[Sable99]

Model SM-J120W
I just purchased this phone and added an SD card. I cannot transfer any apps or files to the SD card and cannot make it my default storage. Under the storage tab, it shows the card, but the only options it gives is to format it or unmount it. So now I always get a "Storage space running out" message and can't view any photos in the gallery.

[Rukbat]

Most apps these days don't allow themselves to be transferred to the SD card (because they won't work that way), and the default storage in Android is internal, and it's hard-wired like that. If you're running Android 6 or later, you can probably set the SD card as "adoptable", so it becomes part of the phone's storage (you can't remove it and you can't use it to transfer files to another phone or computer that way), so your apparent "internal" storage becomes larger. But SD cards have a much shorter lifespan that the eMMC in the phone, so make sure that you keep a current backup at all times, because when the card goes bad, the files on it aren't recoverable.

[Sable99]

Thank you for the response. Could you advise me as to how to make it "adoptable"?

[chanchan05]

Thank you for the response. Could you advise me as to how to make it "adoptable"?

You would need a PC with ADB and the drivers for your phone. You will be entering admin commands at the Windows command prompt.

Honestly I've always viewed adoptable storage as a bad idea.

[Rukbat]

When you start the phone with a new SD card, it should ask whether you want the card set up for adoptable or portable storage. If it didn't, you could try formatting the card. If you're still not asked, your carrier may have removed the option (although adoptable storage was made with 8GB phones specifically in mind).

[chanchan05]

When you start the phone with a new SD card, it should ask whether you want the card set up for adoptable or portable storage. If it didn't, you could try formatting the card. If you're still not asked, your carrier may have removed the option (although adoptable storage was made with 8GB phones specifically in mind).

It won't. It's Samsung. They and LG disabled that on their phones. You need ADB to do it on them.

[Rukbat]

I learn something new every day.

Do you happen to know the sequence of commands?

[chanchan05]

I learn something new every day.

Do you happen to know the sequence of commands?

No not off the top of my head. I mean I do use ADB, but I am using the dual sim function of my phone so no card..

[Rukbat]

I found it and I'm posting it here for anyone who might need it:

adb shell
sm list-disks

(Take note of your device ID [disk: xxx,x])

To partition the entire SD card space as internal storage use these commands.

sm partition disk:xxx,x private


This should work for any Samsung phone. (USB Debugging has to be enabled in Developer options.)