The device does not see the microsd flash drive, what should I do? Why Android doesn't see the MicroSD memory card

What kind of failures can cause an Android device to stop detecting a microSD memory card, and what to do in this case?

Most modern smartphones are equipped with a microSD slot. Thus, manufacturers provide the gadget with a standard amount of internal memory and give users a choice: do they need additional data storage space for some money or not. This solution is convenient for both parties and helps reduce the cost of the device - otherwise, using a flash module with a large volume leads to an increase in the price of the device.

If you decide to expand the capabilities of your gadget by purchasing a flash drive, you may find yourself in a situation where the phone does not see the microSD memory card. There may be several causes and solutions to this problem.

If you have not yet purchased an additional drive, but are planning to do so, be sure to check out ours, which contains valuable and useful information.

Checking the memory card

System failure

Sometimes minor glitches occur in the system. As a rule, a simple reboot of the smartphone or tablet helps resolve such problems. As a last resort, you can try resetting the settings to factory settings, but all data from the device will be deleted.

Incompatibility

Each device supports a certain type of memory card, depending on the manufacturer and model. Users, in pursuit of large volumes, ignore the capabilities of the gadget itself, which later causes problems and the phone does not read or does not see the flash drive.

Before buying a microSD, carefully read the technical requirements of the gadget. If the instructions say that it supports memory cards up to 32 GB, you should not try to use a 64 GB or 128 GB flash drive.

No contact

Another reason that Android does not recognize the memory card may be problems with the contacts - they may move away or become clogged. In this case, take out the flash drive, wipe the contacts and insert it back into the device.

Damaged sectors

The problems may have arisen due to damaged sectors or incorrect formatting. In this case, you need to format the microSD card.

1. Insert it into your computer or laptop. If the PC sees the content, copy it to the computer and only then start formatting - this way you can save all the important files and data.
2. Right-click on the name of the drive, select “Format”. In the formatting settings in the “File system” line, FAT32 should be selected, since Android may not read other formats.
3. Click "Get Started."
4. Additional formatting may be required on the device itself. You can perform this operation in “Settings”, in the “Memory” section, “Format SD card”.

Problems with internal memory

There is a situation when a microSD memory card cannot be read by a smartphone. The reason may be a system failure when deleting or changing system files, sometimes this happens when the device is rooted.

In this case, you need to try to fix it in . With the device turned off, press the key combination to go to a special menu. Different smartphones use different combinations:

• Volume up + power button.
• Volume down + power button.
• Home key + power button.
• Home key + Power button + Volume up.

When you open the recovery menu, you will see something like this:

In the list, click on the item Wipe cache partition (cleaning the system cache) and reboot the gadget.

Serious damage

If none of the above methods help, the problem may be hardware or drive malfunction. In this case, you need to contact a specialist or buy a new card.

It doesn’t matter how expensive your smartphone is or what operating system is installed on it, the device may stop seeing the memory card. There may be several reasons for this, and we will definitely return to them in this article. Also from this material you will learn how to deal with some of the malfunctions.

The main causes of the problem

The second is just the wrong format.

Third, the root of the problem should be found in the phone itself. Perhaps the connector itself where the card is installed has failed, or there has been a minor glitch in the operating system.

How to restore the functionality of a memory card?

If the PC recognizes it normally and reads the data, you should look at what format it was formatted in. You can do this as follows:

If this method did not help and the smartphone still refuses to recognize the flash drive, you should try rebooting it. In most cases, when you reboot, minor glitches in the operating system disappear. Perhaps they were the ones who bothered you in the first place.

What to do if Android does not see the microSD flash drive? This question often worries owners of smartphones and other gadgets, regardless of manufacturer and cost. Problems of obtaining data from a DVR or installing software on a tablet or smartphone can be solved independently if you know the main causes of the malfunction and how to solve them.

How the problem manifests itself

The malfunction manifests itself as follows: after replacing the micro-SD card, after rebooting, flashing or simply turning on the device, the gadget does not see the flash drive or its contents. As a result, data or installed software is lost, the camera and programs begin to write information to the internal memory of the device. The latter quickly becomes clogged, there is no space left to record OS service information, and the gadget loses performance and begins to freeze.

As a result, if the internal memory is small, it becomes impossible to work without a memory card.

To fix the problem, you need to determine the cause of the breakdown. Very often it is possible to eliminate a defect yourself, without going to a workshop.

The phone does not see the flash drive due to formatting problems

The partition table can become corrupted on any file system (NTFS, ExFat, Fat32). As a result, Android cannot read files written to SD. Most often this happens when the user tries to format the memory card himself and performs incorrect actions. Another option is to insert a card with a different file system, for example, from a camera. You can restore the card's functionality by formatting it again. This can be done either with the phone itself or another Android device, or using a computer with a card reader.

The menu of some phones allows you to format the SD card by selecting the appropriate item in the settings. If it is not there, you can reboot the phone, enter “Recovery” mode and format the card’s file system by selecting “Wipe cache partition”.

Important: errors when working with the device in “Recovery” mode can lead to the loss of all data and even inoperability of the OS. Therefore, inexperienced users should not use this method.

It is easier and safer to format flash drives on a computer. To do this, you need a card reader and a formatting program (standard, built into the OS, or any other). You need to remove the flash drive from the device, insert it into the card reader and format it in exFAT or FAT32 format. After formatting, Android should begin to “see” the flash drive. If this does not happen, the problem is more serious.

The memory card has failed

Flash memory has a limited number of read-write cycles. In addition, the device may be damaged due to microcracks on the board or under the influence of static voltage. In this case, after installation in the card reader, the computer does not detect the flash drive. It is also not readable on other devices.

It is impossible to restore a damaged memory card or the data on it. This cannot be done either from the Android device itself, or by connecting it to the computer as a flash drive via USB, or from the computer via a card reader. All that remains is to purchase a new flash card compatible with your device.

Important: sometimes, due to a board malfunction, phones and tablets can “burn” memory cards. Therefore, if a short time after replacing the flash drive it fails again, it is necessary to diagnose the Android device.

Memory card and Android devices are not compatible

A smartphone or tablet may not see the flash card if it is simply not designed to work with modern storage media. When there is a suspicion that the card does not correspond to a tablet or phone, then you should try to read it on a computer with an adapter for memory cards. If the gadget does not see the card, but the computer does, the reason is incompatibility.

All gadgets have restrictions on the maximum size of the memory card: 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB. This happens if, for example, you bought a 64 GB card, but the limits of your smartphone (tablet) are 32 GB.

Another option is that the flash drive is made to a technical specification that is unknown to your device. In this case, the gadget does not recognize it. Therefore, before buying a memory card, you need to study the documentation of your tablet or phone to buy an SD card of the appropriate size and type.

In addition to incompatibility, device damage or software failure may occur. In this case, the computer will also see the flash card, but the phone (tablet) will not.

Software error

In this case, the gadget either does not see the memory card at all, or certain programs do not see it. If you know, the card is empty, although it shows that the space is occupied, the problem is in the settings or performance of the OS and software of the phone (tablet). If Android does not see the SD card in applications, but does see it in recovery, try looking at the settings first. It is possible that the save path for applications is not set to the card, but to the internal memory. Fix it.

Another solution when only one application does not see the card is to reinstall or update it, and also check its own settings.

Important: often the phone OS begins to see the inserted card only after a reboot. If the flash card is not visible without rebooting, and then works fine, nothing else should be done.

When the above does not help, you should try updating the firmware of your tablet (phone). Often, after updating the OS to a newer version, the device begins to work correctly with the SD card.

Broken SD card slot

If a smartphone does not see a flash drive installed from another smartphone, and it meets the technical requirements of the device, the problem is in the smartphone itself. In this case, you can try to insert the card so that the contacts in the phone fit tightly to its tracks. To do this, you should try to clean and bend them a little. If the problem is not with the contacts, but with damage to the controller or card slot, all that remains is to send the gadget for repair or replace it with a new one.

For example, the HTC srochnyi-remont.ru workshop repairs all models of this manufacturer, as well as other brands. Look for a service center for your phone in your city.

Manufacturers today are releasing more and more advanced smartphones. However, regardless of the model or brand of the phone, as well as the duration of its operation, it happens that the phone no longer sees the connected memory card. There may be several reasons for this situation. This may happen due to a faulty flash drive or problematic flash reader. Without verification and analysis, it is difficult to take corrective action.

The essence of the problem is that at one point the smartphone stops reading the media; the information saved to the device is loaded directly into the built-in memory, which is often not much. This situation causes inconvenience and the problem urgently needs to be resolved.

So, before taking the gadget to a service center, you need to carry out home diagnostics; in most cases, the problem is easily solved.

The main reasons why the phone no longer sees the memory card

The most common reasons include the following:

• The card reader is faulty.
• The flash drive has burned out (in this case, manipulations to restore it are futile).
• The file system is disrupted; in this case, formatting may be a solution to the problem.
• The contacts do not fit tightly, you need to insert the media more tightly and reboot the device.

Before drawing conclusions, you should conduct an analysis and determine what exactly is wrong with micro sd. The first step is to try rebooting the device. No matter how simple it may sound, very often this is what solves the problem.

If this doesn't help, then it's time to check other options.

Invalid file system format

If the file system fails, the media may not be displayed. There are several reasons why the drive is not visible due to a failure of this system:

• The file table has been corrupted.
• The card was formatted by the user and the phone stopped recognizing it.
• There is an unknown system.

If the storage capacity is more than 32 GB, then most likely the card is formatted as exFAT. This system is not supported by all versions of Android OS. To quickly bring the flash drive back to life, you need to reboot the device via recovery and select the Wipe cache partition section in the service menu. With this operation, all the contents of the flash drive will be cleared, and the flash drive itself will be formatted in the supported FAT32 format, which is optimal for storing data on a smartphone.

Important! This method is only suitable for experienced users, because in case of an error, there is a risk of losing all data on the phone, including those saved on the internal memory.

You can also try formatting the flash drive using a computer and special programs, for example, SD Formatter.

Memory card is faulty

This can happen with absolutely any flash drive, no matter what brand or cost it is, the equipment sometimes malfunctions. If the phone does not see the flash drive due to a malfunction, it may have been damaged mechanically or as a result of thermal effects. Accordingly, it will be unreadable on all other devices.

Memory card doesn't work

This is exactly the case when nothing can be done. The only thing left is to purchase a new flash drive for the gadget. The unpleasant thing is that the data on it cannot be restored or transferred to another device, since a failed card will not be detected either on other phones or by connecting to a personal computer.

Incompatibility with phone

This doesn't happen often, but it does happen. The situation can be detected when trying to connect a new card to the device. The phone may not support a flash drive due to generation differences. Another reason is an attempt to connect a larger capacity to the smartphone than allowed; for example, not all gadgets support cards with a capacity of 256 GB.

Types of media

To solve the problem, simply insert a card that the device supports. All necessary information and the maximum amount for memory expansion are indicated in the technical specifications for the device.

Memory card contacts are coming off

After reconnection or displacement, the drive cannot be read by the phone.

To solve the problem, you will need to remove the flash drive from the slot. After this, you should carefully connect the card so that all contacts are tightly connected to the socket. Also, if you have sufficient knowledge in this industry, you can replace the contacts yourself. If you do not have such experience, then it is better not to undertake this procedure.

If the contacts are worn out directly in the phone, then purchasing a new device or having it repaired at a service center will help.

Software glitch

If the program installed on Android does not read the card, and the others, in turn, see the storage medium, then the reason lies in a software glitch.

The phone does not see the memory card

Perhaps the operating system does not see the card due to the application settings, namely due to the choice of the main source for saving the internal memory of the device. To change the path for saving, you should go to the application settings and change the saving from internal memory to external memory - a flash drive.

How to understand that the problem is in the card?

A very simple method is used to check. You should remove the memory card from the slot of the gadget you are using and connect it to a personal computer via a card reader, or, if there is none, connect it to any other portable gadget.

Memory card installed in the phone

If another device reads the flash drive without difficulty, then the problem lies in the gadget, and if no device is able to recognize the card, then the problem is in the media and all the above options can help solve the problem. Another reliable way is to format the SD card.

Formatting will completely reset all data that was previously saved on external memory. Therefore, if there are doubts about the cause of the problem, it is better to initially check and analyze why the phone does not see the inserted flash drive, and only then take radical measures.

To perform formatting, you will need a personal computer. The whole procedure is simple and even a beginner can handle it easily.

Formatting using a personal computer

Procedure:

• The first step is to remove the card from the slot in the phone, as well as connect it to the card reader, which is then inserted into the dedicated connector of the system unit or laptop.
• After a couple of minutes (after searching and installing drivers for correct operation), the computer will display a memory card launch window. If nothing has changed, then it should be opened manually. To do this, you need to go to the “My Computer” section, where the new connected device will be displayed.
• You need to select this device and right-click on the mouse and select the “Format” column.

Formatting a memory card on a computer

• The next step is to select a file system. There are two options: “FAT” or “NTFS”. Most cards have a default format - “FAT”, however, if formatting according to this type does not eliminate the error, then you should try choosing a different type - “NTFS”. This is what it should look like:

Selecting a formatting type

• After this, you need to click “Start” and wait until the procedure is completed.

When formatting is complete, it’s time to check the flash drive in the gadget. It happens that even after these steps it still does not appear, then you should try another option.

Formatting using a smartphone or tablet

If the smartphone detects the presence of a flash drive, but cannot open it, then you can format it directly in this gadget. What to do:

• Insert the flash drive into a special slot in the device. Make sure that all necessary contacts are saved on internal media. After this, you can safely go directly to the settings.
• All gadgets on the Android operating system have similar controls; the attached screenshots may differ slightly, however, the general picture of the actions has the same sequence. You need to go to the “Memory Settings” section, which is located in the memory parameters.
• In the settings, select the “Disconnect or eject” option. It looks like this:

Remove the drive

• After this, you need to select the “Clear” section. The procedure is quite quick and will take no more than a couple of minutes (depending on the occupied memory capacity of the drive).
• The final step is to connect the formatted flash drive to the system. To do this, in the open menu you need to click the “Connect” option.

At this point, the formatting process is considered complete, and the media should work like new.

If none of the listed and tried actions brought the flash drive back to life and the phone still does not recognize it or cannot save information to it, then the only correct solution would be to take it to a service center or purchase a new one if the cause of the malfunction is in the media . This option is simpler, you don’t have to wait, and the result will definitely be positive - after all, the new flash drive will definitely be perceived correctly by the device.

Most users of mobile phones and smartphones are faced with a situation where the phone does not see the memory card. Sometimes this question arises immediately after purchasing a device, but most often it breaks down later, having already become an integral part of everyday life and accumulating important files. There are many reasons why a flash drive is not displayed on the screen and, with some effort, the owner can always eliminate them.

If the phone does not see the memory card, it may be a software problem; this is the factor that is detected in half of the situations. Just as often, defects are the result of a banal flash drive failure; here only a replacement will help, although modern capabilities make it possible to recover data from damaged media.

If you lack time and desire, there is always the option of turning to the specialized services of a service center, but they cost money and will cost more than the flash drive itself. Instructions for restoring the browsing function apply to all generations of mobile devices, including older versions. In these cases, in response to the question: why doesn’t the phone see the memory card, one can only throw up one’s hands: he’s tired, he’s leaving. But! Data can always be reproduced in full!

In extreme situations, a reading device will help, from which they can all be easily transferred to a PC.

Factors due to which the phone does not see the memory card

When wondering why the smartphone does not see the memory card, its owner needs to analyze the following points:

1. Why did it fail;
2. Find out the current state;
3. Clarify the causes of failures;
4. If they relate to software, then why does Android not see the memory card.

Then based on the results

1. Format via PC;
2. Format via smartphone.

It must be remembered that when installing a flash drive for the first time, difficulties are often caused by its capacity. This is especially true for outdated models that are unable to support modern products.


If the new phone does not see the memory card, what to do will tell you the following list, which lists the main problems and ways to fix them.

• File system failures. The most common problem that can be resolved by reformatting the flash drive;
• Poor connection to flash reader. The flash drive must be inserted more tightly, and then the mobile phone must be rebooted;
• The phone does not see the memory card because the reading connector is completely faulty. Only contacting the specialized services of a repair center will help here;
• The flash drive simply burned out. It will no longer be possible to revive it, but there is still hope for data recovery. Modern capabilities make it possible to do this.

The phone does not see the memory card. Procedure

First of all, it needs to be rebooted. Usually this procedure is enough to fix software failures and other difficulties. If after rebooting the phone does not see the microSD memory card, you need to remove the outer cover and take out the battery, behind which the flash reader is located and check the contacts. In other models, the socket is located on the side, here you also need to try to press it more tightly to the contacts. The main thing is not to overpress, so as not to cause mechanical damage.

When there are no positive results, the product is tested on another device. The ideal option is a card reader connected to a computer. Another mobile device would work just fine. If it and all the stored information are available, it means that the problem is in the smartphone and repairs are no longer possible. The main causes are caused by software flaws or damaged contacts.

When another phone does not see the memory card, we are talking about either defects in the file structure, or the flash drive has simply burned out. In this case, it can no longer be restored, whereas file failures can be easily eliminated by simply formatting the product.

Format using PC

You must remember that during the process all information from the drive will be deleted. If you are not sure that the memory card is not visible on the phone due to software problems, and the stored information is important, it is better to take it to a repair service.

In another situation, you need to format the flash drive in the following sequence:

• It is placed in the reader and then in the computer connector;
• The launch should start automatically. If this is not the case, it means that the phone has stopped seeing the memory card due to its problems. You need to go to “My Computer” and look at the list of available connections. The absence of a storage device in it indicates that it has burned out;
• When there is a display, right-click it and activate the “Format” option;
• A menu appears on the screen where the user must select a format. It is represented by 2 types NTFS and FAT. The lion's share of flash drives belongs to the FAT standard, which is chosen from the very beginning. If there are no positive results, you can try NTFS;
• Having determined the format, the owner activates the “Start” option and waits for the operation to complete;
• Next, the formatted flash drive is checked again to see if it works. It happens that at this stage all questions are removed.

In the absence of a card reader, all actions can be easily performed using a mobile device.

Format without a computer

So, what to do if you don’t have a card reader, PC or laptop. It doesn’t matter, the product can be easily formatted using a mobile phone, you just need to go to Android “Settings”. They are located in the corresponding list, where the owner can use the “Disable” and “Remove” functions. Most current devices immediately prompt the owner to format the drive. You should not perform the operation right away, because, just like in the case of a computer, the operation completely erases all stored files.

Before this, you need to check the contacts again, eliminating the possibility of a weak connection. After making sure that the connection is sufficiently dense, the user begins the actual process.

– Select the “Clear” option from the menu. It takes little time and usually takes one minute. Then the “Connect SD card” function is activated in the menu and if there are no mechanical faults, it is ready for use.

When understanding the reasons, you should remember about different versions of Android firmware. The order of actions depends on this. In other operating systems, the procedure is performed in a similar way; just find the “Settings” category