How To Install a MicroSD Card on Roku2
The Roku 2 lets you install a MicroSD card to increase storage for games you want to play on this groovy streaming device. Here’s how to add and install it.
I previously showed you how to use a USB flash drive with your Roku2 to watch local files through a Roku2. Another slot available is for a microSD card. Here’s a look at how to install and set up the card.
Adding a microSD card lets you add more storage to the Roku2. You can use this space to store games and Roku channels. It won’t read any media data files from the card, as you can with a flash drive. It’s meant to store games and channels.
Insert a Micro SD card into the slot above the HDMI slot on the back of the box.
After inserting the card, power on the Roku. You’ll see a message that the microSD card was detected. Select format and press OK on the Roku remote.
Next you’ll see a warning message telling you all data on the card will be lost. Make sure you don’t have data on the card, or if you do, and need it, back it up first. Select Continue.
Now you’ll see the formatting is in progress.
The formatting completes and your Roku2 can use the card to store more data.
If you’re downloading a lot of games on the Roku2, this is a great way to store 50 or more games with a 2GB microSD card. Game on!
5 Comments
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Bill
June 21, 2013 at 10:07 am
Will the MicroSD card allow you to load more or load faster movies through your modem from say Crunchyroll?? Lately me ROKU 2SX has been pausing much more to reload streaming data. Very annoying. Also, problem is much greater at night. Also is wireless any faster or slower from a hard-wired set-up??
Brian Burgess
June 21, 2013 at 10:23 am
Hi Bill,
Adding an SD card won’t really increase your streaming speeds no. It does allow more storage for channels and games and increases their load time.
Here’s Roku’s statement on it:
“Once you fill internal storage on your Roku 2, your least recently used channels and games will be removed from your player as you install new channels and games. This leads to slower loading times for some channels and games because they will have to be downloaded when you use them again. Installing a microSD card helps ensure that all channels and games launch without requiring downloads.”
For getting better streaming speeds and less buffering, definitely hard wire it — it’s much more reliable and generally faster than WiFi.
If you live in an apartment, it would make sense that your speed is slower at night, your neighbors are eating up bandwidth by streaming their stuff too.
Dorkus Humongous
August 29, 2017 at 2:04 am
In answer to the commenter on having issues with streaming and channel loading, I had those issues and my aging Roku 2 XD would actually shut down in certain cases. My fix was simple. I reformatted the mini SD after blowing some air in the slot, erased all those extra channels I never watch (had 59 including some “secret” channels). Then I reset using the system menu. So far, so good. No stammering or reboots anymore.
Tiger Balm
April 25, 2019 at 8:10 am
Which way up does the micro sd card go in the slot-in relation to the hdmi cable position in its slot. The hdmi cable has a curved and a flat side and only goes in one way – but the sd card has a shiny and plain side and both sides can fit the slot.
John R
August 11, 2021 at 5:11 pm
I keep getting notifications that installing a micro sd card will speed up loading of channels. In July 2021 ! installed a micro sd card, but I never got the on-screen message about formatting it. Did I waste my time and money?