A Guide on Fixing SD Card Not Detected on Your Android Device

I have an Android smartphone and I store a lot of music and videos in it. Now, I bought a new micro SD card for my smartphone to be able to store a lot more data. The problem is, my Android cannot detect this new micro SD card. What are the possible reasons for SD card not showing up on Android? And, what can I do to fix this problem?

~Micro SD Card User

Part I: IntroductionPart II: Locating The Root Cause Of The Micro SD Card Not Detected ProblemPart III: How To Fix The Problem Of A Micro SD Card Not Being Detected By Your Android DevicePart IV: Conclusion

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Part I: Introduction

The micro SD card is very useful among Android smartphone users because it gives them a lot more storage to keep an additional amount of data (e.g. music, pictures, videos, and documents). It can be very useful for people who love to play games on their phones too.

While most people don’t have a problem with their SD card, most people find the problem of their SD card not being detected by their phones or devices.

This problem can be caused by a lot of reasons. For example, the SD card the person might have bought must be fake. Or, it might have been used improperly or its sensitive part might have been scratched.

For some people who already have important data with their SD cards that cannot be detected, an SD card recovery tool must be used for Android devices.

In this way, you can recover the data contained within the SD card. But before you have to buy or use a data recovery tool for micro SD cards, you can try our solutions below first.

Part II: Locating The Root Cause Of The Micro SD Card Not Detected Problem

The first thing you need to do is to find the actual root cause of the problem. Is it actually the micro SD card or is it actually your Android phone? Locating the cause of the problem is the actual first step that can be a big help to you.

Let’s first check out if the problem is with the SD card itself. This might actually be the case. But in order to make sure that the SD card is the cause of the problem, you can try out the three tips we will outline below:

• Tip 01 - Place the micro SD card within another Android or mobile device. Make sure this device is able to read other SD cards other than the one you are having problems with. Check out if the memory card or micro SD card can be detected by this device.
• Tip 02 - Download, install, and then launch SD Insight within your Android phone. This tool can help you detect if your micro SD card is fake or not.
• Tip 03 - Check out if the micro SD card can be detected by your computer. Use a micro SD card reader for you to be able to do this.

There might be cases where the actual problem is your mobile device. Try to put in another working micro SD card on your device. Check out if it can actually read it or not.

If this other micro SD card cannot be detected by your phone, it might be because your phone or device has issues when it comes to its hardware and software.

There are other reasons why your micro SD card cannot be detected by your Android device. One case is when your SD card and your Android device works just fine when they are used separately. However, when they are used in combination with each other, they might not work. This is a rare case. However, it still is possible.

There are micro SD cards where a stable supply of power is necessary. That’s why some batteries might not work with it. When this happens, you might want to use or try out an original battery for your device.

Part III: How To Fix The Problem Of A Micro SD Card Not Being Detected By Your Android Device

There are multiple methods you can implement in order to fix the problem of an SD card not being detected by an Android device. Below are some of the methods you can do. Let’s get started with the first method.

Method 01: Try Out The Most Basic Solutions

You can simply try to restart your Android phone. Just turn it off and turn it back on. If this doesn’t work try out another method. You can also try to detach your micro SD card and your battery from the device and put them back on. If these two methods don’t work for you, you can try out the next one.

Method 02: Clean Micro SD Card to Fix SD Card Not Showing up

Your micro SD card might not be able to contact your phone’s hardware properly. This can cause it to be undetected. To make sure your micro SD card works perfectly, you can simply remove it from the device. After which, using a rubber eraser, rub the micro SD card’s copper piece.

You can also try to clean the micro SD card slot within your device. It might be dirty that’s why it’s causing a lot of trouble to you. When this method still doesn’t work, try out our next method below.

Method 03: Unmount Your Micro SD Card And Remount It

You can simply unmount and then mount your micro SD card if it’s not working. Here’s how to do this step by step:

• Step 01 - Go to Settings.
• Step 02 - Go to Storage.
• Step 03 - Locate the section for that of your micro SD card.
• Step 04 - Check out if it says Unmount SD Card OR Mount SD Card. Do the operation stated there.

Unmounting and remounting your micro SD card proved to be very useful for a lot of people. In order for this to work, you have to ensure that the device is not connected to that of a PC or a Mac computer during the entire process.

Method 04: Use Computer For Diagnosis SD Card Not Showing up on Android

Windows can actually be used for repairing a lot of errors faced by disk drives. That’s why you can actually mount your micro SD card to that of your Windows PC and check out if it has errors. The problem with this solution is it won’t work if the Windows PC cannot detect the actual SD card you are troubleshooting.

• Step 01 - Place your micro SD card within a card reader.
• Step 02 - Connect it towards a Windows PC.
• Step 03 - Open Computer or My Computer.
• Step 04 - Locate the disk drive of the said SD card.
• Step 05 - Right-click the said disk drive.
• Step 06 - Select Property.
• Step 07 - Click the tab labeled Tools.
• Step 08 - On the section called Error Checking, select Check.
• Step 09 - Select Repair Drive.
• Step 10 - After the repairing of the drive is finished, eject your micro SD card.
• Step 11 - Insert the micro SD card back into the Android device.

Method 05: Fix SD Card Not Showing up on Android by Formatting SD Card

This can only be done when the SD card can be recognized by your computer. Although, it’s pretty much a great way to fix your SD card once and for all.

• Step 01 - Connect your SD card to that of your computer by using a card reader.
• Step 02 - Copy the contents of your SD card to another folder within your computer to have a backup.
• Step 03 - Go to My Computer.
• Step 04 - Right-click the drive for the SD card.
• Step 05 - Select Format.
• Step 06 - On the window for Format options, select an option from that of the File System. It is suggested that your select FAT32 option if the card is about 32GB and below. However, choose the exFAT option if the SD card is larger than that of 32GB.
• Step 07 - Click Start.
• Step 08 - Wait until the entire process is complete.
• Step 09 - Insert your SD card to that of your Android device.

Method 06: Android Device Factory Reset to Fix SD Card Not Showing up on Android

There are times when the SD card cannot be detected because your Android device has software issues. In this case, you can simply factory reset your entire device to solve these software errors and make sure it is running smoothly.

• Step 01 - Visit Settings.
• Step 02 - Select Backup & Reset.
• Step 03 - Select Factory Data Reset. Keep in mind that you should all know passwords to your Google or Samsung (or any phone brand) accounts. There might be an FRP or Factory Reset Protection lock. Also, you might wish to backup your phone first.
• Step 04 - Follow the prompts on the screen.
• Step 05 - After factory reset is finished, set up your phone or device initially.

Method 07: Repair Your Device Hardware

If all the methods we have outlined above don’t work, it might be because the actual device is damaged. The problem might be hardware. It might also be the case that the SD card is damaged. However, you can also try to a local Android device repair store to be able to get your device repaired by a professional. Or, if the memory card or SD card is the problem, you can simply buy a new one.

Part IV: Conclusion

An SD card is a very important solution for those with storage problems. However, there are times when it cannot be detected by your Android device. In this case, you might wish to check if the problem is with the SD card or the Android device itself. You can simply follow our guide above to help you find the root cause of the problem and fix the problem of your SD card not being able to be detected by your Android device.