Decrypt SD Card on Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

3 Parts:

Access the Other Security Settings Menu

Decrypt your External SD card

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Any time you factory reset a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 with an encrypted SD card, you will lose access to the encrypted files. This is because the factory reset causes the decryption keys to be lost from your device. In order to avoid this, it is important that you always decrypt your SD card before performing a factory reset. Likewise, in the event you wish to share your SD card with another person, you will need to decrypt the files you would like them to be able to access. Note that obviously there are third-party applications which do allow for the password protection of SD cards; however, none of these are as secure as actually encrypting your Tab S2 microSD card.

1. 1
   Swipe down from the top of your device to open the notification panel.

   

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2. 2
   Tap once on the gear wheel, or settings, icon

   .

   After tapping on the settings icon, the settings panel will open.

   

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3. 3
   In the settings panel, scroll down to 'Lock screen and security'

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   Press one time on lock screen and security. After pressing 'Lock screen and security', you will be taken to the 'Lock screen and security' menu.

   

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4. 4
   Tap once on 'Other security settings'.

   

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5. 5
   You should now see the 'Other security settings' menu.

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1. 1
   In the 'Other security settings' menu, you will see the option to encrypt external SD card

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   While it seems a bit counterintuitive, the function for turning off SD card encryption is actually located under the 'Encrypt external SD card' option; so, tap once on 'Encrypt external SD card'.

   

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2. 2
   After tapping on SD card encryption, you will be taken to the 'Encrypt external SD card' menu

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   Look at the bottom-left of the menu and locate the option that reads 'TURN OFF'. Press it one time.

   

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3. 3
   After pressing 'TURN OFF', to decrypt your external SD card, you will be asked to enter a password

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   In our case, the password we entered previously was 1q2w3e. Enter the password.

   

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4. 4
   After entering your password, tap one time on 'CONTINUE'.

   

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5. 5
   You should now see a window asking if you would like to turn off SD card encryption

   .

   It is important to note that all open files on the device will be closed. Also, the decryption keys for the SD card will be lost if you factory-reset the phone. Obviously, you are currently decrypting files; so, that is not as much of an issue as it would be if you were leaving your SD card encrypted. Just keep in mind that it is possible to turn off SD card encryption without inserting your SD card. In the event you do that, you will no longer be able to turn off or decrypt the encryption of files on that card. You will also no longer be able to use them. Therefore, make sure your SD card is inserted and then tap one time on 'Apply'.

   

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6. 6
   You will receive a message that your SD card is being decrypted

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   Do not remove the SD card and do not attempt to take it out while the process of decryption is occurring. Note that in the top-left corner of the notification screen you will see an icon indicating that your SD card is being decrypted.

   

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7. 7
   When the process finishes, you will see a pop-up menu letting you know that the decryption process has been finished

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   You may tap one time on 'OK' or one time on 'GO TO MY FILES'.

   

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8. 8
   The process is now complete.

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9. 9
   Congratulations

   !

   You have successfully decrypted the microSD card on your Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.

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See other tutorials on Galaxy Tab S2: Format SD Card on Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Download and Install ES File Explorer on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Insert Memory Card for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Remove Memory Card for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Move Apps from Memory Card to System Memory for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Move Apps from System Memory to Memory Card for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Check if a Samsung Charger or Cable Is Original, Move Images from Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 to SD Card, Move Images from SD Card to Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Unmount SD Card for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Mount SD Card for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Check Android Storage for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, and Encrypt SD Card on Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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