards are physically identical, so while any phone with a microSD card slot can physically accept either type, only phones that support cards larger than 2GB can actually use microSDHC cards.

Backup Options

You have a couple of options for getting your content back when you put in a new microSD card. You can manually back up your content with a computer over a USB cord. This may take a while, and many users may find this difficult to do. Another option is to use an app that backs up your SD card's contents. A couple of options for this are the MyBackup Pro and App List Backup. You should look at the options for these apps and others to see what will best fit your needs. Other options include apps such as Double Twist for backing up your music and MyBackup Root for advanced users with rooted devices.