While smartphones have huge storage right now, it runs out after a while. Thus, expanding storage with an external memory card is always the best option.
Depending on your device, you will find many types of memory cards on the market. But you will no doubt hear about MicroSD and TF cards as they are known.
Many people think of using MicroSD cards as they are the most popular, but some users wonder about TF cards. If you are one of them and want to know the definition and how they differ, read this article to the end.
Content:
What is a TF card?
The TransFlash Card, commonly known as the TF Card, is the first smallest memory card jointly developed by SanDisk and Toshiba and released in 2004.
Before TF cards, SD cards were popular as people used them in digital cameras and other portable storage devices. But there is one problem with SD cards; they were bulky, so the TF Card made an easy impression.
The size of the TF card was 11mm x 15mm x 1mm, and it can be said that it was the smallest memory card at that time, which helped it easily conquer the market.
As technology is updated daily, TF Card is no exception as its properties have been updated and its name has been changed to MicroSD Card.
How does a TF card work?
The device must have a MicroSD slot in which you need to insert TF and wait for it to be detected. Then you can easily store music, videos, pictures and other files in it.
Many devices do not have a MicroSD card slot, so you can use an adapter to use a TF card on the device. Just so you know, you can buy these adapters anywhere from online stores and offline stores.
In general, you can insert a card and start using it right away, but in some cases you also need to make some changes before using it.
Methods to use the TF card more efficiently
If you don’t know about it, let me tell you that you can use the TF card with many devices and you can maximize the usage in this way.
You can also use a TF card with the speaker as modern speakers offer this feature. But, before inserting it into the column, you should make sure that the songs are preloaded into it. The same must be done in the case of MP3 players.
If you want to expand your tablet’s memory, you can insert a TF card into its back and restart it once to help it detect the card. Some Android devices also have the feature to support external maps, and some don’t; if your device supports it, find a slot and insert a TF card to expand storage easily.
For devices that don’t support TF card, such as iPhone, you can use an external adapter. All you have to do is insert the card into the adapter, connect it to your phone, and then allow some permissions to share files between the adapter and your phone.
You can use a TF card in your computer with an adapter, or connect a phone that supports it with a USB cable.
Nintendo console users can also use the TF card with their devices. If you are one of them, turn off the device and open the kickstand on its back to find the card slot. Then insert the card correctly and turn on the console.
You can also use this card for your drones and dash cams so they can shoot more videos.
Another best use of this card is copying a file from a specific device and pasting it to other devices for file sharing. It will help you easily share files between two devices.
So you can use a TF card with your device to expand storage and store any files you want, and you can also download files from the Internet directly to this card.
What is a microSD card?
As you know, the TF card has evolved into a MicroSD card over the years, changing some of its functionality.
SD in MicroSD stands for secure digital and has the same functions as a TF card. You can put this in any of your devices that support an external card and can easily expand the storage capacity.
You can use the map on your phone, Bluetooth speakers, MP3 players, camera, drone and many other devices. This card can also be used with an adapter in the same way as a TF card.
MicroSD cards are currently the most popular and widely used by people to expand the memory of their device as they are the smallest in size.
How is a TF card different from a MicroSD card?
Sandisk and Toshiba collaborated on a project and developed the smallest memory card in 2004. The SD association later purchased the product from Sandisk and named it MicroSD.
The TF card and the MicroSD card are almost identical in appearance and size, and it’s hard to tell them apart since you can also use one instead of the other.
But, by carefully observing their features, you can see several differences. The MicroSD card supports SDIO mode, which means you can also perform tasks other than file storage, such as Bluetooth, GPS, etc. But the TF card can only store a file and cannot perform these tasks.
In the past, TF cards were 16MB and 32MB in size, but since 2014, MicroSD cards and TransferFlash cards are considered the same.
They have the same size and specifications, and both cards are still used to expand the device’s memory. Although there is a rare chance that you will find a TF card now since MicroSD has completely taken over the market.
Conclusion
This article provides complete information about TF and MicroSD cards and their differences. I hope your understanding is clear and you have decided what to buy. However, if you have any doubts, let me know in the comments below.