Where did you see this?
The guide you linked to was created when A6 came out, but it was updated since. Although internal storage has some known vulnerabilities, it should not create such issues on the phone as it does on the FP3 under A10, and it is a bug.
As most users do, and this is the default option. It’s to be expected.
No, actually it didn’t occur to me that such a simple looking action could have such a big impact nowadays. It might have been an reported since Android 6, but I never heard of it, because I only had the fairphone 1 before.
In the following post there’s mention of a Samsung and in 2019 fro the FP2
As @AnotherElk has said, it’s a bad idea. This is why the GUI option has been removed - to shield users from creating a situation where they can lose all of their data should their SD card malfunction.
Looking for other references and will update
Yes the default option, in all aspects of consumerism is nearly always a problem. Do I really have to go along with the default? Can I think as an individual and question that which I’m presented with. (OK that’s all a bit harsh, but true)
If I was to generally default I wouldn’t have come across the Fairphone, but given Android is the default OS I have to be carefull.
The sad thing is that I didn’t even just go along with the default option. I even tought about my actions, I just didn’t have enough knowledge at the point and I didn’t even know that there is so much I should know as I never came across a similar issue.
Honestly, I just thought it sounds good! Formatting the sd in the internal format seemed a pretty good option to me because I assumed it can handle it better if it’s in the native system format and therefore cause less troubles. Boy was I wrong.
Hi,
I have inserted an sd card into my Fairphone 3+ and chose the internal storage option. The phone asked me whether I wanted to let it put some data on it automatically. I said yes, why not. Now all my data (audio, photo, video, documents) from the past 7 months are gone and I am unable to locate them anywhere. The SD card claims there are about 16 GB worth of apps on it, but when I click on it, it says there are no apps.
How can I get all the data stored on the SD card back into the phone’s own internal storage, so I can reformat the SD card? Will that bring my lost data (audio, photo, video) back?
Somehow the card won’t let me in on its secrets. Don’t ask me what kind of card it is, I obviously can’t remove it to have a look before doing anything to it.
Thanks in advance. I read through the thread, but unfortunately I didn’t find anything I understood or felt was relevant to my problem. I am not a technically talented person. So please explain as if to an idiot.
Hi and welcome to the forum
Your situation is all too common. When you select ‘internal’ storage the contents are encrypted along with the rest of the phone’s memory. As you have discovered when things go wrong you may loose a lot of data.
There is no publicly available option for the common user to revert this via the phone, it often requires a paid for solution.
Try starting the phone in safe mode, this will disable any custom apps and settings but not delete ‘data’ ~ It’s a long shot.
https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048843571
You can remove the card and insert another and set the new one to ‘external’. See if you can access anything on the phone and transfer to the SD to ensure it is working.
Replace the original SD and see if you can read anything, without any new formatting. There’s a slim chance of access and then you can try and copy to a PC before you reformat the SD
See
I have the same issue with the SD (I did not really follow your steps because I found your post later but experience is the closest one to what happend to me). Now I’m able to take pictures and whatsapp works, just like you.
Only issue I still have is I don’t get to see all the photos and videos I had before adding the micro-SD. How do you manage to see them?
Thanks a lot
Were you able to move back the data and reformat the SD card without loosing photos and videos? Your post explains exactly what it’s happening to me at the moment.
Thanks a lot
Not if you can’t find the data
Hello all
2 years now from the beginning of this issue, and I have read all of the thread… I am SO ANGRY with this NOT SOLVED ISSUE that cannnot even be warned about on the device I tell everyone to buy…
(note : sorry for my basic English I’m French)
As I said I have read everything and I want to share my experience :
I bought a FP3 on january '21 and several months later I put a SD-Card on it. Just 8Gb and it worked well from that time on (only to listen mp3 as I am from the old generation and do not like to have it all on the cloud). I’m used to the risks of losing data so everything is saved everywhere, so DATA is NOT the point of my post.
This summer of '22 I decided to put a new 64 Gb SD Card in it to expand my storage capacity… and then came the long-described problem !!! I was not aware when the system asked me how I wanted to use my SD-Card and I surely quickly chose the damn internal option, and then transfer some system things to it… As many said I am always aware on warnings when it comes to losing the ability to use your device correctly so I didn’t felt at risk at the time !
As many here, now all my data is gone. But as I said it is not so bad because hopefully I saved all of my pictures elsewhere.
BUT ! The WORST PART OF IT is even if I can take pictures IT IS NOT SAVED, AND ALL IMAGES in my apps (Whatsapp, Strava for instance) CANNOT LOAD etc., as many experienced… I tried many things to recover, but I could never format my SD Card again nor change the access of the storage for the apps, particularly due to my connection to Google Photos I presume (I HATE them for that, I will degoogle as soon as I can!!). The card is not read anymore by my PC now so I have no clue to format it and I think I will have to throw it away…
That’s where I am, in September '22 !!! I mailed the Fairphone support with the subject that is mentioned, but still I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO before doing a factory reset for recovering just the normal use of my phone!!! And please tell me if it’s Android developer’s mode or other complicated debug things, because even if I am not far from it I won’t have the patience to do it SINCE THERE WERE NO WARNINGS TO TELL ME NOT TO FORMAT THIS CARD AS AN INTERNAL STORAGE AND MOVE ALL OF MY SYSTEM DATA TO IT !!!
Please forgive my angriness but I really need advices on what to do from now on… Thank you very much !
I’m sorry to send my first post just for complaining, and if my experience can help others I would be happy too !
Hi
If you have your data saved you will no doubt have to do a factory reset. Start with no SIM or Wi-Fi and skip any Google account setup. Then insert the SIM to ensure the phone is working. You can probably take pictures then as a test.
If the SD isn’t corrupt or damaged you should be able to format it in a PC, try using FAT32 then put it in the phone and select portable or skip that screen.
If you select portable it will install defualt Android folders if you skip you will have to make you own for vidoes, music etc.
Ok thank you for the quick advice.
I’m afraid I will have to do the factory reset, thing I never did on any phone, but I know have hope.
Does anyone know the best tutorial to do it ?
Thank you again !
Factory reset
Settings > System > Advanced > Reset Options > Delete all data (factory reset)
Thank you again, I will try it the next week-end and tell if it has worked!
Thank you again, hopefully it worked.
I lost some datas but of not so big interest.
I will try to stop my pictures to be automatically being stocked on Google Photos, that’s a major problem that you cannot even chose at the beginning (and I know it’s the market law but you can’t label Google of being ‘fair’ so Fairphone may try to find alternates…)
I just experienced exactly de same as Tschulius described at the beginning of this thread.
I don’t remember having to choose between internal or external.
Now: EVERYTHING is lost. I’m so angry at FP!
I read in the comments that they can’t reproduce this problem. Really???
Hi and welcome to the forum…
This does happen. When you insert an SD card people often choose the first option, which is set by Google not Fairphone.
If you select the first it will format as Internal and the contents will be encrypted. Google automatically push the encryption for personal security so you have to opt out when formatting the SD card.
You haven’t given any detail about your situation.
Often the memory gets ‘too’ full so if the phone still works
You can get a Google account and back everything up.
Maybe then reformat the SD card or do a Factory reset and reinstall apps and transfer you media back.
While this is true, OS vendors can change this. Fairphone so far didn’t change this in Fairphone OS despite very obvious trouble for users, and that’s where some blame is justified.
In /e/OS, for instance, this was changed because of the trouble. External/portable storage is now the first option, and while the Internal Storage option is still there, it got a red warning attached to it.
Hello,
Thank you for reaching me.
My situation is pretty much the same then Tschulius in the forum:
I used my FP3 since last July 2020 without an extra SD-Card, everything worked more or less fine. With storage slowly filling up I decided to get a SD card.
I though the SD card would be complementary to the internal memory and not replacing it!
I got a 32 GB SD Card (Phillips) and inserted it.
After formatting, I got asked if I want to transfer files which I accepted. I didn’t restarted the phone afterwards.
Now the problem begins,
A system pop up tells me that the sd card is missing. But in the storage setting it shows me, that the card is inserted and that I got some free space (10GB). I tried putting it out and in physically. Nothing changes.
Is there a way to get my pictures and movies back?
Best regards,
Estelle
| amoun
November 19 |
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Hi and welcome to the forum…
This does happen. When you insert an SD card people often choose the first option, which is set by Google not Fairphone.
If you select the first it will format as Internal and the contents will be encrypted. Google automatically push the encryption for personal security so you have to opt out when formatting the SD card.
You haven’t given any detail about your situation.
Often the memory gets ‘too’ full so if the phone still works
You can get a Google account and back everything up.
Maybe then reformat the SD card or do a Factory reset and reinstall apps and transfer you media back.