Encrypt SD Card on Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
Edited by Train Wreck, Eng, VisiHow
If you have ever encrypted your phone or Tablet, you know how performance can degrade. This is especially true if the only reason you're really using your Tablet or phone is to play games or take photos and videos. However, there may be times where you actually do need to encrypt your SD card. In this tutorial we are going to show you how to encrypt your external SD card for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. If you instead need to learn how to decrypt your SD card, make sure you view the appropriate tutorial which we have created for the purposes of enabling you to be able to decrypt SD cards.
Note that in this tutorial we are using an unencrypted Galaxy Tab S2. In some versions of the Samsung firmware, you will be unable to encrypt an SD card from a device that has already been encrypted. Therefore, if your device is currently encrypted, and these instructions are not working for you, you will need to decrypt your device and then encrypt your SD card and, once more, encrypt your device.
Access Security Settings
- 1Swipe down from the top of your Galaxy Tab S2, and tap once on the gear-shaped settings icon.
- 2Once you have tapped on the gear-shaped settings icon, you will be taken to the settings panel.
- 3In the settings panel, you will want find the 'Lock screen and security' option and then tap on it once.
Set Up Your Device for Encryption
- 1This option is labeled 'Other security settings'.After you have tapped on 'Lock screen and security', you will need to tap the very last option on the right side of the screen.
- 2The section is at the very top.After tapping on other security settings, you will see a section for encryption.
- 3Tap the second option, which is 'Encrypt external SD card'.
- 4You'll be asked to enter a six characters minimum password that includes one letter and one number. Note that if you do not have screen security enabled, you will not be able to enter these characters.Once you have tapped 'Encrypt external SD card', the system will inform you that the SD card encryption is turned off.
- 5If you do not have screen security enabled, proceed to the next section.
- 6If you have screen security enabled, you can skip ahead to section on what to do if you have screen security enabled; or you can simply enter the six character password you'll use to encrypt your SD card, which we discuss in more detail below.
If You Do Not Have Screen Security Enabled
Screen security is more than just a pattern or four-number PIN. It's actually a real and true form of secure access to your system. You can just use a six-character PIN, or you can use a PIN and your fingerprints. In the steps below, we will just use a six-character PIN because it is easier to set up.
- 1To set up a screen security pin, tap the bottom of the screen on 'SET SCREEN LOCK TYPE'.
If You Have Screen Security Enabled
if you have skipped the previous section because you already had a high level of security enabled on your Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, then you will want to follow these steps.
- 1Tap 'TURN ON' once to enable SD card security.
- 2You must tap 'YES' or 'NO' to proceed. In this tutorial, we tap 'YES'.Once you tap turn on the option, you will be informed that encrypting your external SD card will encrypt all files on the SD card.
- If you tap 'NO', then only files which are created on this device will be encrypted.
- If you tap 'YES', then all files are encrypted.
- 3This means that videos and photos you take on your Galaxy Tab S2 will not be encrypted. You must tap 'YES' or 'NO'. In this tutorial, we have tapped 'NO'.Next, you will be given the option to avoid encrypting common media files such as AVI, JPG, or MP3.
- If you would like to encrypt these files, then you will want to tap 'NO'.
- If you do not want to encrypt these files, then you will want to tap 'YES'.
- 4Review them and, if satisfied with your selections, click on 'CONTINUE'. If you do not wish to continue, then tap on the back button on your device to go back and change the settings.You will now see a window confirming your SD card encryption and listing all of the choices you made previously.
- 5Note that this password is not the simple 1234 password we created earlier. This is actually the encryption password. In our case, this password was 1q2w3e. When you have typed your encryption password, tap on 'CONTINUE'.After tapping 'CONTINUE', you will be asked to enter and confirm your password.
- 6It is very important that you pay attention to the settings in this warning window. Of particular concern is the fact that if you perform a factory reset, the decryption key stored on your system for files on your SD card will be erased. This means you will not be able to access or use those encrypted files again, but you will still be able to use the unencrypted files. The only solution you have to restore storage space in such cases will be to delete the encrypted files. Therefore, make sure that you turn off SD card encryption before performing a factory reset and unencrypt all files. With that in mind, tap one time on 'APPLY' so that you may continue.After tapping 'CONTINUE', you will be taken to a warning window.
- 7You will be asked to wait while the device is encrypted, and during this procedure, you will notice that there is an activity icon in the notification bar in the upper-left corner.You will then be taken to a window where SD card encryption will occur.
- 8Simply tap 'OK' to continue or, if you prefer, you may tap 'GO TO MY FILES'.When finished, you will receive a pop-up with the message that the SD card has been encrypted and that it is now available.
- 9Your SD card is now encrypted.Congratulations!
Additional Tips
- Encrypting your SD card may seem like a good idea, but if you don't need to, avoid doing it. SD card encryption slows down everything on your system. It can result in the complete loss of your files if there is problem with your Galaxy Tab S2 that causes it to require a factory reset.
- Use encryption with caution and make sure you back up your device regularly so you will still be able to access stored keys to retrieve locked or encrypted files later.
See other tutorials on 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, and Check Android Storage for Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.
Questions and Answers
Galaxy S2 8" tablet will not let me encrypt my 64GB SD card?
I am following the instructions for encrypting my SD card (which I have to do to use it at all because I use work emails on the tablet and they insist on everything encrypted. Fair enough). But all I get when I start the process is an error message
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How do I create a secure folder on my Samsung Galaxy S2 9.7 Tablet?
I cannot find out how to do this. I have clicked "More" when in a folder but the drop down box does not include "Secure Folder.". Maybe I am in the wrong area in this tutorial? I have looked on YouTube to no avail?
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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.
