{"id":9037,"date":"2020-01-06T08:42:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T08:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/?p=9037"},"modified":"2023-01-16T22:28:58","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T22:28:58","slug":"troubleshoot-sd-card-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/sd-card-not-showing-up.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Repair SD Card not Reading or Recognized on Mac?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"sd_card_troubleshooting_guide\"><\/span><strong>SD card troubleshooting guide<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Is your SD card acting up, preventing you from accessing those hundreds of pictures you took during your last vacation? Don\u2019t worry; our SD card troubleshooting guide is here to help you solve your SD card problems.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/sd-cards.png\" alt=\"sd card not showing up on mac\" width=\"500\" height=\"150\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13218 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/sd-cards.png 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/sd-cards-300x90.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"common_problems_responsible_for_sd_cards_not_showing_up_on_mac\"><\/span><b>Common Problems Responsible for SD Cards Not Showing Up on Mac<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s difficult to fix issues with your SD card not showing up on Mac if you don\u2019t know what\u2019s wrong with it. To help you determine the root cause of your issues, let\u2019s go over common problems responsible for SD cards not showing up on Mac:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Card reader not working<\/b>: Memory card readers are relatively simple devices with no moving parts, but that doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t stop working. The good news is that a brand-new memory card reader costs just a few dollars, so buying one just to verify that the one you have right now is faulty isn\u2019t a huge expense.<\/li>\n<li><b>Data corruption<\/b>: If you remember VHS and cassette tapes, then you\u2019ve probably seen and heard the consequences of data corruption with your own eyes and ears. Well, digital data can become corrupted as well, and digital data corruption can even make your entire SD card inaccessible.<\/li>\n<li><b>Physical damage<\/b>: The standard SD card measures just 32.0\u00d724.0\u00d72.1 mm, and the actual flash memory chip where data is stored is even smaller. As such, it\u2019s easy to mechanically damage the SD card and make it unreadable.<\/li>\n<li><b>Incompatible file system<\/b>: The latest version of macOS supports several file systems, including APFS, HFS+, FAT32, and exFAT. However, there are dozens and dozens of other file systems that macOS doesn\u2019t support. If you use one of them, your Mac won\u2019t read the SD card at all.<\/li>\n<li><b>Problems with macOS<\/b>: Known for its reliability, macOS may not be a known troublemaker as far as operating systems go, but that doesn\u2019t mean that users never experience issues with it. Sometimes, all it takes for macOS to stop working as it should is one malware infection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_to_fix_mac_not_reading_or_recognizing_sd_my_card\"><\/span><b>How to Fix Mac Not Reading or Recognizing SD My Card?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If your SD card won\u2019t show up on your Mac, there are a couple of fixes that you can try to solve the problem. Let\u2019s go over them one by one, providing detailed step-by-step instructions for each.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_check_your_finder_desktop_and_sidebar_preferences\"><\/span><b>1. Check Your Finder Desktop and Sidebar Preferences<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When you connect an SD card to your Mac, the SD card should show up in the Finder\u2019s sidebar as well as on your desktop. If it doesn\u2019t, it\u2019s possible that you\u2019ve changed your Finder desktop and sidebar preferences.<\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s what you need to do to display your SD card in the Finder\u2019s sidebar:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Launch Finder.<\/li>\n<li>Click on Finder on the top bar and select preferences.<img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-preferences.png\" alt=\"mac won't read sd card\" width=\"423\" height=\"258\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16367 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-preferences.png 423w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-preferences-300x183.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 423px) 100vw, 423px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Navigate to the Sidebar tab.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure all items under Locations are checked.<img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-sidebar.png\" alt=\"Mac not Reading or Recognizing SD Card\" width=\"494\" height=\"796\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16368 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-sidebar.png 494w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-sidebar-186x300.png 186w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-sidebar-310x500.png 310w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 494px) 100vw, 494px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>To also display the SD card on your desktop:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Launch Finder.<\/li>\n<li>Click on Finder on the top bar and select preferences.<\/li>\n<li>Navigate to the General tab.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure all items under \u201cShow these items on the desktop\u201d are checked.<img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-general.png\" alt=\"sd card wont show up on mac\" width=\"481\" height=\"445\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16369 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-general.png 481w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/finder-general-300x278.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><b>2. Restart Your Mac<br \/>\n<img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-restart.png\" alt=\"how to read sd card on a mac\" width=\"559\" height=\"277\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16370 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-restart.png 559w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-restart-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-restart-500x248.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Have you tried turning it off and on again? Seriously, have you? Because a simple restart is often all it takes to fix a Mac that doesn\u2019t recognize an SD card.<\/p>\n<p>Why does a restart fix so many problems? Because modern operating systems are incredibly complex, consisting of hundreds and thousands of individual processes, services, and applications, all of which must work correctly for the operating system to behave as expected.<\/p>\n<p>When you restart your Mac, you force all these parts to relaunch with a clean slate, and that\u2019s often all it takes to fix all kinds of problems.<\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Check if SD Card Reader Is Working<br \/>\n<img style=\"border: 1px solid gray;\" src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-sd-card-reader.jpg\" alt=\"SD Card Reader Is Working\" width=\"1366\" height=\"667\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16371 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-sd-card-reader.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-sd-card-reader-300x146.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-sd-card-reader-500x244.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/macbook-sd-card-reader-768x375.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/b><\/h3>\n<p>As we\u2019ve explained earlier in this article, SD card readers are not 100% reliable, so you should check if your reader is working as it should before you move on to other fixes described in this article.<\/p>\n<p>Do you have another memory card reader that accepts SD cards? If so, then it\u2019s easy because you can just connect it to your Mac and insert your SD card. If you don\u2019t have one, then you can ask a friend to let you use their laptop for a while and use its built-in memory card reader instead.<\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Check for USB and Other Connection Issues<br \/>\n<img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/terminal-usb-mac.png\" alt=\"sd card reader not working mac\" width=\"694\" height=\"476\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16372 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/terminal-usb-mac.png 694w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/terminal-usb-mac-300x206.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/terminal-usb-mac-500x343.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 694px) 100vw, 694px\" \/><\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Memory card readers transfer data via USB, or Universal Serial Bus, which is a data interface that enables communication between devices (readers, USB flash drives, external drives) and a host controller (your computer).<\/p>\n<p>Controlling this interface on macOS is the so-called USB daemon, a background process responsible for device mounting, configuration management, and all other aspects of transferring data via USB. If this daemon stops working correctly, it\u2019s very likely that your Mac won\u2019t be able to recognize your SD card.<\/p>\n<p>You can restart the USB daemon by entering the following command in Terminal:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span class=\"copy-container\"><span class=\"copy-content bg-none\"><kbd>sudo launchctl stop com.apple.usbd<\/kbd><\/span><span class=\"copy-button\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 41.1 50.8\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 41.1 50.8;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path d=\"M31.1,20.7l-11-11.4c-0.6-0.6-1.3-0.9-2.1-0.9H2.9C1.3,8.4,0,9.7,0,11.3v36.6c0,1.6,1.3,2.9,2.9,2.9H29  c1.6,0,2.9-1.3,2.9-2.9V22.7C31.9,22,31.6,21.3,31.1,20.7z\"\/><path d=\"M40.3,12.3l-11-11.4C28.7,0.3,28,0,27.2,0H12.1c-1.6,0-2.9,1.3-2.9,2.9v2.5H18c1.6,0,3.2, 0.7, 4.3, 1.8l11,11.4  c1.1,1.1,1.6,2.6,1.6,4.1v19.7h3.2c1.6,0,2.9-1.3,2.9-2.9V14.4C41.1,13.6,40.8,12.9,40.3,12.3z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"copy-container\"><span class=\"copy-content bg-none\"><kbd>sudo launchctl start com.apple.usbd<\/kbd><\/span><span class=\"copy-button\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 41.1 50.8\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 41.1 50.8;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path d=\"M31.1,20.7l-11-11.4c-0.6-0.6-1.3-0.9-2.1-0.9H2.9C1.3,8.4,0,9.7,0,11.3v36.6c0,1.6,1.3,2.9,2.9,2.9H29  c1.6,0,2.9-1.3,2.9-2.9V22.7C31.9,22,31.6,21.3,31.1,20.7z\"\/><path d=\"M40.3,12.3l-11-11.4C28.7,0.3,28,0,27.2,0H12.1c-1.6,0-2.9,1.3-2.9,2.9v2.5H18c1.6,0,3.2, 0.7, 4.3, 1.8l11,11.4  c1.1,1.1,1.6,2.6,1.6,4.1v19.7h3.2c1.6,0,2.9-1.3,2.9-2.9V14.4C41.1,13.6,40.8,12.9,40.3,12.3z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Alternatively, you can just restart your Mac, which will have the same end result.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_check_if_sd_card_is_locked\"><\/span><b>5. Check if SD Card Is Locked<br \/>\n<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sd-card-lock.png\" alt=\"mac doesn't recognize sd card\" width=\"227\" height=\"222\" class=\"alignright wp-image-16373 size-full colorbox-9037\" \/>Full-size SD cards have a lock switch on the left side that, when activated, makes it impossible to modify or delete any stored data. While you should be able to read the content of your SD card even with the switch in the locked position, it\u2019s worth unlocking it and trying again just to be safe.<\/p>\n<p>Is your SD card missing the lock switch? Then we recommend you this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instructables.com\/How-to-fix-a-broken-lock-on-SD-cards\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow\">Instructables guide<\/a>, which explains how to fix it using common household objects.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_insert_the_sd_card_into_a_different_device\"><\/span><b>6. Insert the SD Card into a Different Device<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of the best ways to determine why you can\u2019t access your SD card is to insert it into a different device. Best of all, you don\u2019t even need another computer. These days, many smart TVs are equipped with a memory card reader, and some can even transfer files between connected storage devices, allowing you to copy the content of your SD card to an external hard drive or USB flash drive.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_change_your_finder_settings\"><\/span><b>7. Change Your Finder Settings<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If your SD card isn\u2019t showing up on your Mac, it could simply be a matter of using the wrong settings for Finder. It\u2019s possible that you\u2019ve disabled the option for showing external disks. To fix this, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open Finder<\/li>\n<li>Go to Preferences -&gt; General<\/li>\n<li>Check the External disks option if it\u2019s not already checked<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After doing that, your SD card \u2013 and any other external storage devices you might have \u2013 will now show up in Finder. You might have to refresh your view to see the changes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_format_the_card\"><\/span><b>8. Format the Card<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If none of the other fixes on this list work, you might have to format the SD card. NOTE: this will erase all data on it! If you have important files on that card, make sure to attempt a recovery process first before proceeding with these steps. Otherwise, you\u2019re permanently going to lose all data on the card. However, if you\u2019re not able to access the SD card with data recovery software, you won\u2019t be able to get your files back.<\/p>\n<p><b>To format your SD card, follow these steps:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open Disk Utility<\/li>\n<li>Select your SD card from the list<\/li>\n<li>Click on Erase<\/li>\n<li>Give the card a name if you want to \u2013 this is not required<\/li>\n<li>Choose exFAT for the file system format if the card is larger than 64 GB, otherwise choose FAT32<\/li>\n<li>Click Erase<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Once the process is finished, you should have a freshly formatted SD card with no data on it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_use_a_professional_data_recovery_service\"><\/span><b>9. Use a Professional Data Recovery Service<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes you\u2019re simply not able to recover a malfunctioning SD card yourself no matter what you do. In this case, using a professional data recovery service might be your only option. These companies work in specialized facilities with advanced equipment that allows them to access malfunctioning storage devices and recover data from them when everything else fails.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that this option has some downsides. It takes a long time \u2013 usually a couple of weeks \u2013 and it can cost quite a bit of money. You might also not be comfortable with sending your data to a company that will be able to access it.<\/p>\n<p>If your data is important enough and you want to try this, you can start with a company like <a href=\"\/data-recovery-center.html\">Cleverfiles Data Recovery Center<\/a>. Note that even with a professional service like this, success is still not guaranteed. But on the other hand, if this doesn\u2019t work out, you\u2019ll at least know you\u2019ve exhausted all options before giving up.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_to_recover_files_that_were_stored_on_my_sd_card_and_now_are_missing\"><\/span><b>How to Recover Files That Were Stored on My SD Card and Now Are Missing?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Have you managed to figure out how to read your SD card on Mac, only to discover that important files that were stored on it are now missing? Then you need to use data recovery software to get them back.<\/p>\n<p>One data recovery software application that supports all common SD card file systems is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/\">Disk Drill<\/a>. This easy-to-use software can be recommended to beginners and pros alike thanks to its intuitive user interface and powerful data recovery algorithms.<\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s how easy it is to recover missing files with Disk Drill:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/downloads.html\">Download<\/a> and install Disk Drill on your Mac.<img style=\"border: 1px solid gray;\" src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/install-disk-drill-for-mac-os.jpg\" alt=\"repair sd card on a mac\" width=\"1080\" height=\"701\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16258 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/install-disk-drill-for-mac-os.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/install-disk-drill-for-mac-os-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/install-disk-drill-for-mac-os-500x325.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/install-disk-drill-for-mac-os-768x498.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Connect the SD card.<\/li>\n<li>Launch Disk Drill and select the SD card.<\/li>\n<li>Click Search for lost data.<img style=\"border: 1px solid gray;\" src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sd-card-disk-drill-select-annotated.png\" alt=\"micro sd card not reading mac\" width=\"1049\" height=\"601\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16374 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sd-card-disk-drill-select-annotated.png 1049w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sd-card-disk-drill-select-annotated-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sd-card-disk-drill-select-annotated-500x286.png 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/sd-card-disk-drill-select-annotated-768x440.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1049px) 100vw, 1049px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Preview recoverable files and select those that you want to get back.<\/li>\n<li>Click Recover and select a safe recovery location.<img style=\"border: 1px solid gray;\" src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/disk-drill-sd-card-file-select-recover.png\" alt=\"sd card not showing up on a mac\" width=\"1049\" height=\"601\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16375 size-full colorbox-9037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/disk-drill-sd-card-file-select-recover.png 1049w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/disk-drill-sd-card-file-select-recover-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/disk-drill-sd-card-file-select-recover-500x286.png 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/disk-drill-sd-card-file-select-recover-768x440.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1049px) 100vw, 1049px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_to_avoid_%e2%80%98sd_card_not_showing_up_in_the_future\"><\/span><b>How to Avoid \u2018SD Card Not Showing Up\u2019 in the Future?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most issues with SD cards not showing up can be avoided by adhering to the following tips:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use only brand-name SD cards, even if it means paying extra. No-name SD cards often use flash memory chips that didn\u2019t make it past the quality control stage, and such chips may stop working at any time.<\/li>\n<li>Reject your SD card before you remove it. That extra second or two it takes to click the Eject button can go a long way in helping you avoid data corruption, and all the problems associated with it.<\/li>\n<li>Protect the SD card from physical damage by keeping it away from moisture, excessive heat, and extremely cold temperatures. When not in use, place the SD card inside a protective case.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"conclusion\"><\/span><b>Conclusion<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Issues with SD cards not reading properly on Mac computers have many possible causes and just as many possible solutions. In this article, we\u2019ve described several easy fixes that you can try to regain access to lost data. We\u2019ve also provided step-by-step instructions to guide you through the recovery of files that were stored on your SD card but are no longer accessible.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"faq\"><\/span><b>FAQ<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"panel-group content-types\" id=\"accordion-11\" role=\"tablist\" aria-multiselectable=\"true\">\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-1\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_i_get_my_mac_to_recognize_my_sd_card\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-1\">How do I get my Mac to recognize my SD card? <svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-1\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>Whenever you experience issues with your Mac not recognizing your SD card, the first thing you need to do is figure out the origin of the problem by answering the following questions: Is your memory card reader working? Can the SD card be access from another computer? Has the SD card been damaged? Once you pinpoint the problem, you can use one of the fixes described in this article to solve it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-2\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why_is_sd_card_not_showing_up_on_mac\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-2\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-2\">Why is SD card not showing up on Mac? <svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-2\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-2\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>There are several common reasons why your SD card might not be showing up on your Mac, including physical damage, memory card reader issues, and problems with macOS.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-3\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why_is_my_sd_card_reader_not_working_on_my_mac\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-3\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-3\">Why is my SD card reader not working on my Mac? <svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-3\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-3\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>Assuming the SD card reader isn\u2019t damaged, there\u2019s a chance that it\u2019s not working properly because there\u2019s something wrong with the macOS USB daemon. Often, a simple restart of your computer is enough to fix this issue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-4\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_i_get_my_macbook_pro_to_read_my_sd_card\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-4\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-4\">How do I get my MacBook Pro to read my SD card? <svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-4\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-4\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>To start with, the SD card must have a file system that\u2019s supported by macOS. FAT32 is the safest choice, but you can also use exFAT if you want to store files larger than 4 GB. Then you need a compatible memory card reader, preferably one that\u2019s been designed specifically for Mac computers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-5\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_do_i_do_if_my_microsd_card_is_not_detected_by_mac\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-5\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-5\">What do I do if my microSD card is not detected by Mac? <svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-5\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-5\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>If your microSD card isn\u2019t detected properly by your Mac, then you need to figure out the reason why. Basically, there are three possible culprits: the microSD card itself, your memory card reader, and your macOS operating system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-6\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_i_add_an_sd_card_to_my_mac\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-6\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-6\">How do I add an SD card to my Mac? <svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-6\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-6\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>Here\u2019s how to make your SD card show up on your Mac:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Click the Finder icon on the Dock to open it.<\/li>\n<li>From the menu on top of the screen, click FInder &gt; Preferences.<\/li>\n<li>Click the General tab. All of the items under the Show these items on the desktop section should be checked. If not, click the box near the item to select it.<\/li>\n<li>Click the Sidebar tab and check whether all of the items under the Locations section are selected. If not, click the item to place a checkmark.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-7\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_i_get_my_macbook_air_to_read_my_sd_card\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-7\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-7\">How do I get my MacBook Air to read my SD card? <svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-7\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-7\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>If you have trouble getting your Mac to read an SD card, here\u2019s what you should do:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Check the Finder settings. Go to Finder &gt; Preferences &gt; General and make sure the External disks option is selected. Then go to the Sidebar tab and make sure the External disks option is also chosen.<\/li>\n<li>Restart your Mac.<\/li>\n<li>Head to Launchpad &gt; Disk Utility and look at whether the SD card is listed in the sidebar. If it is grayed out, click the Mount button on the top of the screen.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If none of these actions were successful, the last option that you have is to recover the files from the SD card and format it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-8\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_you_fix_an_undetected_sd_card_on_a_mac\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-8\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-8\">How do you fix an undetected SD card on a Mac? <svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-8\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-8\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>If your SD card is not showing up on your Mac, then in most cases, there\u2019s something wrong with the SD card. Usually, the best option for you is to recover the data from the SD card to your Mac or a different drive and format the SD card.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Connect the SD card to your Mac.<\/li>\n<li>Download and install Disk Drill.<\/li>\n<li>From the list of devices, choose the SD card. Click Search for lost data.<\/li>\n<li>Choose the files that you want to restore and click the Recover button.<\/li>\n<li>Head to Launchpad &gt; Disk Utility.<\/li>\n<li>Choose your SD card and click the Erase button. Type in a new name for your SD card and choose a suitable format. Click Erase.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel panel-default\">\n<div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading-9\">\n<h3 class=\"panel-title content-types\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_to_fix_an_sd_card_thats_not_showing_up_on_my_mac\"><\/span><a class=\"toggle-link\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-11\" href=\"#collapse-item-9\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-9\">How to fix an SD card that\u2019s not showing up on my Mac?<svg class=\"icon icon-toggle transition-all\"><use xlink:href=\"#plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"collapse-item-9\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-9\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<p>If your SD card is not showing up on your Mac, there are several things you can try. You can:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Adjust your Finder settings to explicitly show external drives<\/li>\n<li>Check if the SD card reader is broken or malfunctioning<\/li>\n<li>Restart your Mac<\/li>\n<li>Format the SD card<\/li>\n<li>Use data recovery software<\/li>\n<li>Send the card to a professional data recovery center<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SD card troubleshooting guide Is your SD card acting up, preventing you from accessing those hundreds of pictures you took during your last vacation? Don\u2019t worry; our SD card troubleshooting guide is here to help you solve your SD card [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7957,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9037","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-troubleshooting"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Fix SD Card Not Showing Up on Mac [2023 Guide]<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is your SD card not showing up on your Mac? 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