What Is Sd Card Reader For Mac
The Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader supports standard photo formats, including JPEG and RAW, along with SD and HD video formats, including H.264 and MPEG-4. It supports data transfer at up to USB 3 speeds on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1st and 2nd generation) and 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and up to USB 2 speeds on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and all other. If there is a built-in card reader in a laptop: Insert a memory card into a socket - it will display as a separate disk. Insert an sd card into the card reader. If you use an external card reader: Connect usb cable to PC socket. Insert a memory card into card reader socket. What to do if a card reader doesn’t work. Usually it doesn't require. The Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader supports standard photo formats, including JPEG and RAW, along with SD and HD video formats, including H.264 and MPEG-4. It supports data transfer at up to USB 3 speeds on iPad Pro, and up to USB 2 speeds on all other iPad and iPhone models. The USB Type-A interface connects to Windows/Mac laptops, Android phones and other compatible devices, and the plug-and-play technology lets you access files quickly. This dual-port LENTION USB-A memory card reader accommodates microSD and SD cards for versatile compatibility.
A memory card reader is a device for accessing the data on a memory card such as a CompactFlash (CF), Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMediaCard (MMC). Most card readers also offer write capability, and together with the card, this can function as a pen drive.
Some printers and Smartphones have a built-in card reader, as do most personal computers and the majority of Tablet computers.
A multi card reader is used for communication with more than one type of flash memory card. Multi card readers do not have built-in memory capacity, but are able to accept multiple types and styles of memory cards.
Memory card readers, unlike smartphones, telephones and other devices, such as cameras and digital cameras, allow formatting in a file system other than FAT (FAT16, FAT32, exFAT) to NTFS in Windows, ext, ext2, ext3 in Linux or HFS, HFS + for Mac OS. Smartphones or other devices like cameras format them only in FAT. Internal card readers are usually connected to internal USB 1.1 / 2.0 / 3.x ports
The number of compatible memory cards varies from reader to reader and can include more than 20 different types. The number of different memory cards that a multi card reader can accept is expressed as x-in-1, with x being a figure of merit indicating the number of memory cards accepted, such as 35-in-1. There are three categories of card readers sorted by the type and quantity of the card slots: single card reader (e.g. 1x SD-only), multi card reader (e.g. 9-in-1) and series card reader (e.g. 4x SD-only).
Some kinds of memory cards with their own USB functions do not need the card reader, such as the Intelligent Stick memory card, which can plug directly into a USB slot.
The USB device class used is 0x08.
Modern UDMA-7 CompactFlash Cards and UHS-I Secure Digital cards provide data rates in excess of 89 MB/s and up to 145 MB/s,[1] when used with memory card readers capable of USB 3.0 data transfer rates.[2] As of 2011, Secure Digital memory cards received an additional option of a UHS-II bus interface. It increased the maximum data transfer speed to 312 MB/s.[3]
USB card readers like this one typically implement the USB mass storage device class
Generic CompactFlash card reader with high-speed storage via USB2.0
Cardreader combined with floppy disk drive
See also[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Memory card readers. |
References[edit]
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2013-11-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2016-12-29. Retrieved 2013-11-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^https://tenpire.com/beginners-guide-to-choosing-microsd-and-sd-memory-cards/
Summary: SD card not showing up on Mac indicates you can't see the SD card on desktop, in Finder, or Disk Utility. This post will tell you how to fix SD card not showing up on Mac.
It's a common problem that SD card not showing up when connected to Mac. Then, where you can find the SD card on Mac? By checking the following lists, you'll know how to find and open an SD card that won't show up on Mac.
- Table of contents
- SD card not showing up on Mac desktop, how to fix?
- SD card not showing up in Mac Finder, how to fix?
- SD card showing up in Disk Utility but not mounting, how to fix?
- SD card not showing up in Mac Disk Utility, how to fix?
- Files on SD card not showing up on Mac, what to do?
- Understanding why SD card not showing up on Mac
SD card not showing up on Mac desktop, how to fix?
By default, the detected external disks will be mounted on the desktop of Mac. This setting works for SD cards, memory cards, external hard drives, USB flash drives and much more. However, sometimes such settings may have been changed by accident. As a result, the external drive won't show up on Mac as you expected.
Usb C Sd Card Reader
Here is how to change the settings showing SD cards, so that you can find and open the SD card on Mac desktop.

1. To show the SD card on Mac's desktop, open Finder.
2. Click on the Finder at the top menu of your Mac and choose Preferences….
3. Click on the General tab.
4. Check the External disks option.
Then, you'll be able to see the SD card on the Mac desktop.
SD card not showing up in Mac Finder, how to fix?
All attached and detected internal disks and external disks can be accessed in the sidebar of Finder. If your SD card is not showing up in the Finder, you can also check if the Finder Preferences have been set up properly.
1. Open Finder.
1. Click on the Finder at the upper left of your Mac and choose Preferences….
2. Click on the Sidebar tab.
3. Check External disks option under Locations so that you can locate SD card on Mac's Finder.
4. Launch the Finder and check if you can find the SD card showing up in the Finder sidebar.
If the SD card is still not showing up, the storage devices might be hidden by accident. Here is how to unhide the SD card.
1. After you properly connected the SD card to your Mac, wait a second so that Mac can recognize the SD card.
2. Then open the Finder by clicking the smile face on your desktop.
3. Find Locations in the left sidebar. If no storage device is listed here, the SD card is hidden in the Finder.
4. Simply point your mouse at the Locations, and then click Show. Then your SD card will show up and the option will become Hide.
Then the SD card will appear in the Finder. But if you still cannot see it on the desktop and in the Finder, where else to find the SD card on Mac? You can check if the SD card is showing up in Disk Utility.
SD card showing up in Disk Utility but not mounting, how to fix?
One case is that the SD card is showing up in Disk Utility, but it's grayed out. The SD card is not mounting. That's probably the reason why you can't view SD card on your Mac.
Though the unmounted SD card might suffer from SD card corruption, luckily, the SD card is recognized by Mac Disk Utility. So, you can try thoese solutions to fix the corrupted SD card, which helps mount SD card on Mac.
Solution 1: Mount the SD card manually
You can right-click on the SD card and choose the Mount icon beside it, or click on the Mount button on the top of Disk Utility window. Either way, you can mount the card and access pictures, videos or other files stored on it.
Solution 2: Repair the SD card with First Aid
If the SD card is showing up but you can't mount the SD card manually, then the SD card is corrupted for some reason. An effective strategy is to repair it with First Aid in Disk Utility. First Aid can repair disk-related issues on Macs, which include SD cards failing to show up on your Mac.
To use First Aid:
Step 1: Launch Disk Utility by going to Launchpad and then Others.
Step 2: Select the SD card that happens to be unmountable and click First Aid at the toolbar.
Now, sit back and wait for the repair process to finish. Hopefully, it works its magic.
Solution 3: Format your SD card
If you still have not any luck in getting your Mac to mount the SD card successfully, it's time to reformat it. Reformatting gives the corrupted SD card a chance to rebuild the disk structures. It is a very sound strategy to solve most of SD card problems like SD card not showing up on Mac properly.

• How to format an SD card on Mac?
But before you go any further, you need to pause to think about the data stored on your SD card. Reformatting will erase all of the data stored on the SD card and leave you a blank SD card. So, do you have any data on the SD card that you are desperate to keep? If you have, you should rescue files off the SD card first.
If you have performed a regular Time Machine backup of your SD card files beforehand, you should be able to recover lost data from Time Machine.
If not, you should utilize a reliable and trusted piece of SD card data recovery software to recover lost data first. iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac, for example, is highly recommended here. Keep reading to see what it can do for you.
• How to recover data from SD card on Mac?
SD card not showing up in Disk Utility, how to fix?
By default, you will see all disks and volumes at the left sidebar in Disk Utility window. But if the settings are changed somehow, you can't see the SD card in Disk Utility. Then you might think your SD card is not showing up here.
Try these steps to make the SD card visible in Disk Utility.
1. Launch Disk Utility.
2. Click View at the top menu bar.
3. Choose Show All Devices.
4. Check if your SD card shows up in Disk Utility.
If you still see the SD card not showing up in Disk Utility, another option is to restart your Mac. A simple restart often can fix this problem.
However, if both solutions fail to show up your SD card in the Disk Utility, you can try to connect it to a Windows PC. Then you can check if Windows disk management can recognize it. If unfortunately, the SD card is not showing up on Windows PC either, likely, your SD card or card reader is physically damaged.
If SD card reader not working
You can try another card reader to access the SD card. If it's recognized and working, then it's the old card reader that stops your SD card from showing up. Using other media devices like a camera and accessing the SD card via USB port would be a solution.
Sd Card Readers For Iphone
If SD card is physically failed
If you have important files stored in this SD card, please send it to a local data recovery specialist for help. If not, buy a new one and replace it.
Files on SD card not showing up on Mac, what to do?
Another trouble you might find that your SD card is detected by your Mac but your pictures or videos files don't show up. It is common when you connect an SD card from a digital camera or a mobile phone. We also have included three quick solutions here to help you out.
1. Try a different card reader, a different USB port, even a different Mac computer or operating system and see if the pictures or videos on the SD card will show up. If yes, you're suggested copying the pictures, videos and other files off the SD card.
2. Check if you have set up your Mac to hide files. You can follow the detailed steps to recover and show hidden files on Mac.
3. Recover data from SD card with a data recovery software, such as iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac.
• How to recover data from SD card on Mac?
Understanding why SD card not showing up on Mac
External Sd Card Reader For Macbook
Some users connect SD cards directly to the SD slot (if any) on their MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. And some access it through an external SD card reader. But either way, the SD card should be detected by the computer and then appear in Finder, on desktop, and in Disk Utility. However, sometimes, it seems that Mac doesn't see the SD card because you can't find it anywhere.
Why isn't the SD card showing up on Mac then? Well, many factors are possible. And some might leave your Mac not recognizing the SD card.
You use the SD card in the wrong way. When you insert the card into a card slot, make sure that the metal contacts face down and point toward the card reader. If you plug it in the wrong direction, the SD card won't show up and the card slot will be damaged. So, it's important to learn how to use SD cards on Mac in the right way.
Your card reader is out of date. Many SD card manufacturers like Lexar and Sandisk produce new types of memory cards with new features all the time. But your old card reader may not read new designed SD cards. You can't open the SD card on Mac computer until you replace it with a new SD card adapter.
The SD card format is not compatible with your card reader. Many users need an extra adapter to access their memory cards like Standard SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, and Micro SD cards. But different card readers have different tech specifications. So, make sure that the card reader conforms to the SD card's transfer rate, read-write speed, dimension, type, storage capacity, etc.
Other reasons. SD card not showing up on Mac could be caused by virus infection, macOS system error, or even an SD card corruption.
What's more, you should also examine the SD card carefully to see if it is overly dusty or greasy. If so, you can give it a quick wipe down with a clean, dry cloth and try again. Alternatively, you can try another SD card reader/slot to decide which one is to be blamed for the issue.
Conclusion:
Hopefully the 'SD card not showing up on Mac' issue has now been solved after you have followed our instructions. If you say 'SD card not showing up on Mac' but actually you mean the SD card can't be mounted, simply recover data from the SD card with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac and then reformat it.
