- Where's the App list?
- Which version of Windows Phone do I have?
- Lock screen
- Set alarms on my phone
- Copy and paste
- Find a lost phone
- Set up Kid's Corner
- Keyboard
- Backup and storage
- Share things on my phone
- How do I update my phone software?
- Windows Phone 8 update history
- Use Speech on my phone
- Wallet
- Use my phone for work
- Tips to help keep my Windows Phone secure
- Switch between apps
- Accessibility on my phone
- Reset my phone
- Make the most of my battery and data usage
- What do the icons on my phone mean?
- Privacy resources
- Feature and service availability
Use an SD card to add space
Are you running low on storage space and needing to add more? Or do you want to share some media files using a memory card? You can do both of these things if your Windows Phone 8 has a microSD memory card slot and you have a microSD card.
Notes
- Whether or not your phone has a microSD card slot depends on your phone's make and model. If your phone has one, the slot might be on the side of your phone or on the back underneath the battery cover. Check your phone's documentation or the manufacturer's website for more info.
- SD memory cards come in a few different physical sizes. If your phone can use one, it'll use a microSD card (which is the smallest one) and appear as SD card on your phone.
- To copy files to the card while it's still in your phone, you need to first connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
- Some PCs have a regular SD card slot. If yours does and you have a microSD card adapter, you can insert the microSD card into the adapter, and then insert the adapter into the SD card slot on your PC to copy files to the card that way too. You can also copy files if you have a USB memory card reader that has a microSD card slot.
To store any new pictures, music, or videos on your SD card
-
Find the microSD card slot on your phone, and then insert the microSD card into it.
-
In the SD card found message box, tap Yes to store new pictures, videos, and music on the card from now on.
New pictures or videos you take, as well as new music or podcasts you download, will be stored on the memory card.
Notes
- To view pictures that are on the card, go to the Photos Hub. To play music, videos, podcasts, go to the Music + Videos Hub.
-
You can change your storage settings at any time to choose between
storing things on your memory card and storing them on your phone. In the
App list,
tap Settings
> Phone storage, and then change
the settings for Store new music+videos on and Store new
pictures on.
- The storage settings are based on the individual SD card. So if you insert a different SD card, the SD card found message box will appear again.
To check the amount of free space on your phone or SD card
-
In the App list, tap Settings
> Phone storage. -
Tap the Phone or SD card bar to see how much space is available and how space is being used.
To safely remove the SD card from your phone
Before you take the card out of your phone, make sure you remove it from your phone first by tapping the Remove SD card button. Afterwards, you can use the card somewhere else, such as on your computer or on another device.
-
In the App list, tap Settings
> Phone storage. -
Tap the SD card bar.
-
Tap Remove SD card > Yes to confirm.
-
In the Safe to remove message box, tap OK, and then take the card out of your phone.
Warning
If you don’t tap the Remove SD card button before taking the SD card out of your phone, it can cause problems with the card itself or with files on it. In some cases, you might see the SD card problem message box when you reinsert the card. If that happens, you'll need to insert the card into your PC to fix the problem. To learn more, see this Microsoft Support article about fixing SD card problems.
To format the SD card
You can format the SD card in your phone to erase files on it and start fresh. WARNING: All your personal files and everything else on the SD card will be erased.
-
In the App list, tap Settings
> Phone storage. -
Tap the SD card bar.
-
Tap Format SD card.
-
Tap Yes in the Format SD card? message box to confirm and format the card.
Warning
Everything on the SD card will be erased and the card will be formatted.
To copy a file to an SD card in your phone
Connect your phone to your PC using a USB cable.
Do one of the following:
- If you're using Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, open Windows Explorer from the taskbar.
- If you're using Windows 8, go to Desktop view, and then open File Explorer from the taskbar.
Under Computer, click your phone's name, then click SD card.
To move files between your phone and your PC, right-click the file you want to copy and click Copy.
Right-click in the folder you want to move the file to and click Paste.
