How to Recover Deleted Files from an SD Card on a Mac

How to recover deleted files from an SD card:

1. Download and install the **Mac** SD Card Recovery software. 2. Insert your **SD card** into your **Mac** computer. 3. Launch the **Mac** SD Card Recovery software. 4. Select your **SD card** and click the **Scan** button. 5. Choose the files you want to recover and click **Restore Now**.

How to recover lost files from SD card on Mac?

"I was transferring some important photos from the SD card of my camera to my Mac. The process took forever and showed no sign of stopping. I pulled out the SD card directly from the USB port. When I reconnected it to the computer, my Mac displayed a warning message asking me to format the SD card. I formatted the SD card, and now the issue – all photos on the SD card are missing. Is it possible to recover all photos and data from the formatted SD card?"

Most users might have come across the situation where a memory card or USB flash drive needs to be formatted before it can be reused. If you proceed with the formatting on Mac, you will lose all your files. Apart from formatting, there can be other scenarios that might result in data loss from the SD card.

• Accidentally deleted files from SD card
• Formatted the SD card
• Corrupted or inaccessible SD card
• Virus attack
• Power failure

If any of these issues happen and you lose files from your SD card, you might wonder whether the data is lost forever. The answer is no. You can still use a powerful Mac data recovery software to recover files from SD card on Mac. Keep in mind that the less you use your memory card after the data loss, the higher the chance of retrieving data from an SD card or CF card.

Read also: Recover Files from Formatted SD Card in Windows 10/8.1/8/7.

Top 5 SD Card Recovery Software for Mac Users

When your files get lost from an SD card, they are not gone forever. Only the file names and attributes are removed, while your picture, video, and audio data remain on the memory card until they are overwritten. To get them back, you will need a professional SD card data recovery program. Luckily, there are a lot of tools that can help you easily recover files from SD card on Mac. We have picked out the top 5 best SD Card Recovery for Mac here.

• Mac Data Recovery Wizard
• Disk Drill
• Data Rescue 5
• PhotoRec
• TestDisk

Top Pick 1: Mac Data Recovery Wizard

Here, we highly recommend you try the WonderShare Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. It's very reliable and able to recover lost data from Mac hard drive, external hard drive, memory stick, memory card, USB flash drive, and SD card due to deletion, formatting, lost partition, virus attack, system crash, unmounted drive, etc. Besides, this all-in-one Mac data recovery tool also offers a free version with 2 GB of data recovery for free file recovery from an SD card.

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Highlight:

- Compatible with the latest macOS 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14 (Mojave), and all earlier versions - Lossless recovery to get back your lost photos and videos in perfect condition - Supports data recovery from Fusion Drive - Supports T2 chip – First and only software to do so

The following table lists the utilities supported by the Mac Data Recovery software and their functionalities.

Runner-Up #1: Disk Drill – SD Card Recovery for Mac

Disk Drill is an effective and reliable tool to recover files from an SD card on Mac OS X 10.5+. It can recover deleted files on all types of SD cards for Mac OS X, including SDHC, SDXC, MicroSD, CompactFlash cards, XD picture cards, and almost any other card your Mac can read. However, the free version only allows you to recover up to 500 MB of data.

Highlight:

- Offers additional free disk utilities for disk monitoring, space cleanup, and duplicate file deletion - Supports data recovery for both iOS devices and Android

3. Data Rescue 5 - SD Card Recovery Tool

Data Rescue 5 is an appealing SD card file recovery app with an intuitive recovery process and two powerful scan modes.

Highlight:

- Exclude duplicate files from recovery results - Preview scanning results - Search for specific items by name, size, and modification date

4. PhotoRec

PhotoRec is a free digital photo recovery utility. It's designed to recover lost pictures from hard disks, memory cards, USB flash drives, CD-ROMs, and other storage devices.

Highlight:

- Runs on multiple operating systems - macOS, Windows, Linux, and more. - 100% open source, with both the software and source code fully available.

Top 5: TestDisk

TestDisk is a free and open-source data recovery software developed by Christophe Grenier. While its main purpose is to recover lost partitions and fix boot issues, it can also be used to restore deleted files.

Highlight:

• Supports multiple operating systems, including macOS and versions of Mac OS X. • Restores lost partitions and rebuilds the partition table.

How to Recover Deleted Files from an SD Card on a Mac

Now that you have known the 5 best Mac SD card recovery software, it's time to recover files from your SD card on Mac. Download and install the best SD card recovery software for Mac – ToolKit SD Card Recovery on your Mac. Connect your SD card to the Mac, and follow the steps below to recover SD card on Mac. Remember, once you lose data from your SD card or Mac, stop using it immediately, or you may lose the data forever.

Note: Save the recovered files to a different disk and not back to the original memory card.

Step 1: Choose the SD card

Connect your memory card to your Mac correctly. Launch the Disk Drill for Mac data recovery tool. Choose “SD Card Recovery”, find your Canon/Nikon/GoPro/DJI/Sony SD card, and click “Search for lost files”.

Select the location to scan for lost SD card data

Step 2: Filter out lost data from the SD card

When the scan is finished, all the files will be displayed in the left pane of the scan results. Look for the photos, videos, and other files you want.

Step 3: Preview and recover your data

Preview the SD card data and select the files you want, then click on the “Recover” button. To prevent overwriting of data, do not save the recoverable files to the SD card itself.

Effective Tips to Avoid Mac SD Card Data Loss

You can also follow the below-given suggestions to prevent SD card data loss:

• Regularly back up data files
• Eject the SD card safely from your Mac
• Avoid removing the SD card while data transfer is in progress
• Don't eject the SD memory card when your Mac is in sleep mode
• Be aware of the symptoms of a corrupted or damaged SD card to prevent data loss
• The best recovery solution is to protect your data in advance

With the unique SD Card Data Protection feature of Data Recovery Wizard, your files are kept safe and secure. It shields your valuable data from accidental deletion. The Mac version logs detailed information about protected files after they've been deleted, making it easier to recover them later. To retrieve your data, simply check the "Protected Files" section in the interface, select the items from the list, and recover them.

Frequently Asked Questions on Recovering Data from SD Card on Mac

If you still have questions about Mac SD card data recovery, read the Q&A below.

How to Fix an SD Card That Won't Read on a Mac?

Fix "The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer" Error for SD Card on Mac

1. Inspect the Mac operating system 2. Check the file system 3. Utilize Disk Utility for repair 4. Initialize the disk

2. How to Recover Photos from Damaged SD Card on Mac?

Recover Deleted Photos from SD Card on Mac:

1. Download and install an SD card recovery software.
2. Connect the SD card to your Mac.
3. Launch the program and select the SD card.
4. Click on the "Scan" button to start scanning for deleted pictures.
5. Select the photos from the list of recoverable files, then click "Restore Now."

3. Is there any way to recover deleted items on a Mac?

There are several practical ways to recover deleted files on Mac. For instance, you can restore lost files from the Trash, use the Undo option, Terminal, Time Machine backup, or use Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool to retrieve permanently deleted files.

How do I recover my SD card for free?

You can use the free version of Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover up to 1 GB of files from your SD card. This is a great solution if you just need to get back a few missing photos.

5. What is the best data recovery software for Mac?

"Data Recovery Wizard for Mac" is one of the best data recovery software options for Mac users. It is a comprehensive and efficient tool that helps you recover lost data from an emptied trash bin, accidental deletion, or other reasons. With just three simple steps - select the hard drive, scan for deleted files, preview and recover all recoverable files - you can restore unlimited amounts of data.

How do I access an SD card on my MacBook Pro?

To access an SD card on a MacBook Pro, choose Apple menu > “About This Mac.” Click “System Report.” In the “Hardware” section of “System Information,” select USB. Then, in the list of USB devices, select “Internal Memory Card Reader” to see information about the interface hardware and any media inserted into the SD card slot.