Is it possible to set all media (screenshots, music, img & video downloads, etc.) to be saved directly on the external storage?

Hi everyone,

I have a FP 3 with an SD card set as external storage. However the internal storage is now full (I can’t update some apps without deleting others) and most of it is media such as photos and videos. While I know I can set the camera to save directly to external storage, is there a way I can set all media (downloaded or “produced”, such as screenshots for instance, or images from apps) to be saved on the SD card (which is still almost empty)?

Thank you in advance for explaining that in terms even a n00b like myself can understand! :smiley:

Cheers!

Hi Juulll

Many things like What’sApp media have to be manually transferred.
I regularly transfer any media by hand so the main memory is less than third used.

Downloaded goes to the phone SSD, and unless the app you use to produce your own music, for example, offers that as an option then I doubt it is a simple choice. More a root job with ^&(*&

Also an SD card pre-formatted or formatted as Portable/External isn’t encrypted. So whereas that means you can use the SD elsewhere, the privacy conscious idea is that all your personal data/images etc are stored on the encrypted SSD by default

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I’d suggest moving manually like amoun suggested. However, while it might be possible to move Whatsapp media to the SD, it will break the link to the app and thus will no longer show in your Whatsapp conversations. Things are easier with photos and videos taken by standalone camera apps (like the default one) and music as well as long as it’s not similarly woven in (e.g. I would guess Spotify might not allow this).

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Hi Juulll,
To the very good advice above (especially data tied to apps) I’d just add the recommendation to connect a computer to move stuff around, even if it’s between internal and portable storage of the same phone. A large screen and mouse is so much more comfortable and practical.
I would recommend a USB cable for this. After connecting the cable, on the phone you’ll need to go to Settings > Connected devices > USB > Use USB for > File transfer
Then in the file explorer of the computer go to FP3 and open one window to “Internal shared storage” and another to “SD card”. On the SD card create your own folder and subfolders and move stuff so it’s organised the way you like.
There’s plenty of info on the subject.

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Thank you very much for the useful info. I’ll just make it a habit to periodically transfer my media to the external storage then! :wink:

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I have ‘moved’ a lot of my apps to SD card. Although what happens is the app stays on the internal memory but the files generated go to the memory card in most cases? I use to have an app called ‘move to SD’ but there were many apps that could do this for you?

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Hi Shay123

From the wording of your post I have the impression that you have formatted your SD card as expanded internal storage.
To be sure, go to Settings > Storage.

This is not recommended. It’s safer to use the SD as “portable storage”.
Can you please confirm which option you have chosen?

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I didn’t choose. I used an app that moves the storage area of apps, notably OSM maps and camera to the SD card to save you doing it by a laborioous manual method. It is done automatically and the app stays on the phone.

OK so I conclude the SD card is formatted as portable storage and the app you use undertakes to move the files for you and adjust the various app settings accordingly.

This would alleviate a lot of the hassle and avoid errors. Do you recommend any particular app?

No, I don’t recommend it but I used

Move2SDcard

(android person holding an SD card like a shopping bag icon

a couple of times and it worked. before that I used several and they were not so good and probably do not exist anymore?

Shay

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