SD Card

How To See What’s Stored On SD Card (Why You May Not Be Seeing Them, And How To Fix It)

You’ve had an SD card for a while, but you have never navigated through it. It was only recently that you caught interest, and now you want to know what lives under the hood. However, there is a problem. Most SD cards are almost inaccessible today. So if you are having trouble in that area, it is time to sort it out.

You can see what is stored on your SD card by navigating to the exact directory using your phone’s file manager. If that does not work, you can download any of the top file management applications on your app store.

This article will look at how you can access your SD card across the most popular Android platforms. We will give you both phone-based steps and instructions on using storage apps. So, in the end, dealing with SD cards will be as easy as ABC.

Let’s go!  

How Do I See What Is Stored On My SD Card?

How Do I See What Is Stored On My SD Card

In this section, we are going to help you view files on Android. We will do it with the help of the Files by Google app, which comes with most Android OS phones these days. Follow these steps:

1. From the home screen, access your phone’s full menu of apps. Look for the Files app.

2. If you can’t find it, go to Google Play Store, download it, and then install it.

If you are finding trouble, use this link: Files by Google – Apps on Google Play

3. Open the app and swipe down until you get to the Storage devices tab. You will see both the internal storage and SD card and how much space is left in each.

4. Tap on the SD card, and you will be opened to all the folders containing memory card files.

While you are there, you can go through each folder to see what files are there.

TechBiva 101: Once you see what is stored in the SD Card, be careful not to delete it. If you do, you could mess up with system files, which will send your phone into a frenzy.

Other Storage Management Apps On The Phone

For some reason, your Android device may not be supporting Files by Google. If that’s the case, you can download any of the top storage managers on the Play Store, and here they are:

1. File Manager

2. ASTRO File Manager & Cleaner

3. File Manager: free and easily

4. File Manager (by mie-Alcatel. support)

5. Simple File Manager Pro (paid) 

Once you download any of the above apps, you will only need to launch them and give them access to your storage. That way, you will see all the files stored on your SD Card. Some of the apps will even provide you with disk space analysis, and they will help you save more space by clearing any clutter.

Accessing SD Card Using A USB Drive

By far, using a USB cable is the most common way of seeing what is stored in an SD card. This section gives you the steps on how to do that:

1. Connect the cable to the computer. Since it works like plug-and-play, your device should prompt you to set the USB to transfer files.

2. If not, look at the notification bar on your phone.

3. If the USB is merely charging the phone, tap the notification and change to file transfer. 

4. That will open Windows Autoplay, which will show you both the internal and SD storage.

There, you’ll be able to navigate through each directory in your SD Card. As you do, be careful not to remove the cable as it will interrupt the connection.

AnyDroid: Seeing Your SD Card Files On A PC With A Paid Software

AnyDroid

If you still can’t use any apps or the USB cable successfully, there is still one bullet left. AnyDroid is software that helps you view your memory card files on your computer and transfer them there if you want. Other features that AnyDroid has are:

1. Deleting and editing files

2. Sending files from Android to iOS devices

3. High-speed file transfer. In 5 minutes, you can move 3000 songs from your phone to the PC

To download it, visit their official website here.

TechBiva 101: If you are looking for a long-term, permanent solution for viewing SD card files, AnyDroid is your best bet. For as little as $39.99, you can get a lifetime license to the software. If that isn’t a steal, then I don’t know what is.  

Once you have downloaded and installed it, use these steps to see your SD files:

1. Launch it on your computer.

2. Then, plug in a USB cable that corresponds to your phone’s port. Or, more conveniently, use your Wi-Fi network to establish a connection between the two devices.

If the devices are linked, the AnyDroid dashboard will give you this message:

Welcome, [Your Device Name]

3. Under the Device Manager section, you’ll see all the files that live in both your external and internal storage.

The software allows you to play your file and even send them to the PC. If you want to back up any pictures and videos, use the Send to PC button, which you’ll find at the top.

What Is Stored On SD Card On Android?

SD cards on Android usually contain photos, videos, downloads, and even app files.

1. Photos And Videos. Many people who add external storage do so to accommodate more snaps and recordings. So, they use their SD card as the default location, and there, you’ll find their entire gallery.

2. Downloads. Depending on how you have set your browser, some files will automatically download to the SD card. That helps to save internal memory because some files are too large for the phone to accommodate them without a card. 

3. Some App Files. For earlier versions of Android, you could move an app’s files from internal storage to an SD card. That way, the app would not run without the memory slot having the card.

What Can’t I See What’s On My SD Card? (And How Can To See Files Without Having To Format)

Sometimes, your SD card may start acting up, thereby keeping you away from your files. When that happens, it is best to look under the hood and see what is happening.

1. You could have dismounted the SD card, even without removing it physically. That is because some Android versions provide for that setting. To undo the dismounting, remove the SD card from the tray and push it back in.

2. Your SD card may be corrupted because of malware or a dent. Viruses and physical damage to storage items usually render them useless until they are repaired.

3. You may have cleaned up your SD card by mistake. If you formatted the SD card, you deleted all its memory addresses that point to specific files.

If you are trying to see the SD card files on a PC but you can’t, here are some reasons why:

1. The card may be bearing a file system that your PC does not support.

2. You may have locked the memory card, especially if you connected it to the PC using an adapter.

3. The cable you are using may be faulty.

Solutions For Seeing The SD Card Files

1. Try reconnecting the SD card again. If possible, use a different cable or try another port on the PC.

2. Get another adapter if your PC doesn’t have an SD slot.

3. Dust off the card and put it back in.

4. Use the Show/Hide feature on Windows to unveil hidden or missing files.

5. Scan for malware.

6. Use Error Checking on Windows to pinpoint any problems.

7. Restart your phone or PC.

How Do I Recover Pictures And Other Files On My SD Card?

If you deleted your files mistakenly, here are three ways you can right the wrong:

1. Go to the Bin (on Android) or the Recently Deleted (on iOS). There, you will find the pictures you erased. Depending on your OS, they will stay there for a period before they are permanently deleted.

2. Use a backup. If you have saved files on your PC, connect your phone to the computer and pull the files into the SD card.

3. Use software like Disk Drill to preview and recover files of up to 500MB without paying anything.

Conclusion

And that was basically it! To see what your SD card contains, you need a reliable file storage app. If you’re on Android and can’t get Files by Google, the Play Store has many options that can help you out. And if the apps don’t help, use a USB cable to connect your phone to the PC. From Amazon, here are two cables you can order:

1. No products found.

2. No products found.

It is easy to view SD card files, and we hope this article helped you out. If it did, we would love it if you shared the post. Also, leave your comments below, and the team will get back to you. And as you exit, check out these exciting topics:

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See you in the next one!


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