Use SD Card as Default Photo Storage on Android

Using the SD card as the default storage for photos seems to be the best way to avoid clogging up of your Internet storage if you take too many photos. You can surely do the same even if you do not take a great number of photos but it would not make much of a difference then.

But how to use SD card as the default photo storage on Android? Is there an option in the settings to adjust the storage location for images? Is there an app that helps setting it?

You do not need to try finding such options elsewhere but only through the camera app. The camera app lets you use SD card as the default storage for photos. However, not every stock camera app offers the ability nor every manufacturer likes to provide that option.

In this article, we will get to know how to use SD card as the default storage for photos on both stock camera applications and third party camera apps.

Note: Not all manufacturers provide the ability to change the default photo location storage to SD Card. 

Steps To Use SD Card as the default storage on Samsung devices

1. Launch the camera app.
2. Look for the gear icon as highlighted in the image above and tap on it.
   
3. You will now observe the screen for camera settings. As you scroll down, you will encounter the option for “Storage Location“.
   
   Just tap on it and you will be asked to choose the SD Card. Proceed to select the SD Card as the storage location. You are now done!

From now on, all the shots you take from the stock camera app (here Samsung’s) will be stored in the SD Card.

Steps To Use SD Card as the default storage using the Camera MX app

1. Install the Camera MX app from the Play Store.
2. Launch the Camera MX app.
3. Now, you can observe a menu icon (three dots) on the top-right corner if you are holding the device in the portrait mode. Tap on it.
   
4. You will now be able to tweak the settings such as changing the photo resolution and scene mode. However, ignoring that, you need to tap on the gear icon to head to the camera settings screen.
   
5. As you enter the camera settings screen, you will have to scroll down to find “Custom storage location” option. Tap on it to enable using the SD card as the default storage for photos. If it asks for permission to access, simply click on “Allow” to proceed.
   
6. Finally, tap on “Select storage location” and then select the “SD Card” option to set the SD Card as the default storage for photos while using Camera MX app.

Optional Method: Enable Adoptable Storage

On the off chance, if your camera app does not include a storage location option. You can enable the Adoptable storage and set the SD card as your Internal storage (works on Android 6.0 and above). To get started, you can refer to the instructions on Motorola’s FAQ page (it works the same way for all other phones).

However, do note that when your SD card acts as the Internal storage, everything meant to be stored in the Internal storage will reside on your SD card, not just your photos.

Wrapping Up

Now, you know how to use the SD Card as your default storage for photos. The option labels might be different considering another manufacturer or ROM, but the fundamental step to achieve it remains the same.

Whatever be the case, you will always find the option to select the SD card as your default photo storage location through the camera settings.

If you already have a bunch of photos in the phone, you might consider reading the How To Move Photos To SD (Android) article.

Did you face any trouble following the steps mentioned above? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Ankush Das
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Android, Camera, microsd, sd card