Summary: Is your SD card not working on Mac? Mac won't read SD card? macOS Catalina is not recognizing SD card? In this article, we will help fix Mac not reading/recognizing SD card issue.

Accidents happen at any time (For example: When I insert SD card nothing happens on Mac). When your SD card is not working properly, you can't open and access the files stored the SD card.

As you see SD card is not readable by your Mac, those are possible questions in your mind. Why is Mac not reading SD card and SD card not working? How do I get my Mac to recognize my SD card? How to do SD card data recovery?

This passage is a complete SD card troubleshooting guide to fix SD card not working issue, and recover lost data from SD card.

SIIG’s USB 2.0 Smart Card Reader enables you to add a smart card reader to your USB equipped PC or Mac desktop or notebook computer. This portable smart card reader works with most major smart cards. It is equipped with power and activity LED indicators to monitor your operational status. And it is powered by USB port; no power adapter is needed for great convenience. Option 3: Check if SD card reader is not working. To access an SD card, you usually need a card reader. When your SD card won't work on Mac, the first thing to check is whether the card reader is working or not. It doesn't matter that you access the SD card by the built-in slot on your Mac or a third-party one.

Table of contents: 1. How to fix Mac not reading/recognizing SD card?; 2. Understanding why SD card not working/recognized on Mac; 3. How to prevent 'SD card not working/recognized' in future?; 4. How to use and open SD card on Mac?

How to fix Mac not reading/recognizing SD card?

As below, we have listed some feasible solutions to fix SD card not working/reading on Mac. You don't have to try them all, just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you:

SD card not working scenario	Step-by-step troubleshooting
SD card showing up in Disk Utility but not desktop	Check your Finder desktop preferences. Full steps..
SD card shows up in Disk Utility but not Finder	Check your Finder sidebar preferences. Full steps..
SD card showing up in Disk Utility but not mounting	1. Restart your Mac 2. Check if SD card reader is not working. Full steps.. 3. Check for the connection issue 4. Check if SD card is locked. Full steps.. 5. Insert your SD card in different devices 6. Reset NVRAM/PRAM. Full steps.. 7. Mount SD card in Disk Utility. Full steps.. 8. Repair SD card via First Aid. Full steps.. 9. Format your SD card. Full steps..
SD card is not recognized/detected by Mac Disk Utility	1. Restart your Mac 2. Check if SD card reader is not working. Full steps.. 3. Check for the connection issue 4. Insert your SD card in different devices 5. Reset NVRAM/PRAM. Full steps.. 6. Update the drivers on Mac. Full steps.. 7. Send SD card to an expert for reparation 8. Replace SD card with a new one

Option 1: Check your Finder desktop and sidebar preferences

On Mac, you can choose to show connected items on the desktop, including hard disks, external disks, connected servers. Therefore, if you don't set the preference to show your SD card on the desktop, it won't appear on Mac. Easy to understand, huh? Let's see how to show SD card on the desktop?

Step 1: Go to Finder > Preferences > General, make sure the 'External disks' option is ticked. This will make the SD card show up on the Desktop.

Step 2: Select the Sidebar tab on the top, make sure the External disks option under Locations is also ticked.

Option 2: Restart your Mac

Whether the issue is related to networking, graphics, slow performance, faulty programs or macOS issue, a simple reboot can fix a computer issue 80-90% of the time. It also works when external drives are not recognized by macOS.

When your SD card is not reading on Mac, you can try to remove the SD card and then switch off the Mac. Leave it for a few minutes, turn it back on, and try again.

Option 3: Check if SD card reader is not working

To access an SD card, you usually need a card reader. When your SD card won't work on Mac, the first thing to check is whether the card reader is working or not. It doesn't matter that you access the SD card by the built-in slot on your Mac or a third-party one. Simply follow these steps to check if the SD card reader is recognized or not.

Step 1: Simply click Apple Menu > About This Mac > System Report.

Step 2: Find Card Reader under the Hardware list.

Step 3: If the card reader works, you can see its Vendor ID, Serial Number, and some other product information. When your SD card is inserted, it should also be listed at the right with specifications.

If unfortunately, the card reader is not recognized, it might be an SD card hardware issue. For a broken slot built-in your MacBook, you need to send it to a local Apple store for repair service. Instead, for a malfunctioned external SD card reader, you can simply replace it with a new one.

Option 4: Check for the connection issue

If the card reader is working fine, then you should check the connections. First of all, make sure you insert your SD card properly. (The metal contacts must face down and point toward your Mac). Secondly, you can test your SD card on a different card reader. If you can access the SD card then, it should be the card reader that has a problem.

Option 5: Check if SD card is locked

Another case for SD card not working on Mac is that the SD memory card is locked. When you try to write content to the locked card, you cannot modify the files on the locked SD card. To work on the SD card again, you need to safely eject the card and adjust the lock slider tab on the card to unlock the card. Then you can access the SD card after you reinsert it to the slot.

Option 6: Insert your SD card in different devices

Another very effective strategy that you can implement is to insert the SD card in different devices, such as phones, digital cameras, or other computers. For instance, you can remove the SD card from your Mac and insert it into your Android phone. If your SD card is still not detected or working on a phone, the card might be damaged or you need to try the following solutions.

Option 7: Reset NVRAM/PRAM

NVRAM/PRAM is a chip in Intel-based Macs used to remember the setting for your computer, including sound volume, display resolution, startup disk selection, time zone, peripheral devices and more. It's worth resetting whenever you find your computer's hardware acting in unexpected ways.

To reset NVRAM, you should shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold Option + Command + P + R. Keep holding down those keys for about 20 seconds. Then release the keys and allow your Mac to continue starting normally.

Option 8: Mount SD card in Disk Utility

After resetting NVRAM/PRAM, your SD card is still not recognized on Mac. You should go to Disk Utility again and see whether the SD card is listed. If you can see your SD card in Disk Utility, but the SD card is greyed out, that means the SD card is not mounting. Simply select the Mount option to see if the SD card will be mounted in Finder and desktop.

Option 9: Update the drivers on Mac

If the issue still exists, you can check whether the drivers on your Mac is renewed. If your Mac drivers are outdated, your SD card or other external hard drives will not be recognized by your Mac. Here are steps to update drives on Mac:

1. If you have upgraded to macOS Mojave, you should choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then click Software Update to check for updates. If any updates are available, click Update Now to install them.

2. If you are using earlier macOS versions, just launch the Mac App Store, click t

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