Storage Capacity on Samsung Galaxy S9

Hey there! So, the new Samsung Galaxy S9 is out now, and it comes with 64 GB of storage right off the bat. Not bad, right? But for folks like us who love taking photos, using lots of apps, and doing all kinds of creative stuff, that 64 GB can start to feel a bit cramped. Luckily, there are these amazing expansion cards that can give us a lot more space. You won’t believe it, but the current technology can support up to 2 terabytes of storage! That’s a whopping two thousand gigabytes! To give you an idea, you can fit over 30 hours of 4K video in 2 TB. Pretty mind-blowing, huh?

Expandable Storage

Now, here’s the thing. Even though the technology can handle 2 TB, the hardware manufacturers haven’t quite caught up yet. The biggest micro SD card you can find right now is only 512 GB, made by a company called Integral. SanDisk has a close second with a 400 GB card. Samsung also makes some really great cards, but they haven’t reached the 512 GB mark just yet. But don’t worry, they’ve said they’re working on it!

Some people think Samsung might be saving the big reveal for their Note 9 launch. It’s possible that the Note 9 could come with a 512 GB model. By the way, did you know that Galaxy S9 devices sold outside of the US actually have internal storage capacities of 128 and 256 GB? That’s even higher than what their external cards can handle right now. It means they’re using top-notch storage technology in some devices. And speaking of which, the software on the S9 devices can only handle micro SD cards up to 400 GB. So, unfortunately, that 500 GB card from Integral is out of reach for Galaxy users at the moment.

But here’s the exciting part: Samsung is actively developing cards that are even bigger than the current limit. So, it’s highly likely that the next flagship device, the Note 9, will have more than 500 GB of internal storage. And at the very least, the expandable storage should go past 400 GB. When the previous version, the Note 8, was released, the largest micro SD card available to consumers was Samsung’s 256 GB EVO card. So things are definitely moving in the right direction.

Upgrading Your Storage

If you’re feeling like you need a little extra space on your device, whether it’s for more apps, higher quality videos, or a ton of photos from your vacation, we’ve got you covered. First, you’ll need to get yourself a new card. Check out something like this one on Amazon. We really like the Samsung EVO micro SD cards, but honestly, most users won’t notice much of a difference if you go with another brand.

Now, swapping micro SD cards is a piece of cake, especially if you have a computer with a card reader. If that’s the case, start by turning off your device. Take out the old micro SD card and insert it into the card reader. If you haven’t connected the card reader to your computer yet, do that now. Create a new folder on your computer called “micro SD Copy.” Find the micro SD card in your file explorer and copy everything into the folder you just created. And that’s it, you can now eject the card.

If you don’t have a card reader, don’t worry. The process is a bit different, but still pretty straightforward. Keep your device turned on and connect it to your computer using a USB cable. You might need to install some software or drivers on your computer if you haven’t done this before. Follow the prompts and instructions that pop up on your screen. Once you’re connected, go to your file explorer and find the micro SD card on your phone. Make sure it’s the external memory card and not the phone’s internal storage. From there, it’s the same process as before. Create a new folder on your computer, copy everything from the micro SD card into that folder, and you’re done! Don’t forget to disconnect the USB cable and turn off the phone before removing the old micro SD card.

Swapping Cards

Now, what do you do with your old micro SD card? Well, if it’s relatively new, you can try selling it. If not, you can get adapters that allow you to use micro SD cards in SD card slots. That way, you can use your old card as extra storage for cameras, gaming devices, or just as a backup. And if you decide to sell the card, make sure to format it first for privacy and security reasons.

But hang on, formatting a new card is actually a good practice in general. Here’s how you do it. First, install the new card into your phone and turn it on. Go to your “Settings” and find the “Storage” section. On most Samsung phones, you’ll have to go through “Device Maintenance > Storage > Overflow Menu.” Once you find your micro SD card, look for the option to format it.

After formatting, turn off the device, take out the card, and put it into your card reader. If you don’t have one, you can leave the phone on and connect it to your computer using a USB cable. In your file explorer, find the “micro SD Copy” folder and the micro SD card that’s connected. Remember to note the difference if you’re using USB, as the phone’s root directory is separate from the SD card. Copy everything from the “micro SD Copy” folder onto the new card. Finally, eject the device, delete the copy folder if you want, and you’re good to go!

Now, install the new card if you haven’t already, turn on or reboot your device, and voila! You’ve got more storage space to play with.

Install the new card if you haven’t already and either turn on or reboot the device. You should now have everything back to normal with extra storage space to boot.