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[Q] What is USB Storage?

Hi everyone,
My Galaxy Ace Plus is my first Android phone, and since I bought it several months ago I was confused because I found 3 memory locations on my device: the Internal Storage, USB Storage, and the External Memory card that I added.
I can't really understand what the USB Storage is?
In fact I made a factory reset few days ago as the device was freezing a lot, and it asked me whether I want to format the USB storage or not, stating that if I chose to format it I will lose all my music and pictures and other files. So I became more confused because all my media files, ebooks, etc. are placed in the External Memory card! so why it would consume space of both storage locations!!
can anyone explain that please?
Also what will I lose if I formated the USB Storage only? would it improve the device performance anyway?
Thanks!
- Ramy

Internal storage , Usb storage & SD storage
internal storage is the one reserved for system, i.e 1.5 GB on Note, or in another words it is the flash memory of the device. It stores the components of ROM or the ANDROID OS. Applications get installed on this memory.
USB storage is the rest of the original storage on Note (i.e around 9.5 GB). In common language an Internal Memory where all your files are saved by default. This memory is used by most of the applications for storage of their data.
Most of the move2sd apps move apps from internal to SD Storage which means the USB Storage.
external SD Card storage, on the other hand, is the storage which relies on another SD Card put into the phone, e.g....external SD Card.
That's before you put external SD card..
If you put another SD Card in the phone, it will read as external SD Card. In the file system, it is known as external_sd.
Now, the answer to your next question.. Formatting the USB Storage of the phone is simply formatting your internal memory. It has nothing to do with PERFORMANCE. it just makes space available on your device's internal memory. :good:

Thanks a lot!
mht.msr said:
internal storage is the one reserved for system, i.e 1.5 GB on Note, or in another words it is the flash memory of the device. It stores the components of ROM or the ANDROID OS. Applications get installed on this memory.
USB storage is the rest of the original storage on Note (i.e around 9.5 GB). In common language an Internal Memory where all your files are saved by default. This memory is used by most of the applications for storage of their data.
Most of the move2sd apps move apps from internal to SD Storage which means the USB Storage.
external SD Card storage, on the other hand, is the storage which relies on another SD Card put into the phone, e.g....external SD Card.
That's before you put external SD card..
If you put another SD Card in the phone, it will read as external SD Card. In the file system, it is known as external_sd.
Now, the answer to your next question.. Formatting the USB Storage of the phone is simply formatting your internal memory. It has nothing to do with PERFORMANCE. it just makes space available on your device's internal memory. :good:
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Click to collapse
Thanks! now I got it :good:

Recovery deleted data from internal memory (not SD)

Hi there,
is it possible to recovery the deleted data from the internal memory? I found a way for SD but i need some one for the internal. I tried with USB Mass Storage but it not works with the internal memory.
Edit: If its possible without root access

Internal Storage and SD Card as internal storage

Hello, is there any way to use the internal storage and the SD Card as internal storage at the same time? Thanks

AhReLocazo said:
Hello, is there any way to use the internal storage and the SD Card as internal storage at the same time? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adopted storage

acejavelin said:
Adopted storage
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Click to collapse
Yes, my mistake, I'm talking about adopted storage. My issue is that in my phone I have an option to move files to the internal storage despite the fact that I'm using adopted storage.

AhReLocazo said:
Yes, my mistake, I'm talking about adopted storage. My issue is that in my phone I have an option to move files to the internal storage despite the fact that I'm using adopted storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry... What's the problem? When you adopt the storage, go to Settings - Storage and tap the 3 dot menu, migrate all to SD card.
You can always move apps back, but after migration then the SD card is the "primary" storage point. Just how it works.

acejavelin said:
I'm sorry... What's the problem? When you adopt the storage, go to Settings - Storage and tap the 3 dot menu, migrate all to SD card.
You can always move apps back, but after migration then the SD card is the "primary" storage point. Just how it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I mean is that despite the SD card being the primary storage, the phone gives me the option to move the files from the SD card to the internal storage, and I don't know if that means that I can use the internal storage for file storaging
In the first screenshot you can see that inside Settings>Storage>Internal Storage I have the option to migrate data from the SD card to the internal storage, and inside that option (second screenshot) it says that by doing that I can free 8.25 Gb by moving files from the SD card to the internal storage. That made me think that I can still use the internal storage for something more than apps

AhReLocazo said:
What I mean is that despite the SD card being the primary storage, the phone gives me the option to move the files from the SD card to the internal storage, and I don't know if that means that I can use the internal storage for file storaging
In the first screenshot you can see that inside Settings>Storage>Internal Storage I have the option to migrate data from the SD card to the internal storage, and inside that option (second screenshot) it says that by doing that I can free 8.25 Gb by moving files from the SD card to the internal storage. That made me think that I can still use the internal storage for something more than apps
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Click to collapse
No... There are still 2 distinct areas, adopted storage doesn't work exactly the way you think. Sorry, just getting on a plane or I would explain more.

acejavelin said:
No... There are still 2 distinct areas, adopted storage doesn't work exactly the way you think. Sorry, just getting on a plane or I would explain more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry, I think I understood, thanks for the answers! :good:

Add MicroSD to internal Storage

Hi,
I am searching a way to make my 64GB micro sd Card add up to my 8GB Internal Storage. So that i can do everything on one Storage and not have to use app2sd or etc.
My stats:
Galaxy Tab E SM-T560
Dot Os with Android 7.1.2
Rooted with Magisk
Verbratim microSD 64Gb
XPosed installed.
I do not want the in built Android way because then it is still two sepperate storages.
What can i do?
Best Thanks
Rydeg

IMO you have to use Android's built-in Adoptable storage feature if it's supported

jwoegerbauer said:
IMO you have to use Android's built-in Adoptable storage feature if it's supported
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Why do I have to isn´t there a workaround to force the sdcard to add up the internal storge because for example if i move apps to the sdcard the xposed moduls do not work.
I would like to have one 64+8=72GB storage in which everything works.

If you tell Android to use external SD-card as Adoptable storage then the amount of GBs you define becomes an extension to phone's internal storage memory. So what's your problem?

jwoegerbauer said:
If you tell Android to use external SD-card as Adoptable storage then the amount of GBs you define becomes an extension to phone's internal storage memory. So what's your problem?
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Click to collapse
I tried it but then I have to move all the apps to external storage and when i move them the icons on the homescreen dissapear on boot. And if I move Xposed the modules I dowloaded do not work anymore they only work in the system storage.

And in the settings it shows as 2 different Storages

And I want that it shows as one internal storage is that possible?

Encrypted SD card in strange state after OTA upgrade

After an OTA update to Android 11 I'm unable to access any of the files on the sd card. The sdcard had been added as phone storage by running "sm partition disk:179,32 private" on the previous version of android. The files show in a file manager, but cannot be opened. The phone was not wiped during the upgrade so strange that the sdcard is messed up now.

The encryption key used by Android for the Adoptable Storage is stored - this will surprise no one - in Android's default internal storage.
When you upgraded Android this internal storage memory got overriden, so also the encryption key.
IMO there is no chance to decrypt the SD-card, make the files in question readable again.

jwoegerbauer said:
The encryption key used by Android for the Adoptable Storage is stored - this will surprise no one - in Android's default internal storage.
When you upgraded Android this internal storage memory got overriden, so also the encryption key.
IMO there is no chance to decrypt the SD-card, make the files in question readable again.
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Click to collapse
It was an ota though, so not a factory reset. Other otas have been fine in the past as well. All the apps that were on internal storage are still there too so don't think internal storage was wiped?