How to Access SD Card on Android from PC?

If you have an Android device with a microSD card slot, you might be wondering how you can access the files stored on your SD card from your PC. There are different ways to do this, depending on whether you want to use your SD card as portable or internal storage.

Portable Storage vs. Internal Storage

When you insert a new SD card into your Android device, you will be asked to format it and choose between portable or internal storage.

Portable storage means that you can use your SD card to store files like photos, videos, music, and documents. You can also move the SD card between different devices and access its contents on any compatible device. However, you cannot install apps on the SD card or move apps to it.

Internal storage means you can use your SD card to expand your device’s internal memory. You can install apps on the SD card or move apps to it. You can also store files like photos, videos, music, and documents on it. However, you cannot move the SD card between different devices or access its contents on any other device.

How to access SD card on Android from PC as portable storage

If you have formatted your SD card as portable storage, accessing it from your PC is very easy. All you need is a USB cable and a file explorer app on your PC.

Here are the steps:

  1. Connect your Android device to your PC with a USB cable.
  2. On your Android device, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the notification that says “USB for file transfer.”
  3. Select “File Transfer” or “MTP” mode.
  4. On your PC, open File Explorer and look for your device name under “This PC” or “Computer.”
  5. Double-click on your device name and then double-click on the “SD Card” or “Card” folder.
  6. You should now see all the files and folders stored on your SD card.
  7. You can copy, paste, delete, rename, or move any files or folders as you wish.

How to access SD card on Android from PC as internal storage

If you have formatted your SD card as internal storage, accessing it from your PC is only possible indirectly. This is because when you format an SD card as internal storage, it becomes encrypted and only readable by your device.

However, some workarounds might help you access some of the files stored on your SD card from your PC.

Here are some options:

  • Use a cloud service: You can upload some of the files stored on your SD card to a cloud service like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc., and then download them to your PC from there.
  • Use a wireless transfer app: You can use an app like AirDroid, ShareIt, Xender, etc., that allows you to transfer files wirelessly between your Android device and your PC over Wi-Fi or a hotspot.
  • Use an OTG adapter: You can use an OTG adapter that lets you connect a USB flash drive or another microSD card reader to your Android device via its micro USB port or USB-C port. Then you can copy some of the files stored on your SD card to another external storage device and then connect it to your PC.
  • Use adb commands: If you are familiar with adb commands (Android Debug Bridge), which require enabling developer options and USB debugging mode on your device, you can use them to pull some of the files stored on your SD card to your PC via command prompt or terminal.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have explained how you can access an SD card on Android from PC, depending on whether you have formatted it as portable or internal storage. We hope this guide has been helpful to you. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below.

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