How to Use an Android Device to Write Raspberry Pi SD Cards?

Raspberry Pi is an affordable and portable (fits inside your pocket!) computer that can connect to any monitor, keyboard, and mouse and carry out basic computing tasks. You can browse the web, make a Word file, play a video, and more. Since it is a compact device, you need an SD card to boot the Raspberry Pi OS. Typically, you need a PC to create a bootable SD card, but it is possible to do that with an Android phone as well. In this article, we show you how to use an Android device to write Raspberry Pi SD cards.

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Here’s how you can write a Raspberry Pi SD card using an Android device

Step 1: Install Pi SD Card Imager app on your Android smartphone.

Step 2: Place the micro SD card in its dedicated slot. Most Android smartphones have a hybrid SIM tray that doubles as a micro SD card slot as well. If your smartphone does not support expandable memory, you will need an external card reader for this task. The card reader can be connected to your smartphone using an OTG adapter.

Step 3: Launch the Pi SD Card Imager app.

Step 4: Tap the ellipses at the top right corner of the screen.

Step 5: Tap on ‘Choose OS’.

Step 6: Select the checkbox for Pi 4 at the top of the screen.

Step 7: Select Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) (3.2 GB) to download all the Raspberry Pi OS installation files on your Android phone.

Step 8: Tap the ellipses at the top right corner of the screen again and select ‘Choose SD or USB’. Select your SD card drive from the list.

Step 9: Select the checkbox for ‘Enable SSH for remote login (raspbian)’.

Step 10: Select ‘Write to SD’. This will take a few minutes.

Step 11: Pull out the micro SD card once the writing process is over. Insert it into the Raspberry Pi.

Step 12: Boot the Raspberry Pi.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to install Raspberry Pi OS on an SD card using an Android phone?

You need the Pi SD Card Imager app to install Raspberry Pi OS on an SD card. Once you run the app, it will download all the installation files and write them on the card.

How to make a bootable Raspberry Pi SD card?

Making a bootable Raspberry Pi SD card typically requires a PC, but you can do it with your Android phone as well, using the Pi SD Card Imager app.

How do I use an SD card on my Android phone if it doesn’t have a micro SD slot?

If your Android phone does not have a micro SD card slot, you can connect it to an external card reader using an OTG adapter.

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Conclusion

This is how you can use an Android device to write Raspberry Pi SD cards. While there are several apps you can use to install Raspberry Pi OS on an SD card, we suggest going with Pi SD Card Imager. If you found this article helpful, let us know in the comments!

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