Everything you need to know to spot a fake microSD card

Currently there are several mobile phone manufacturers that have decided to eliminate the possibility of expanding the memory capacity of their mobile phones using microSD cards, however, some other manufacturers are willing to continue including the possibility of inserting this type of card in those teams, which is very appreciated by most users. However, if you own a smartphone that allows you to expand its memory using a microSD card, we recommend that you be very aware of several factors that can help you ensure that your microSD card may be fake.

And it is that in reality microSD cards have managed to change the way we save and store our data in a quick, easy way and, whenever we run out of space, we can buy a larger capacity one. The problem starts when we install a fake microSD card in our device, which leads to endless errors when it comes to recording and storage.

For example, in the market, users can get a 64 GB microSD card for approximately 30 euros. Instead, Chinese counterfeits offer the same storage capacity, for only about 10 euros. At first glance, any unwary would choose the cheapest alternative, since in the same way you will supposedly get the 64 GB of storage. However, it is important to be aware of all the potential problems that can be caused by using a fake microSD card.

Next, we want to help you differentiate between genuine and fake microSD cards, so that you can avoid the myriad of potential problems that the use of imitation accessories will bring. There are several ways that will help you distinguish between real cards and counterfeits quickly, for example, they usually have much less memory capacity than they actually advertise, but the worst thing is that the devices detect the 64 GB, which which will drag a much bigger problem and that is that the device will try to read or write data in a non-existent space, which will cause your data to be overwritten and corrupted. Also, another misleading value that is placed on fake microSD cards is the speed of writing or reading,

What are the problems of using a fake microSD card?

It is relatively easy to discover the presence of a fake microSD card in your mobile phone, since you might have suffered from one or more of the following problems:

1.    By having a fake microSD card installed in your smartphone you will notice a considerable reduction in the speed of your mobile phone.
2.    It is very likely that the software on your phone is starting to crash.
3.    Apps on your phone will close by themselves.
4.    You will notice a slower reading and writing speed compared to genuine cards.
5.    The storage capacity will not match what the product box indicates, so it is very common to get fake cards that claim very large sizes such as 64 or 32 GB, but that can actually have 4 or 5 GB of storage.
6.    It is quite possible that your stored data will be magically deleted.

How to recognize a fake microSD card?

Sometimes counterfeit microSD cards can be quite difficult to spot as counterfeit manufacturers always go to great lengths to make their items and packaging look like the original microSD cards. However, they don’t always make their product look exactly like the genuine ones.

There are a multitude of details regarding the text, colors and description, such as misalignment between those elements or the colors being too bright or dull, and even the absence in terms of the product description. It is highly recommended to make a comparison between fake and genuine microSD cards so that you can know the differences for yourself.

However, it is more difficult to distinguish between a fake card and a real one if it has been purchased through an online store and not in a physical store, so it is highly recommended to trust only well-known online technology stores that offer a guarantee.

How to check a microSD using software?

In case you have already purchased an SD or microSD card and want to verify that it is true, you will be glad to know that this is really a very easy step to perform, since you will only need to download an application called SD Insight.

With this computer program you will be able to know in detail the manufacturer, the model and the real size of the card. Keep in mind that if the name of the manufacturer of the card does not appear, it may be false, but be careful, since the application does not contain the name of all microSD card manufacturers, so it is likely that, even if the card is original it will show as unknown manufacturer. In view of this important detail, we recommend that you check the other values ​​that the application shows, such as the real size of the card.  

To use the SD Insight app, you must first download and install the program from the Android store on your mobile phone. Then, insert the SD card you want to check into your phone and proceed to open the app. You will need to enter in the application all the data that you have of the microSD card such as the name of the manufacturer, the storage size and the model number. At that time, the application will automatically start checking your card and you will be able to know if your card is fake or genuine.