Why Is My Android SD Card Corrupted?

SD and MicroSD cards can sometimes trigger a corruption error message when they’ve been used on multiple types of devices or have been physically removed from a device while a file was being accessed or transferred. Corrupted SD cards will often trigger error messages relating to reading and writing errors, a request to reinsert the card, or a statement saying the card isn’t recognizable. A slow file access speed can also be a symptom of some corruption or damage, as can an SD card appearing empty.

How Do I Fix a Corrupted SD Card on Android?

Here are some strategies you can try if you suspect your Android smartphone’s SD card is corrupted.

How Can I Repair My SD Card Without a Computer?

You can do all of the above solutions and fixes on an Android smartphone and tablet without using a Mac or Windows-based PC. The Android operating system has many storage and file tools which allow you to access the contents of an SD card and format it if required.

Can I Repair My SD Card Without Formatting It?

Most likely, no. While you can try the steps above to access the content on your SD card, formatting an SD card is one of the most effective ways to repair an SD card that’s creating errors on Android and many other types of devices. An SD card may even need to be formatted if it’s previously been used on another device such as a digital camera or a video game console like a Nintendo Switch. If you do need to format an SD card for use on your Android device, if possible, try copying its files to a local folder as a backup before beginning the process. You can typically do it in the usual file explorer app on smartphones, tablets, and computers.

How Do I Fix a Corrupted SD Card on My Phone?

If you’re having SD card issues with an iPhone, likely, you’re dealing with a SIM card as iPhones don’t support SD cards.  If you’re rocking a Blackberry phone, you can format the SD card via Settings > Storage and Access > Media Storage Details > Format Media Card > OK.

Use Cloud Storage Instead of an SD Card

If you’ve been using an SD card to free up space on your Android smartphone, you may want to consider using a cloud storage solution instead. Cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive can automatically back up photos and videos to an online server when they’re created, so you don’t need to worry about them filling up your mobile’s storage space. You can also access all of the files uploaded to your cloud account on other devices without the need for physically moving an SD card or USB drive back and forth. There’s also little risk of losing these files due to corruption or card error.