With the increasing need and use of technology, mobile phones have become crucial communication and data management tools. If you have an android phone, you are highly likely to use an SD card. 
SD cards help expands a phone’s storage capacity. However, your phone may fail to read the SD card for several reasons. You can, however, recover your SD card using Disk Drill or other simple methods. This article discusses some of the quick fixes for an android phone that fails to read an SD card. 

Method 1: Reboot The Phone

If your phone fails to detect an SD card, the problem may not be on the card itself but on the way you booted your phone. Technical errors can also cause this problem. It does not, therefore, matter whether you use a Sandisk SD card or another. SanDisk data recovery is possible and easy.

Begin by switching off your phone and removing the SD card. You can also remove the battery from the phone and let it rest for a few seconds or minutes. Now reinstate the battery and SD card and reboot the phone. 

By doing this, your phone should now be able to detect the SD card and read its contents. Try this quick fix whenever you have issues with your phone failing to read your SD card. However, if this fails to fix the problem, try the other methods described below. 

Method 2: Use a Computer and Card Reader

If your phone fails to recognize or read an SD card, you can repair it using your computer. Before you try any data recovery software, try to fix the card by following the steps below;

Step 1: Begin by inserting the SD card into the card reader. 

Step 2: Insert the card reader into your computer through the SD card port. 

Step 3: Locate “My computer” and search for SD Card or Disk Drive. 

Step 4: Right-click the disk and select the “Property” option.

Step 5: Click on “Tools.”

Step 6: Find the section labeled “Error-checking” and tap on it. 

Step 7: Tap on “Repair Drive” and allow the computer to repair your SD card. 

Step 8: Once the repair process stops, eject the SD card from the computer. Put it back on your phone and check if the error is fixed, and your phone can detect the memory card. 

Method 3: Formatting the SD Card

If you cannot repair your SD card with methods one and two, formatting the SD card can be another quick fix to restore your memory card for use on your phone. You should, however, understand that formatting the card will cause the card to lose all the data stored in it. If you have crucial data on the card, it is recommended that you create a backup to avoid such a scenario. 

Now insert the SD card into your computer and follow the steps below to complete the formatting process. 

Step 1: Open “My Computer” or “This PC” and locate the SD card you intend to format. 

Step 2: Right-click on the card and tap on “Format.”

Step 3: Set the file system to FAT32.

Step 4: Click on the “Quick Format” box to initiate the formatting process.” Wait until the process ends.

Step 5: Now unplug the SD card from the computer ad insert it into your phone to check whether the problem is fixed or not. 

Method 4: Updating the SD Card Driver

If your SD card is not up to date, there are high chances it will not be detectable on your android phone. It is, therefore, necessary to update it before using it again. This method does not use any recovery tool. Follow the steps below to update the device.

Step 1: Insert the SD card into your computer using an SD card adapter. 

Step 2: Tap on “MY Computer” and select “Manage.” 

Step 3: Now tap on the “Device manager” icon to the left in the taskbar.

Step 4: Click “+” next to the USB Serial Bus controller. You should see a yellow exclamation mark. 

Step 5: Right-click and tap on “Update Driver Software,” click search for updated driver software automatically, and wait for the driver to be automatically installed. 

Step 6: Restart your computer and insert the SD card into your phone. Check if the phone can now detect it. 

Method 5: Repair SD Card by CHKDSK Command 

If the methods above cannot help you access your SD card with your phone, it may be experiencing internal errors. This may be a sign that you are using a corrupted SD Card. Try the following steps to recover corrupted SD card.

Step 1: Insert the SD card into your computer, tap “My computer,” and select “Manage,” followed by “Disk Management.” 

Step 2: Find the SD card using the drive viewer and press “Win + R” followed by “CMD” and “Enter.”

Step 3: Type “CHKDSK D:/F” and “Enter” to finish the process.