Insane Nexus 5 mod adds microSD card slot

A Nexus 5 with expandable storage? It's possible. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

A Nexus 5 with expandable storage? It’s possible. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Need more storage for your Nexus? Google’s latest models don’t have an expandable storage option, unfortunately — but that doesn’t mean you can’t add your own.

One Nexus 5 owners has proven it’s possible to add a microSD card slot to the device that’s fully supported by Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Only the very first Nexus phone released in 2010 had a microSD card slot, and while every version of Android supports them, Google clearly feels they just aren’t necessary. That means if you buy a newer Nexus device with only 16GB of storage and decide it’s not enough, you’re stuck.

Actually, that’s not strictly true. With a steady hand and the right components, you can add a microSD card slot to your Nexus device. Reddit user Sockpockets has proven it’s possible with a 2013 Nexus 5 and a simple microSD card reader.

“I bought an adapter, took off the back case, folded up the lower daughter board and rearranged the speaker assembly and antenna cables,” they explain. Thanks to Marshmallow’s support for expandable storage, the expandable storage was recognized right away.

A Nexus 5 with expandable storage. Photo: Sockpockets

A Nexus 5 with expandable storage. Photo: Sockpockets

As you can see from the photo, this isn’t exactly a seamless solution. The Nexus 5’s original back no longer fits the device, so Sockpockets has had to just slap a flimsy case on it to protect its internals. Nevertheless, this hack proves it’s possible to add expandable storage to the Nexus 5.

With a bit more time and effort, it may be possible to create a solution that fits inside the Nexus 5’s shell — or at least on the back of it, so the internals aren’t left exposed. If you have an old one kicking around and you fancy taking a stab at it, let us know how you get on.

If you want to know more about Sockpockets’ hack, follow the source link below.