Do you have an Amazon Fire tablet? If yes, did you know that you can install apps directly to an SD card connected to your tablet? That’s how it is.
Since some Fire tablets have as little as 8GB of built-in storage, you’re forced to be selective in terms of storage. You can’t install every app you want or save every video or music track you find.
But with an SD card, you can add up to 1TB of storage to your tablet and install as many files as you want. You can even use it to expand your internal storage and create space for more apps.
This article will show how to use an SD card with a Fire tablet running Fire OS 7.3.1 or later.
How to use an SD card with a Fire tablet
Amazon Fire tablets are a great option for people on the go. They are affordable, lightweight, and compatible with major streaming services. But like other modern mobile devices, Fire tablets aren’t perfect.
If you own a Fire tablet, there’s a good chance you’re left with little to no storage space after downloading and installing essential apps. This can be especially problematic if you use your device to store content.
While you could transfer some files to an external hard drive, that would mean giving up immediate access to your favorite videos, music, or apps. There would also be the inconvenience of connecting your tablet to a computer via a compatible USB cable every time you want to store something externally.
Add an SD card to your Fired HD tablet and your luck will change instantly!
An SD card is an affordable way to add additional storage for music, videos, apps, and other types of content.
How to Add an SD Card to a Fire Tablet
One of the best things about the Fire tablet is the convenience and ease of adding an SD card. Later you will see how to use the card as internal storage or as a mass storage device. Installation is simple. Here’s how to do it.
Here’s how to do it:
- Turn off your tablet by holding the “Power/Sleep” button for two seconds and selecting “Power off.”
- Locate the SD slot on your tablet.
- Insert the pointed object into the door covering the card slot to open it. You can use your fingernail, a knife, or a flathead screwdriver to do this. It is important to note that the door cover does not completely detach from the device. Instead, it spins downward.
- Gently push down on both sides of the card to insert it into the socket until you hear a click.
- Close the door cover by gently moving it to the initial position. This will prevent dust buildup in the slot.
After following these steps, Your device should detect the SD card and indicate thatUnrecognized or unsupported storage has been connected..
How to use an SD card for storage with a Fire tablet
When you connect an SD card to your tablet, the system does not recognize the format and detects it as an “unsupported storage device.” With just a few more steps, your device should be ready to use.
If you tap the “unsupported storage device” notification, you should see two options:
- Use for additional tablet storage
- Use for portable storage
If you use your card for additional storage, you’ll be able to install and host apps on it, but you can also use it to store media. This will help you free up space on your tablet’s built-in storage. The downside is that you will immediately lose access to any apps or files hosted on the card as soon as you eject it.
As such, you should choose the first option only if you are sure that you will not have to remove the card frequently.
If you choose the second option, you will not be able to use your card to host applications. You can only use it to store music, movies and other multimedia files.
Let’s look at the specific steps required to configure your card for each storage type.
How to use an SD card for portable storage with a Fire tablet?
If you only want to use your card to store media files, here’s how to do it:
- As soon as your tablet detects the card, tap “PORTABLE STORAGE.”
- At this point, your tablet will ask you if you want to format your device. To do so, follow the on-screen instructions. You can skip this step if the card contains files that you want to keep.
- Navigate to your tablet’s settings and tap “Storage.”
- Select “Internal Storage” to open a list of the apps installed on your device, starting with the ones that have consumed the most space.
- Scroll down until you see “SD Card Storage.” Below this, you should see a series of switches that allow you to specify the items you want to download to the card. These options are the following:
- Download movies and TV shows to your SD card
- Download music to your SD card
- Store personal photos and videos on your SD card
- Download audiobooks to your SD card
- Download books and periodicals to your SD card
By default, all of the above options will be enabled. If you do not want to use your card for any of the options listed, simply move the switch next to it to the “off” position.
After this, all the downloaded files will be saved on the card. Remember that you will immediately lose access to anything stored on it if you remove the card.
Use SD cards as internal storage
If you want to use the card to host applications or store files, follow these steps:
- Select “Use for additional tablet storage” when your tablet detects the card. Otherwise, if the card is already being used for portable storage:
- Open configuration”
- Select “Storage.”
- Scroll down to “SD Card Storage” and tap “Format as Internal Storage.”
- Open configuration”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to format your card.
- Once your card has been formatted, your tablet will ask if you want to “move content” to the card immediately or “move later.”
- If you choose “move content”, media files will be immediately transferred to your card, including music, movies and videos. However, no applications will be moved.
- If you choose “move content later”, you will be able to move files any time you want, but the added advantage of this option is that you can move both files and applications.
Here’s how to move apps to your SD card:
- Navigate to your tablet’s settings and tap “Storage.”
- Tap “Internal Storage.”
- Under “SD Card”, tap “Move apps to SD card”.
At this point, your Fire OS will evaluate which apps can be instantly transferred to your card. However, apps that cannot be saved to your card will remain on your tablet’s built-in storage.
Make your way to bigger storage
The Fire tablet is a great device for reading books, playing games, and watching movies on the go. However, it comes with limited storage, so there may not be room for all your favorite files and apps.
However, with an SD card, you can add up to 1TB of storage that you can use however you want.
However, SD cards have some disadvantages. For example, some applications may run slower when installed on external storage. Additionally, apps transferred from your built-in storage to the SD card cannot be recovered. You can only download them again.
However, an SD card can help you fit more apps on your device and eliminate the need for external hard drives.
Have you tried using an SD card with a Fire tablet? What was your experience?
