# SD card and SATA M.2 2280 SSD storage — overview

*Applies to: Pearl Mini, Pearl Nano, Pearl Nexus*

To record video, you need to install a storage medium. The device has a standard SD
card slot on the front panel, and a SATA M.2 2280 SSD storage expansion slot
accessible from the underside.

Adding a storage medium is not required if you are only live streaming.

The storage medium must be EXT4 formatted for the Linux operating system. An EXT4-formatted SD card cannot be used
to transfer files to iOS or Windows systems. Download recordings using the Admin
panel or another method such as Automatic File Upload (AFU) to a connected USB
device.

When the storage medium is full, new recordings overwrite the oldest recordings. If
you're using the device with a Content Management System (CMS), we recommend using
large capacity storage mediums such as an SD card that's 256 GB or more.

**SD Card Storage**

For the SD card, we recommend using a minimum class 10 (C10) SD card that's at least
64 GB capacity but does not exceed 512 GB; however, most SD cards that are at minimum
a C10, a UHS class 1 (U1), or a video speed class 10 (V10) should work.

Do not eject the SD card while recording is in progress as that may corrupt the SD
card.

**SSD Storage**

The SATA M.2 SSD formats automatically the first time the device is powered on after
installing the SSD. You cannot use an SD card and the SATA M.2 SSD at the same time.

When you install a SATA M.2 SSD, the device no longer detects the SD card slot and
the SD card option is removed from the Admin panel's Configuration menu. Ensure
recordings are downloaded from the SD card before installing the SSD.

**Device differences**
- Pearl-2 has a fixed, preinstalled internal 512 GB SSD with no SD card slot and no
  user-installable SSD option; not covered by this section.
- Pearl Nexus ships with a 256 GB SD card preinstalled (per its own tech-specs
  table) and also supports a user-installed M.2 2280 SATA SSD, so this overview
  applies to it.
- Pearl Mini restricts user SSD installation to units purchased after June 1, 2024
  ("Only Pearl Mini devices purchased after June 1st 2024 are eligible to have SATA
  M.2 SSD installed by user."); no such restriction is documented anywhere in Pearl
  Nano's guide.
- Pearl Mini's overview text also states "You can format the SD card from the front
  screen menu or using the Admin panel." This sentence is not repeated in Pearl
  Nano's overview text, though Pearl Nano's own dedicated "Install and format an SD
  card" section documents an equivalent front-panel-menu and Admin-panel formatting
  path for Pearl Nano as well.
- Step-by-step SD card formatting and physical SSD installation instructions remain
  in each device's own guide, since the on-device UI (touch screen vs. front-panel
  buttons) and the physical installation steps (screws/screwdrivers) are genuinely
  different per device.

> product: pearl-family · topic: overview · source: pearl-family-common.md · updated: Oct 13, 2026