SD card Recovery Mac: How to Recover Deleted Photos from SD Card on Mac?

An SD card is a small and portable memory card, primarily used as expandable storage on your Mac, Windows, digital camera, smartphone, etc., to store digital media like videos and photos. Like other electronic devices, these cards are not immune to errors – one such error is missing media files from the SD card. You can lose your photos or any other files from the SD card due to deletion, corruption, formatting, etc.

This post shares workable methods for recovering deleted files from an SD card on a Mac. So, let's get started without further ado!

Need to Recover Deleted Files From SD Card on Mac

There can be several reasons why you may need to recover photo files from an SD card on a Mac, such as:

• Intentional or accidental deletion
• Formatting
• SD card got corrupted due to sudden power loss during data transfer, improper ejection, etc.
• Virus or Malware infection
• Device malfunctions, such as a Mac or SD card reader
• Physical damage to the SD card

Things to Keep in Mind for Successful SD Card Recovery on Mac

Before you start the memory card recovery on Mac, follow these tips for successful recovery:

• Stop using your SD card immediately after losing your files.
• Don't save any new data on the drive to prevent overwriting.

Read More: SD Card Recovery to Retrieve Deleted Files on Windows

Recovery of media files from an SD card on a Mac usually depends on how you lost that file.

• If you accidentally or intentionally deleted the file, you can find them in the Trash folder.
• If you permanently deleted the file or emptied the Trash folder, restore the files using a backup folder or SD card recovery software.
• If you used Quick Format to format the SD card, use professional memory card recovery software to restore lost files. However, recovering data from an SD card after a Full format is impossible as it overwrites the data.
• If you lose your files due to corruption or SD card error, fix the issue first and then access its data.

How to recover deleted files from an SD card on a Mac?

If your SD card is not readable or may not show up in the connected drive list on Mac due to improper connection, faulty card reader, or card slot, you first need to fix the corruption (following methods mentioned later in the blog) and then recover your photo and video files from it.

However, if your system detects your SD card, you need to follow the methods mentioned below to recover deleted files from it.

Method 1: Recover Deleted Files from Trash Folder on Mac

The very first place to look for deleted files from an SD card is the Trash folder on Mac. When you delete a photo or any other files on a Mac, it moves to the Trash folder and stays there for at least 30 days until you empty the folder.

How to Fix a Corrupted SD Card on Mac to Make it Readable?

Follow the below steps to learn how to repair an SD card that is corrupted, damaged, or not accessible/readable on your Mac:

1. Restart your Mac

Restarting the device fixes problems related to the operating system, software, drivers, etc., that may interfere with the external device connection. So restart your Mac.

• Click on the Apple icon and select Restart from the drop-down.

• Next, insert your SD card again. The issue of the SD card not being detected on Mac may be resolved.

2. Mount your SD card in Disk Utility to Make it Visible on Mac

If your SD card is not visible on the Mac desktop, it indicates the SD card is not mounted. You can mount an SD card via Disk Utility. Here is how to mount an SD card through Disk Utility:

• Type Disk Utility in the search box.

• Select your SD card in the Disk Utility window, which is visible on the left pane.

• In the right pane, on the top, click on Mount. If your SD card is already mounted, you will see the Unmount option. Next, close the window.

Now, your SD card should be readable by Mac.

3. Repair corrupt SD card with First Aid

First Aid in Disk Utility can fix disk problems, such as when the SD card doesn't work properly, is unreadable, or repeatedly unmounts. The feature checks the partitions and volumes on the SD card, verifies all its files and fixes issues, if any. Here's how to run First Aid in Disk Utility on Mac:

• Open the Disk Utility app on your Mac.

• Choose View > Show All Devices.
• In the sidebar, select your SD card. Click the First Aid button.

• Click Run.
• As the First Aid process completes, click Done.

4. Format your SD card on a Mac

If your SD card is still inaccessible or doesn't mount on Mac after following the above fixes, formatting is the only option. Formatting fixes corrupt SD card and rebuilds it as new. You can now reuse your SD card without any error.

• You can connect your SD card to your Mac by inserting it directly into the built-in SD card slot or using the memory card reader.

• Press Command + Space Bar and type Disk Utility into Spotlight search to open the Disk Utility App.

• Look for your SD card and select it.

• Next, choose the Erase button.

• A pop-up will appear with a warning that erasing the SD card will delete stored data.
• Here, you can change the SD card's name and select the file format from the drop-down menu.

• At last, click the Erase button; all your media files stored on the card will be deleted, and your SD card will be formatted to the appropriate file system.

Tips to Prevent Data Loss from SD Card

• Take regular backups of your SD card.
• Don't remove the SD card from the device while in use.
• Avoid using the same SD card on multiple devices.
• Use a compatible card reader and USB cable to transfer files from your SD card.
• Make sure to scan the SD card using robust antivirus software to keep viruses away.
• Ensure the process of transferring data from an SD card to another device is not interrupted.

Conclusion

You can lose your precious photos from an SD card due to virus infection, accidental deletion, formatting, corruption, etc. In such a scenario, you can easily recover deleted files from the Trash and the hidden Trash folder of your Mac. If you can't find the files in Trash, try to recover them using the Time Machine backup

However, if you don’t have a backup, you can simply use Stellar Photo Recovery—reliable SD card recovery software for Mac—to restore deleted or lost photo or video files. This tool recovers lost or deleted photos, audio, and video files of all formats from SD cards, USB drives, hard disks, etc.