Many Apple enthusiast who just bought their smartphone are likely wondering if their iPhone has an SD card slot and if so, where it is located.
So, do iPhones have a micro sd card slot? The iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone SE do not have an SD Card slot. In fact, none of the iPhone models have a SD or Micro SD card slot. However, you can add an external memory card to your iPhone by attaching an adapter: USb-c to SD reader: 4-in-1 SD card reader for iPhone.
This can add up to another 1TB of SD Card storage depending on the Sd card you choose; which is useful for photos, videos, pictures and more.
- See our post on the largest micro SDCards that exist
- Related: 5 Fastest MicroSD Cards (256GB, 512GB, 1TB)
In this post, I’m going to explain how to add the SD Card/Micro SD Card slot to your iPhone as well as the best devices that will allow you to do so.
- 1. Suntri Adapter: Connect a iPhone Micro SD card adapter (SD Card iPhone Slot)
- 2. Connect the Official Apple sd card reader for iphone
- 3. Anker SD card reader: Get a SD Card slot on your Laptop or PC
- 4. Use iCloud or Dropbox (Micro SD Card slot alternative for iPhone)
- 5. Connect Bluetooth to Mac (Micro SD Card slot for iPhone alternative)
- What Micros SD Cards are best for the iPhone?
- Can you put an SD Card slot in an iPhone?
- Do iPads have SD card slots
How to add a SD Card or MicroSD card slot to your iPhone
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Since Apple doesn’t plan to add an SD Card slot on their iPhones, we tried to find ways to overcome this storage problem. Although you can use internal solutions like iCloud or Dropbox (see below), most people prefer to purchase an external SD card adapter.
Having an external SD Card adapter for your iPhone is an excellent solution, especially for those who use a digital camera and need to transfer photos and videos. You can choose between a Third-party product like a Suntri adapter and Apple’s official card reader.
Also see: Do I Need an iPad if I Have an iPhone?
Although both types have their pros and cons, the process is quite similar: All you have to do is put an SD card into the adapter and then connect the device through your iPhone’s dock connector. Without further ado, let’s dive deeper into the SD Adapters’ differences and explore other alternatives.
Related: Best Tablets with SD Card slot (expandable storage)
1. Suntri Adapter: Connect a iPhone Micro SD card adapter (SD Card iPhone Slot)
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From all the Micro SD card readers on the market, the Suntri Adapter is simply one of the best for adding a SD Card to a Phone. Developed by a reliable peripherals brand, this is a super-useful adapter, not only for iPhone users but also for professional photographers and designers.
Suntri created a 4-in-1 card reader that includes numerous ports for your convenience. Using it for your iPhone is pretty straightforward, as all you have to do is connect it and transfer files through your iOS device’s charging port.
Apart from this feature, you can use this adapter to quickly transfer files of any kind, from any device with a micro USB, USB-C, or USB port (digital cameras, android phones, etc.) to your computer, laptop, or tablet.
This adapter’s unique feature is that it (unlike Apple’s adapter) allows you to transfer any file or folder from your iPhone to an SD card.
The Suntri adapter can seamlessly connect to any iOS device (version 8.0 and up) and has a maximum memory card capacity of 400GB; which is plenty for most uses.
Therefore, if you need a portable, multifunctional adapter with a modern design to transfer files from your iPhone to an SD card, Suntri is the perfect third-party solution.
Related: Best Micro SD Card for 4K video recording
2. Connect the Official Apple sd card reader for iphone
If you prefer purchasing an Apple adapter over a third-party alternative in order to add a micro SD to an iPhone, we have the solution. Apple has recently developed an official sd card reader. Apple Reader is a great, reliable solution for those of you who want to quickly transfer photos and videos from your iPhone (or iPad) to a card reader or via verse.
Unfortunately, Apple’s reader has some limitations concerning functionality. Firstly, the adapter was created for iPads, meaning you might need to modify your phone’s OS to use it on your iPhone. However, most people argue that no modifications are required, and the adapter automatically works for iPhones.
- See our post: How to Turn your iPad into a Laptop [Complete Guide]
- Also see: iPad vs Laptop Pros and Cons: Replacing a Laptop with iPad
Apart from that, you can also use the official Apple adapter to download and transfer photos and videos (Formats: JPEG, RAW, H.265, and MPEG-4). Thus, if you need an adapter to move other types of documents (like doc or pdf files), you can go for a third-party adapter. On the other hand, Apple’s reader is exceptionally lightweight, portable, and specially designed for Apple devices.
Accordingly, if you are a photographer and want to transfer files from or to your iPhone or iPad rapidly, this is a must-have official tool.
Related: 11 Best Minimalist Phones [Simple Phones].
3. Anker SD card reader: Get a SD Card slot on your Laptop or PC
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If you don’t want to buy an iPhone adapter for file transfers, you can just put an affordable SD card reader on your laptop or PC. In this way, you will quickly transfer the files you need from or to your phone through the Apple USB cord.
This is a fantastic alternative for those of you who don’t need to transfer files occasionally.
The Anker reader is one of the most reliable, popular, and fast adapters on the market. However, all the SD card readers will work fine on laptops, PCs, or tablets (with a USB port). We suggest the Anker adapter for those of you who don’t already own a card reader, as it includes all the essentials you will need.
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A unique feature this reader includes is that it allows you to simultaneously read and write on two (SD and TF) cards. Apart from that, the latest Anker reader has a breakneck 5Gbps transfer speed enabling high read and write speeds.
Finally, Anker’s adapter is compatible with all Windows (10 / 8 / 7 / Vista) and MAC OSX devices. Therefore, this is an intelligent alternative to an iPhone-specific adapter that allows you to transfer any file via your PC, laptop, or tablet.
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4. Use iCloud or Dropbox (Micro SD Card slot alternative for iPhone)
As technology advances, the SD card slot is getting phased out. To be more precise, most people don’t use SD cards frequently due to the appearance of online storage platforms like iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox.
Thus, iCloud and Dropbox are excellent solutions for those who don’t want to transfer files to an SD card specifically. Therefore, you can use those apps if you need to free up space from your iPhone. The process is pretty simple as all you have to do is:
- Download the iCloud or Dropbox application on both devices (for example, your iPhone and your Mac).
- Upload all the files you want to transfer from your iPhone.
- Download the files from your computer.
- Erase the files from your iPhone to free up storage.
Even though this is a quick alternative and those apps daily become more popular, both iCloud and dropbox have a specific storage amount that you can use for free. Thus, if you want to use more than 5GB of storage for iCloud or 2GB for Dropbox, you must upgrade to a premium monthly plan.
Related: How to Use an iPad as Phone Replacement
On the other hand, if you just need to free space by transferring files from your iPhone to your computer, all you have to do is download them and then delete them from your iCloud or Dropbox account. In this way, you will be able to transfer files as many times as you want without the need for a premium subscription.
5. Connect Bluetooth to Mac (Micro SD Card slot for iPhone alternative)
An alternative method consists of using a non micro sd card slot method (bluetooth) to accomplish the same purpose an sd car slot does.. The last way to transfer files from your iPhone to another device, is to connect it with a Mac via Bluetooth. This is a straightforward process that includes four easy steps:
- Turn Bluetooth on, firstly from your iPhone and then from your Mac.
- Once you turn on the Mac’s Bluetooth, you will have to select the device you want to pair your computer with. Choose your iPhone and tap on Pair.
- Accept the pairing from your iPhone after you confirm it shows the same code.
- Congratulations! You can now transfer files from your iPhone to your Mac.
In a few words, this is the easiest solution for those of you who own both an Apple iPhone and a Mac computer.
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Do iPhones have SD Cards?
No, iPhones do not have SD cards nor Micro SD cards. Instead of having an SD Card and external storage, iPhones have an internal Flash memory. This means the iPhone will require an adapter that is compatible with and SD card or Micro SD card.
The adapters mentioned in this post can also help you transfer files quickly between computers, laptops, and tablets, from any device with a micro USB, USB-C, or USB port (digital cameras, android phones, etc.).
Make sure that your microSD card will fit on your new iPhone if you’re moving from Android to iPhone. Compared to older models, technology statistics show us that storage is significantly evolving (cloud storage & device storage size). As a result, SD cards will eventually no longer be needed.
The iPhone 14 for example can get up to 1TB on the Pro Max model and Apple continues to not include SD cards in their upgrades.
Why don’t iPhones have an SD card slot?
Although many people argue that having an SD card slot is very useful, Apple has withdrawn this feature and doesn’t plan on including it again. But what are the reasons behind this decision? Well, we believe that the brand made this decision due to a combination of the following causes:
- Card slots require extra space inside the phone that Apple uses for other components.
- Card slots decrease the housing strength and moisture resistance.
- If Apple included SD card slots in their iPhones, many people would buy the cheaper models (with the lowest-capacity).
- Saving everything on the internal storage of a phone provides a better, faster user experience.
- SD card failures or lags could result in angry customers. Apple didn’t want to deal with that kind of third-party products’ failures.
Thus, even though many people would love to double their iPhones’ storage with an affordable SD card, Apple had good reasons not to include this feature. In any case, you can always transfer your iPhone’s files with the alternative solutions provided in this article.
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Types of iPhone memory cards
There aren’t any cards that plug right in without an adapter. Since iphone uses usb-c you’ll need to attach them using an external sd reader.
SD card is a type of memory card for use in digital cameras, portable media players and other electronic devices. It allows removable storage which is typically in the form or a plastic card.
Micro SD cards are primarily designed for use in digital devices, such as cameras and portable media players. The SD card is a very small sized memory card used to store files.
This type of storage is typically in the form of plastic outer layer, and it is a removable, portable memory source because it can be removed from its original device for use on other electronic devices like personal computers, cameras and more.
The different between the two is the size and cost. Micro SD Cards are more modern and are the evolved form of the sd card now that electronics are starting to phase out from using larger, full sized cards.
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The Best iPhone SD Card Readers (SD & Micro SD Card to iPhone)
The best iPhone SD card readers will typically also have a micro SD card reader in addition to a standard SD card slot. The purpose of using an iPhone SD card reader is to add expandable storage to your iPhone or iPad via a SD Card or Micro SD Card to iPhone transfer.
You may want to consider transfer speeds as well as the other types of memory card slot types that this adapter allows for.
For example, a 4-in-1 iPhone memory card reader may include USB & USB-C ports, as well as SD & microSD cards.
This type of device will allow you to download and upload via an SD card. Apple iPhones don’t have expandable storage, but with a reader you can connect an SD card externally to upload photos or files.
A good example of this is someone who wants to add photos they took on a separate device and put them on their iPhone or iPad without the use of the cloud or Internet.
It is also useful to have a SD card or micro SD card reader for your iPhone because you can store media files on a tangible device rather than keep them stored on the cloud; which has security benefits. These readers are similar to any other adapter, only they allow you to transfer files between separate, external devices such as HD Video formats or documents you need for school or work.
Pros and cons of adding an external Micro SD Card to iPhone
Purchasing and using a Micro SD card for your needs can be a good idea because you can use it for many different electronic devices. It is a good idea to find out which device it is best suited for. You should also do research on the memory card specifications and make sure that your device will work with this type of memory card.
See our post: Switching to a Flip Phone Again? [Flip Phone vs Smartphone]
FAQ
What Micros SD Cards are best for the iPhone?
Micro SD cards that are name-brand and have high read and write speeds that follow the speed class you require. Some professional photographers may require higher speed classes. This is also true for those that run 4k HD.
Which is best will depends on the adapter and your personal needs, however a SD Card reader that has usb-c compatibility is best for adding an iPhone memory card.
Can you put an SD Card slot in an iPhone?
Yes, it’s possible to put an SD Card slot on an iPhone, but this can only be done externally and this connects to the internal storage using an usb-c or lightning adapter that also has an SD Card slot reader. These compatible adapters are available on various online marketplaces and aren’t tough to find.
If you want to put the SD Card slot inside your iPhone, there’s no other option but to buy an external microSD Card case.
There is no way to put an internal SD card slot in the iPhone because it’s a non-standard micro-usb connector. In fact the only connectors on the SIM card tray is usb-c on many models of the iPhones. This has evolved from previous versions of the iPhone.
Do iPads have SD card slots
No, iPads do not have expandable storage slots built-into the device. However, it is possible to use a SD Card or Micro SD Card on your iPad through a reader such as a 4-in-1 iPad (and iPhone) SD card Reader.
The majority of these adapters also works with the iPhone and allowed you to use a microSD card, SD card, USB or USB-C ports. He’s allowed you to transfer files from an SD card to most Apple iPad models.
Conclusion
You can you put a memory card in an iPhone by using an external adapter that connects via a usb-c port.Apple does not plan to put in SD Card slots on their iPhones according to many experts. Also, logically its less efficient for the iPhone slim design.
You can get a device like the Suntri or, which is a great solution to connecting your sd card through your charging port to transfer files quickly and easily from any device and can add up to an extra 400GB of storage in total. They have several different types of adapters, all with different qualities.
