How to automatically save photos to sd card android

Using the SD card as the default storage for photos seems to be the best way to avoid clogging up of your Internet storage if you take too many photos. You can surely do the same even if you do not take a great number of photos but it would not make much of a difference then.

But how to use SD card as the default photo storage on Android? Is there an option in the settings to adjust the storage location for images? Is there an app that helps setting it?

You do not need to try finding such options elsewhere but only through the camera app. The camera app lets you use SD card as the default storage for photos. However, not every stock camera app offers the ability nor every manufacturer likes to provide that option.

In this article, we will get to know how to use SD card as the default storage for photos on both stock camera applications and third party camera apps.

Note: Not all manufacturers provide the ability to change the default photo location storage to SD Card. 

Steps To Use SD Card as the default storage on Samsung devices

  1. Launch the camera app.
  2. Look for the gear icon as highlighted in the image above and tap on it.
    How to automatically save photos to sd card android
  3. You will now observe the screen for camera settings. As you scroll down, you will encounter the option for “Storage Location“.
    How to automatically save photos to sd card android

    Just tap on it and you will be asked to choose the SD Card. Proceed to select the SD Card as the storage location. You are now done!

From now on, all the shots you take from the stock camera app (here Samsung’s) will be stored in the SD Card.

Steps To Use SD Card as the default storage using the Camera MX app

  1. Install the Camera MX app from the Play Store.
  2. Launch the Camera MX app.
  3. Now, you can observe a menu icon (three dots) on the top-right corner if you are holding the device in the portrait mode. Tap on it.
    How to automatically save photos to sd card android
  4. You will now be able to tweak the settings such as changing the photo resolution and scene mode. However, ignoring that, you need to tap on the gear icon to head to the camera settings screen.
    How to automatically save photos to sd card android
  5. As you enter the camera settings screen, you will have to scroll down to find “Custom storage location” option. Tap on it to enable using the SD card as the default storage for photos. If it asks for permission to access, simply click on “Allow” to proceed.
    How to automatically save photos to sd card android
  6. Finally, tap on “Select storage location” and then select the “SD Card” option to set the SD Card as the default storage for photos while using Camera MX app.

Optional Method: Enable Adoptable Storage

On the off chance, if your camera app does not include a storage location option. You can enable the Adoptable storage and set the SD card as your Internal storage (works on Android 6.0 and above). To get started, you can refer to the instructions on Motorola’s FAQ page (it works the same way for all other phones).

However, do note that when your SD card acts as the Internal storage, everything meant to be stored in the Internal storage will reside on your SD card, not just your photos.

Wrapping Up

Now, you know how to use the SD Card as your default storage for photos. The option labels might be different considering another manufacturer or ROM, but the fundamental step to achieve it remains the same.

Whatever be the case, you will always find the option to select the SD card as your default photo storage location through the camera settings.

If you already have a bunch of photos in the phone, you might consider reading the How To Move Photos To SD (Android) article.

Did you face any trouble following the steps mentioned above? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Filed in . Read more about Android, Camera, Microsd and Sd Card.

Back in the day, cell phones did not feature enough storage to store all your private data. After a few photos and videos, the storage space was gone. This led to the introduction of memory cards. Today, there are still several mobile devices around that use memory cards.

Product Spotlight: Use PictureEcho to find and delete SD Card’s duplicate & similar images. Get it NOW!

This enables the user to have the device’s space free while they can continue to snap images and capture videos. Let us talk through how you can save photos to an SD card automatically on different Android versions such as Oreo, Marshmallow, or Pie, etc.

Save photos to the SD card on Oreo, Pie, or Android 10

By default, Android cameras do not allow the users to save photos to the SD card because Google is simply not a fan of them. But there is no need to worry, we have got you covered. Although you can also set your SD card to be used as internal storage but it will be easier if you were to download a camera app that allows you to save photos to the SD card automatically. Camera MX is an app that you can download and visit the storage location section to choose your SD card as the storage destination.

Save photos to the SD card on Android Nougat

Unlike Oreo, Pie or Android 10, phones that feature Android Nougat can automatically save photos to SD card. There are two ways of doing it. Simply insert a memory card and open the default camera app. A pop-up message will ask if you would like to change your storage location. If you do not get this pop up message, you can easily select the SD card as your preferred storage in the setting menu of the camera.

Save photos to the SD card on Android Marshmallow

When it comes to saving photos to the SD card automatically, the same procedure (almost) is followed for most Android devices. However, if your Android device is running Marshmallow, the SD card might already be chosen by the device to store photos. If not, you can visit the settings section to choose the SD as the preferred storage location.

In addition to that, Marshmallow also offers its users the feature to format SD cards. However, you cannot use that SD on another device. You will need to connect your phone to a PC if you want to transfer files.

Save photos to the SD card on Android 4.4 Kitkat

Android 4.4 Kitkat like Google is not a fan of SD cards either. For some reason, it will store your photos in the internal memory and there is no easy way to change that. One way of doing that is to download the MX camera app that will allow you to change the storage location. You will have to make sure that the app that you use comes with an API that can override the original preferences using its API.

save photos to the sd card in android 10 save photos to the sd card in android 4.4 kitkat save photos to the sd card in android marshmallow save photos to the sd card in android nougat save photos to the sd card in android oreo save photos to the sd card in android pie

How do I save my pictures to my SD card automatically?

Tap on the ≡ (menu) icon. Select Settings (the cog icon). Activate the Save to SD card option.

How do I set my SD card as default storage for photos on Samsung?

Here's how to set an SD card as the default storage device on Android:.
Insert an SD card into your device. ... .
Open Settings > Storage Settings..
Select your SD card. ... .
Tap the menu icon (three dots) in the upper right corner..
Tap Storage settings..
Tap Format as internal..
Tap FORMAT SD CARD..
Tap Move content..

How do I make an SD card default storage?

Use SD card as default storage for installing apps.
Insert the SD card into the slot..
Launch Settings..
Navigate and Tap Storage..
Check for the SD card..
Click on it to set the SD card as the default storage place..
From the Home screen, Tap File Browser open..
Navigate and select Apps..

How do I change where pictures are saved on Android?

You can also edit the location of multiple photos:.
On your Android phone or tablet, open Google Photos ..
Select the photos whose location you want to edit..
Tap More. Edit location. Add or select the location. To remove the location, tap Remove location..