One of the annoying trends in Android devices started by the Nexus line over the past couple of years is the lack of microSD slots. Sure, when you only install a few dozen apps, stay away from data-heavy games, upload and discard your photos and videos, and stream your music and movies, 16GB or 32GB are more than enough. But when you download and try hundreds of apps and games, or live in a country with slow internet speeds and limited bandwidth like mine, you can’t afford to rely on uploading pictures or streaming media. That’s where microSD cards come in handy in expanding the available storage, and providing an easy way to load and offload content on a device. If your phone or tablet, like my LG G2 and Nexus 7, lack a microSD slot, you had no luck before. Then there was the Meenova, and more recently the Leef Access.

What is the Leef Access?

The Leef Access is a tiny microSD reader that plugs into the microUSB charging port of your smartphone or tablet, and uses USB OTG (On-The-Go) to be seen as external storage. You simply put any microSD card you have in it, and plug it into your device, then either use the on-board file manager, a third party client like File Wrangler, or Nexus Media Importer to browse the card’s contents and edit them.

Leef Access has a few other nifty tricks up its sleeve:

• It has a second card slot, this one acts for safe storage and carrying only and can’t be read by your device. It comes in handy though if you want to switch between 2 microSD cards and don’t want to lose the other one.
• It has a LED indicator to show you when it’s been recognized by your device and when it’s in use.
• It is waterproof and dustproof.

The upper slot is the microSD reader, the lower one acts as a carrying compartment

Does it work as promised?

Before you look into buying the Leef Access, you should consult the list of supported devices on the company’s website. Essentially, a lot of Samsung’s and HTC’s devices will work natively with the Access. Certain devices, however, like the Nexus line, Moto X, and some Xperia models, have USB OTG capabilities but they are not immediately accessible to the user, forcing you to purchase Nexus Media Importer — or have a compatible custom ROM — to browse and copy/paste content from any USB device.

Oh look, here are all my microSD card files and folders!

I have been using the Leef Access with both my LG G2 (natively supported) and my Nexus 7 2013 (requires Nexus Media Importer). It worked as advertized in both instances.

With the G2, the Access appeared as USB Storage under Settings / Storage, and was easily accessible from any file manager — I use File Wrangler. I am able to view the contents of my MicroSD cards, open and play media files directly without copying them, and copy and paste content from and to the card, just as I would on the local storage.

Leef Access is seen natively as USB Storage by supported devices like the LG G2

As for the Nexus 7, using Nexus Media Importer handles the same things, albeit with a little more friction and slowness. Everything works fine though, and the Leef didn’t get hot or stop functioning mid-playback or mid-copying for example. Using USB OTG does drain the battery if you plan to watch a full two-hour movie without importing the file to your local storage first, and the microUSB port is occupied so you can’t charge your tablet (unless you use Qi wireless charging), so keep that in mind if you’re considering the Access.

Leef Access vs Meenova

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned the Meenova, another similar product that was launched as a Kickstarter campaign, and was my first introduction to these small microSD readers. Given the similarities between the Leef Access and the Meenova, you may be interested in seeing how they compare.

• The Meenova is smaller, by inserting the card sideways instead of in its length, it manages to be about 40% shorter than the Leef Access.
• The Meenova ships with a keyring holder and a cap, both accessories that help carry it and protect it when not in use. The Leef Access only has a lanyard hole.
• The Meenova also comes with a small microUSB to USB adapter that allows you to plug it into your computer. This essentially transforms the Meenova into a USB microSD reader, and a make-do USB stick.
• The Leef Access has a better finish and seems made of higher quality materials than the Meenova — which feels a bit like the last prototype run before the final product ships.
• The Leef Access has that additional microSD storage compartment that comes in handy for carrying two cards.
• The Leef Access is waterproof and dustproof.
• The Meenova ships worldwide, whereas the Leef Access ships to more than a dozen countries. It is, however, available on Amazon.
• The supported phone and tablet models are the same between both because they use the same USB OTG to access and transfer data.

Leef Access vs Meenova and its accessories (keyring loop, cap, microUSB to USB adapter)

At $12 for the Meenova and $10 for the Leef Access, with the same $3 for shipping, there isn’t a significant price difference to sway the decision one way or the other. Having used both, I would recommend the Leef Access if it ships to your country, because Leef is a known company with a great track record, and the Access feels like a finished and well-made product. If Leef doesn’t ship to your neck of the woods, then go with the Meenova. You’ll pay $2 more but you will get a few accessories to sweeten the deal.