While expandable storage may be missing from some premium devices, most budget and midrange smartphones still come with a slot for an external micro SD card. If you don’t want to splurge extra cash for a higher storage variant, you can easily use a memory card with your device. However, memory cards are known to malfunction from time to time. Then what do you do? Fret not, we are here to help. Today, we bring you the top 8 ways to fix a corrupted Android SD card or memory card.
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In This Article
Make sure the SD card is in the right slot
Earlier, smartphones used to have a dedicated slot for micro SD cards. Hybrid SIM card slots were introduced more recently, allowing users to place their SIM cards and micro SD card on a single tray. This may be a neat idea, but it may leave some people confused. If your Android smartphone cannot recognise the SD card, pull out the hybrid SIM tray and inspect the positioning of the SIM and SD card. Look for the appropriate sign on the tray before inserting the SD card.
Clean the micro SD card
If the memory card has been lying around on a shelf or in a drawer, make sure you give it a quick wipe before inserting it into your phone. Dust and dirt particles can keep the SD card from functioning properly. Your smartphone may not be able to detect the card. On the flip side, make sure the SD card tray is clean as well. Pull the tray out and blow some air on it to release the dust particles. Give it a quick wipe and you’re good to go.
Inspect the SD card for physical damage
SD cards are prone to wear out after prolonged usage. This issue is more common when you use the same card on multiple devices. If your SD card is damaged, your device will not be able to read or detect it. Pull out the card and closely inspect it for damage. Use it on another device to check if it works.
Use a card reader
Maybe the problem lies with your phone’s SD card slot and not the card itself. The only way of knowing for sure is by using an external card reader. Plug the card reader into the USB Type-C port of your device. Push the card into the external reader and see if you can access its contents on your phone. When you use the card reader, your micro SD card will show up as drive storage on your phone.
Unlock the card
Some SD cards come with a physical lock switch. Once a card is locked, you cannot write or delete any data from it. If you’re having an issue with copying or erasing files from your Android phone’s extended storage, pull out the card and unlock it using the physical switch located on the side of the SD card.
Format the memory card
The most common reason why memory cards stop functioning is data corruption. If your memory card is corrupted, you may experience several kinds of issues with it – ranging from detection issues to slow performance. Data corruption is caused when a file isn’t completely transferred to the card. This may happen because you pulled out the card before the transfer was completed. The only way to fix a corrupted memory card is by formatting it. To format the SD card go to Settings>Battery and device care>Storage and tap on the ellipses at the top right corner of the screen to access Advanced Settings. Tap on the SD card and select ‘Format’.
Use the chkdsk command
You will need to connect your SD card to your laptop or PC for this method. Pull out the card from your phone and use a card reader or your PC’s dedicated memory card slot to insert the SD card. Once that’s done, follow these steps.
Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar and select Terminal (Admin).
Step 2: Enter the following command:
chkdsk [disk name assigned to SD card]: /x /r
Step 3: Once the process has finished, safely remove the SD card from your PC and insert it into your phone.
Update your smartphone’s OS
If your phone’s OS cannot detect the micro SD due to some bug or other issue, it will be resolved with a quick update. Go to Settings>Software Update to look for pending updates. If there is an available update, download and install it on your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I fix a corrupted SD card?
To fix a corrupted SD card, you need to format it. Go to Settings>Battery and device care>Storage>Advanced Settings and select Format.
Why is my SD card not working on my Android phone?
If your Android phone is not detecting the SD card, give the card and the hybrid slot a quick wipe and make sure there aren’t any dust particles on them. Inspect the SD card closely for any physical damage.
How do I fix an undetected SD card on Android?
If your Android phone cannot detect the SD card, use an external card reader. Plug the card reader into the USB Type-C port on your device. If your SD card works fine with the card reader, it means that your phone’s card slot is faulty.
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Conclusion
These are the top 8 ways to fix a corrupted Android SD card or memory card. If these fixes don’t work for you, you will need to figure out whether the fault lies with the SD card or its slot in your phone. If the phone’s slot is at fault, you will need to take it to the authorised service centre for repair. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments!
