New storage from SD Card not being fully recognized in my Moto G6?

[js10]

Now that your card is formatted properly, have you done anything to manually transfer files over to it? Android will not automatically migrates files to the card, so you'll have to do it yourself to free up internal storage.

The proper way to do this is to use the copy command, not the move command. If something glitches and the paste part of the function fails, the copy method retains the original files to try again. The move method deletes the original and holds it in memory until written to the new storage location, meaning data loss if it fails.

I think this might be the missing link here, and what would enable me to not just take and store more photos, but also update more apps.

Okay, so I guess what I have to do is move pictures to the SD card (pictures make up the vast majority of my postage space). So the way to do so is long pressing? My only concern there is that I just have the pics splattered all over the gallery page, not in folders. This means that it would get extremely time consuming to do this. Is there no way to do something like "select all images from this point down" or something like that? Also, if I'm successful, how do I access the images that are on the SD card? Thanks.

 

[mustang7757]

Well, I'll put it this way. In the Device Storage page, it says Portable Storage about SD card. In the camera settings page right under Save Settings (as it appears on my menu), it says SD Card under Storage. So I believe that's yes and yes.

Ok then your good going forward, move dome of those pictures to Google photos or sd card but dont keep on the device

 

[Mooncatt]

Is there no way to do something like "select all images from this point down" or something like that? Also, if I'm successful, how do I access the images that are on the SD card? Thanks.

I'm not familiar with your specific gallery app, but there should be a select all option (may be a simple check mark at the top). You could also try holding your finger until it highlights that photo. While still holding your finger down, drag it down to select multiple photos.

Once pasted, the gallery app should show those files as well. The gallery isn't a storage location, just a photo viewing app that shows photos and videos regardless of where they are stored. When you copy things over, you will likely see duplicate copies in the app until you delete the originals (which is why I suggest removing the card when time to delete, as it could get confusing). It sometimes can take a few minutes for the app to update the previews, and a reboot in rare cases.

 

[js10]

I'm not familiar with your specific gallery app, but there should be a select all option (may be a simple check mark at the top). You could also try holding your finger until it highlights that photo. While still holding your finger down, drag it down to select multiple photos.

Okay, so another case of good news and bad news. The good news is that, yes, it seems I can select an image and then drag my finger up or down to highlight all of those images as well, pretty much as one does with a mouse on a desktop. The bad news is that I'm not seeing a Copy option! There are some icons at the top of the screen that I never use and hesitate to click without knowing what they are, but nothing that clearly indicates copy. Understanding that you are not personally familiar with my specific gallery app, do you have any idea what that might look like?

There is, by the way, a "move to archive" option, whatever that means, but it seems like you can only do that individually anyway.

 

[Mooncatt]

There is, by the way, a "move to archive" option, whatever that means, but it seems like you can only do that individually anyway.

Is this the Google Photos app you're using? If so, I don't think it has a copy function but does have a move to archive function that I believe uploads the files to your Google account. You get 15 GB of free storage for photos and video for that (use to be unlimited, but they recently changed it). It also has the ability to free up space by deleting photos on your phone that it already has backed up. One of the other members can give you the finer details on that, though. I generally don't use Photos for viewing, and only left it active for the backup function. Even that isn't as needed now that I'm backing up to Amazon (Prime members get unlimited photo backup in original quality, but only 5 GB of video backup, included in their membership at no extra charge).

If you don't have a regular gallery app, you have a couple options. You could use a file manager if you have one to manually copy everything around, or tether to a PC and use it to facilitate the process. The other option would be to install a gallery app. I would recommend this one in your case because it is lightweight.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simplemobiletools.gallery

You may have to temporarily uninstall other apps if you can't install this one, but you can always reinstall them later.

If you use that gallery app, you highlight the photos with the long press and then a menu option to select all (can also do this at the album level), then tap the menu button again to select the "copy to" command. When it asks where to put them, select "other folder" at the bottom. In the new popup you'll see the current file path at the top. Tap where it says "internal" and then it'll give the option to select the SD card. From there, you can select one of the existing folders or create a new one. Navigate to where you want them copied to, click ok, then perhaps grab a cup of tea while you wait for it to process if you have a ton of files being moved. If you have thousands of photos and videos being transferred, it does increase the chances of something glitching during the process due to the amount of RAM that can be needed during this. Don't be surprised if you have to do this in smaller batches for stability.

That app can also delete the originals after you finish and remove the card.

 

[js10]

Is this the Google Photos app you're using? If so, I don't think it has a copy function but does have a move to archive function that I believe uploads the files to your Google account.

Ugh, okay, that's exactly what I was afraid of. Yes, it is the standard Google gallery app (with the kind of rainbow-colored circular icon, whatever that's supposed to represent). The problem is that I was really kind of hoping to keep the images on my phone. I already have a lot of them backed up onto an external hard drive, so that's not really an issue. So, I'm kind of back to square one -- having to delete images just to essentially keep using my phone (or at least apps). That's what I was hoping to avoid when I received the SD card (and would have purchased one anyway if that didn't happen).

I have to ask -- would this all still be the case if it were formatted as internal storage? If so, I kind of feel like it might be worth looking into further if there's any way of actually making that work. Thanks as always.

 

[Mooncatt]

I have to ask -- would this all still be the case if it were formatted as internal storage? If so, I kind of feel like it might be worth looking into further if there's any way of actually making that work. Thanks as always.

Formatting as internal storage theoretically would solve the issue, but it comes with numerous downsides and was never fully supported. Google basically made it an option due to all the cheap phones with next to no usable storage, then told all the manufacturers and developers "good luck." The constant rewriting to the card can quickly corrupt it, you will not be able to remove the card and use elsewhere without reformatting, it can be very glitchy, kill performance, etc. If something goes wrong with it, Motorola is unlikely to be of any help. Any time someone posts a problem with their card formatted as internal, most replies are similar to what we have already been saying here.

If you want to keep the photos on your internal storage, then I'm afraid my only suggestion is to either delete other things (including apps), or get a phone more suited to your needs with lots of internal storage.

 

[js10]

If you want to keep the photos on your internal storage, then I'm afraid my only suggestion is to either delete other things (including apps), or get a phone more suited to your needs with lots of internal storage.

Hey, I just thought of something, seriously. Rather than actually doing it on my phone, is there anything stopping me from using the USB to connect it to my desktop, going into the DCIM folder, and then just copying the image files to the SD card folder that way?

 

[Mooncatt]

Hey, I just thought of something, seriously. Rather than actually doing it on my phone, is there anything stopping me from using the USB to connect it to my desktop, going into the DCIM folder, and then just copying the image files to the SD card folder that way?

Not at all, and may even be quicker/easier if you are more familiar with Windows Explorer. Just a couple of extra points of note:

1. You'll need to have your phone unlocked to access it via computer, and may have to select a setting on the phone to allow file transfers (they often default to USB charging only).

2. The DCIM folder only stores photos you've taken with the camera. If you have files you downloaded or saved any photos after using an editing app, you'll have to navigate to those folders as well to copy files. Gallery apps are generally good about displaying all that together, but you'll have to do the legwork yourself you get to them with the PC. Usually you'll find them in a Downloads folder, or one named after the app that put them there.

 

[js10]

Okay, that only kind of half worked, I guess you could say. I'm no longer getting the message that my internal storage is full. However, when I go to the Google Photos app, the old images I pasted into the SD card folder are NOT there! Interestingly, newly-taken images ARE there, but, again, not the ones I just tried to transfer.

However, they are definitely in the SD card folder as it appeared in Windows, and, when I tap storage it does now say 7.43 GB used, and then when I tap SD card and then DCIM and then Camera, the images do appear.

So, yes, the images are still on my phone and accessible with some work, and if this is the best I can do, it's not terrible. But I've come this far, I might as well give it one more try. Is there any way to get those old images on the SD card to just show up in the Photos app with the others?

At any rate, by the way, I'm glad I thought of this option! It's just that I'm used to moving things FROM my phone to a desktop that way, but not moving things around within the phone. But then I realized that it's really no different from moving files around with a desktop OS. This is still a much better option than dealing with internal storage, etc. I still think Motorola should just make the whole thing more streamlined! But, whatever, they never asked me for my opinion.

PS. I just went back and took another look at an earlier post of yours in this thread, in which you say "Once pasted, the gallery app should show those files as well. The gallery isn't a storage location, just a photo viewing app that shows photos and videos regardless of where they are stored." That's what I would have thought, too, but as explained above, that's not what I'm experiencing now!

 

[Mooncatt]

PS. I just went back and took another look at an earlier post of yours in this thread, in which you say "Once pasted, the gallery app should show those files as well. The gallery isn't a storage location, just a photo viewing app that shows photos and videos regardless of where they are stored." That's what I would have thought, too, but as explained above, that's not what I'm experiencing now!

When I made that comment, it was before I realized you are using Google Photos. A normal gallery app would show everything the way I mentioned it, and many OEM apps are simply labeled "Gallery." We get a lot of people confusing the app with a physical storage location.

As for the problem of Google Photos not showing the SD card photos, not sure I can be much help there since I generally don't use it. It may just not have re-scanned the SD card yet. A reboot or clearing the app cache may help. Also, try going go to the library tab at the bottom right. Near the top of the library screen, it says "Photos on device." To the right, try tapping the view all button and see if your SD card folders show up there (it's where I see mine, mixed in with the internal folders). If that doesn't work, hopefully one of the others can chime back in with other tips.