How to Recover SD Card Not Recognized in Mobile, Windows or Mac?

SD Card Suddenly not Recognized by Phone or Computer

Why is My SD Card not Being Recognized?

An SD card may stop being recognized by a phone, Windows, or Mac for several different reasons. Main causes include:

⛔Loose or dirty connection: Dust, dirt, or a poor contact in the card slot can prevent proper detection.

⛔File system errors or corruption: Improper ejection, sudden power loss, or malware can damage the card’s file system, making it unreadable.

⛔Driver or compatibility issues: Outdated or missing drivers in Windows/Mac may stop the card from showing up.

⛔Unsupported format: If the SD card was formatted in a file system not supported by your device, it may not appear.

⛔Physical damage or wear: SD cards have limited lifespans; prolonged use or physical damage can cause them to fail completely.

⛔Partition issues: Sometimes, the SD card partition gets deleted accidentally or corrupted, making the card seem unrecognized.

How to Recover SD Card Not Recognized?

Now that you know the common reasons why your SD card may not be detected, the next step is figuring out how to fix the issue and recover your important data. Depending on whether the problem is related to software, connection, or the card itself, here are some basic and advanced solutions you can try:

Part 1. Check the Basic First

Before jumping into advanced fixes, make sure to rule out some simple issues:

✔️Reinsert the SD card: Remove the card and carefully insert it back into your phone, camera, or computer. Sometimes a loose connection prevents detection.

✔️Try another device or card reader: Test your SD card on a different phone, camera, or a USB card reader connected to your PC/Mac. If it works there, the issue may be with your original device.

✔️Inspect for dirt or damage: Check the metal contacts of the SD card. If they’re dirty, gently clean with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid water or harsh cleaning agents.

✔️Check storage settings: On Android, go to "Settings > Storage" to see if the card is listed but unmounted. If so, tap "Mount SD card".

✔️Restart your device: A simple reboot of your phone or computer can sometimes refresh connections and recognize the card.

Part 2. Update or Reinstall Drivers (Windows/Mac)

Sometimes your SD card is fine, but your computer fails to recognize it due to outdated or faulty drivers. Updating or reinstalling can often solve the problem.

👉On Windows:

Step 1. Press "Win + X" and choose "Device Manager".

Step 2. Expand "Disk drives"or "Universal Serial Bus controllers".

Step 3. Right-click your SD card reader and select "Update driver → Search automatically for drivers".

If that doesn’t work, choose "Uninstall device", then restart your PC. Windows will reinstall the driver automatically.

👉On Mac:

To update non-system disk driver on Mac, we need to visit manufacturer’s website for your SD card. Navigate to the Support or Downloads section and find the driver compatible with your macOS version. Run the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. After installation, restart your Mac to ensure the new driver is applied correctly.

Part 3. Assign a drive letter (Windows only)

Sometimes Windows detects your SD card but doesn’t assign it a drive letter, making it invisible in File Explorer while still showing up in Disk Management. You can fix this easily by adding a drive letter to the card:

Step 1. Press "Win + X" and choose "Disk Management".

Step 2. Locate your SD card in the list of drives. If it appears without a drive letter, right-click it and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths…".

Step 3. Click "Add", choose a drive letter from the dropdown menu, and click "OK".

Your SD card should now appear in File Explorer and be accessible.

Note:✎...

You cannot assign traditional drive letters on a Mac like in Windows since macOS uses a hierarchical file system. Drives are mounted as directories within the /Volumes folder instead of having individual letters. If necessary, you can make a drive's name appear more prominently in Mac Finder.

Part 4. Repair Disk Errors (Windows and Mac)

If your SD card is still not recognized, it may have file system errors or minor corruption. Repairing these errors can help your device detect the card and recover your files.

👉On Windows:

Step 1. Press "Win + X" and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows Terminal (Admin)".

Step 2. Type "chkdsk g: /f /r /x" (replace g with your SD card’s drive letter) and press Enter.

Step 3. Wait for the process to complete. Windows will scan and fix file system errors.

Once done, safely eject and reinsert the SD card to check if it’s accessible.

👉On Mac:

Step 1. Go to the Disk Utility on your Mac.Choose "View > Show All Devices".

Step 2. Select your SD card from the sidebar.

Step 3. Click "First Aid", then "Run" to scan and repair any errors.

When the First Aid process is complete, click "Done". Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each volume on the storage device. After the repair finishes, try mounting the card.

Part 5. Recover SD Card Data and Format It (Last Resort)

As a last resort for recovering an SD card not recognized or detected on a phone, Windows, or Mac, formatting may be the only way to make the SD card usable again when the issue is caused by an incompatible or corrupted file system.

🌟🌟🌟Recover Data from SD Card Not Recognized before Formatting

Formatting will erase all data on the card, so data recovery should be finished before formatting the SD card. To make it quick and efficient, use MyRecover. It is a professional data recovery tool for all Windows operating systems, including the most newest Windows 11 and Server 2025.

Step 1: Download and install MyRecover from the official website. Launch the program.

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Step 2: Select the SD card, USB drive, or hard drive where your data was lost, then click "Scan".

Step 3: Wait while MyRecover performs a scan. Files will appear as they are found. Browse or search for the lost files and preview them to confirm they are intact.

Step 4: Select the files you want to recover, click "Recover", and save them to a safe location on your computer.

🌈Format the Unrecognized SD Card

After recovery, check whether your files are intact. If everything is OK, now you can format SD card.

👉On Windows: Open Disk Management, right-click the SD card, and select "Format". Choose a file system (FAT32 for cards up to 32GB, exFAT for larger cards), enable "Perform a quick format", click "Next" and follow the wizard.

👉On Mac: Open Disk Utility ("Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility"), select the SD card, click "Erase", choose a compatible format (exFAT or MS-DOS (FAT)), and click "Erase" again to confirm.

👉On Mobile (Android): Go to "Settings > Storage", find the SD card, tap "Format SD card", and follow the prompts.

Summary

To repair or recover an SD card that is not recognized, you have several options. Start with basic checks and simple troubleshooting, then move on to more advanced techniques, such as updating drivers, assigning a drive letter, repairing disk errors, and, as a last resort, reformatting the card.

As for recovering data from SD card not recognized, MyRecover is one of the top options. Even if your SD card partition is lost due to manual deletion, file system error, or other causes, it can find out and recover the lost files from inside.