What is adoptable storage?

[dyna mike]

Hi all. Just bought my first android, the S7 edge. Couldn't bring myself to buy another apple product, I hate them. So far, I like it. But I have a few questions.

First of all, what is adoptable storage?

I've read about it on multiple sites, and I'm not sure I understand. Or at least, I think I do, but my computer guy is interpreting things differently.

I am under the impression adoptable storage allows a removable sd card to be recognized by the phone as merely an extension of it's internal memory. So apps that HAVE TO be stored internally can be stored on the card. Basically, it's like buying an S7 with a bigger memory.

What I'm not clear on, is what the point is of having removable storage without the adoptable features. What's the point of the memory card if it can't be used as internal memory? Why would Samsung give users the ability to use removable storage, only sell the 32gbs in the US, and NOT allow the SD card to supplement the internal memory?

It is because of the above lack of logic that I think I must be missing something. I can't imagine a company like Samsung would do something that stupid. Please somebody, explain this to me.

Thanks

 

[Aquila]

Adoptable storage basically takes the "removable" out of the equation and thus allows for apps, etc. to be installed on the SD card. Portable storage, the other default in Marshmallow, allows only media and files to be stored on the card, no apps at all can be stored on the card but the card can be moved and put in other devices, etc. Samsung went with a different approach, which is to recode it so that it looks and feels more like how their implementation in Kit Kat/Lollipop worked, which is that some apps, if the developers allow for it, can have some of their data stored on the SD card and the card can be swapped into other devices, etc. . It's less secure, but from a usability standpoint it's a meet-in-the-middle implementation that is more familiar to their users.

 

[dpham00]

Fyi, adoptable storage can be added with a bit of work. Refer to the sticky s7 edge faq

 

[dyna mike]

Adoptable storage is less secure or Samsung's approach with the S7 is less secure?

And what you are saying, is if I don't change the card/device to accommodate addoptable storage, is that I can only use the SD card for pictures, songs, etc?

 

[Aquila]

Adoptable storage is less secure or Samsung's approach with the S7 is less secure?

And what you are saying, is if I don't change the card/device to accommodate addoptable storage, is that I can only use the SD card for pictures, songs, etc?

Adoptable storage is the most secure. If you do not do adoptable storage, you'll be able to install some apps on the SD card because Samsung did something different than stock Marshmallow. If they hadn't have done that, then it's adoptable for apps or portable for no apps - but Samsung allows some apps, if the developers turn the option on. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Basically, with Samsung, you can ignore adoptable/portable because they did something else.

 

[dyna mike]

So it sounds like changing the card to adoptable would be a good idea correct?

And, I think I had read somewhere that you can allocate whatever fraction of the SD card's memory to be used as adoptable, and keep the rest regular. For instance, 50% adoptable, 50% regular. If you did this, would you be able to use the SD card to transfer songs and pictures to and from your S7 and still have a larger internal storage?

 

[Aquila]

So it sounds like changing the card to adoptable would be a good idea correct?

And, I think I had read somewhere that you can allocate whatever fraction of the SD card's memory to be used as adoptable, and keep the rest regular. For instance, 50% adoptable, 50% regular. If you did this, would you be able to use the SD card to transfer songs and pictures to and from your S7 and still have a larger internal storage?

If you don't intend on using the device in any other devices, adoptable is a good thing. As far as I am aware adoptable is all or nothing, it formats the entire card and encrypts it.

 

[pinkvikchick]

JUST my 5 cents...you are able to put SOME apps on the sd card, Clean Master App tells me which ones (because I'm not that tech savvy)...widgets won't work, but it's nice to clear some room off the device memory.

 

[doohsun]

I personally think Adoptable storage is the way to go. I only think Samsung and LG didn't go with that standard because they think will affect their performance especially if the card might be slow. I'm sure there are still a small percentage of people that likes to pull out their card and transfer files that way. But a lot of people don't bother doing it when they can simply connect the phone directly to the computer anyways since the OS will recognize it like a media drive. In their view it's easier to share. I prefer adoptable storage because it only comes in 32gb if they're going to give us an option to add 200gb storage and act us one why would that be a bad thing? The only bad thing i can see out of that is people won't be buying a new phone every year since they have more and sufficient space on their phone. Good for consumers bad for manufactures.

 

[doohsun]

Moving some apps and installing it as one is entirely different. Problem with moving apps is whenever there's an update it automatically put it back into the main device so you'll have to move files back to the sd. Just imagine you updating 20 apps you'll have to go through all them one by one.

 

[dpham00]

Fyi, if you are worried about security, you can encrypt the sd card.

 

[dpham00]

 

[dyna mike]

Ok guys thanks for all your responses!

I have one more question, if I changed the card to adoptable and encrypted it, can I change it back to normal? Obviously this wouldn't happen everyday, but let's say I change my mind about adoptable, or want to use that card for something else. Can I revert it back (and lose all the files on it) or is this change permanent?

 

[Aquila]

Ok guys thanks for all your responses!

I have one more question, if I changed the card to adoptable and encrypted it, can I change it back to normal? Obviously this wouldn't happen everyday, but let's say I change my mind about adoptable, or want to use that card for something else. Can I revert it back (and lose all the files on it) or is this change permanent?

Yes, you can switch back and forth, though doing so wipes the card each time.