Fixes for MicroSD Card Not Detected or Not Working on Samsung S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series, which includes the S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra, boasts impressive features and capabilities, including expandable storage through the use of microSD cards. However, some users may encounter issues where their microSD card is not detected or not working on their device. This can be a frustrating problem, as it limits the ability to store additional data, such as photos, videos, or music. In this guide, we will explore various solutions to help you address and fix the issue of microSD cards not being detected or not working on your Samsung S20, S20 Plus, or S20 Ultra.

The inability to access your microSD card on your Samsung S20 series device can hinder your overall user experience, particularly if you rely on external storage for saving important files or media. By following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide, you can identify the underlying cause of the issue and implement the appropriate solution, ensuring that your device functions optimally and recognizes the microSD card as intended.

Fix, MicroSD card is not detecting or SD Card not working on Galaxy S20, S20+ or S20 Ultra

Remove and Reinsert MicroSD card

Turn off your Galaxy.

Warning

Removing an SD card while the device is on may result in corrupted data.
With your phone’s screen facing you, remove the card tray. You can use the insertion/removal tool (or a paperclip) to unlock the tray by inserting it into the provided slot. This small hole should be visible on the top part of your device.
Remove the SD card from the tray. You can lift the card up from the bottom. To assist, use the opening on the opposite side of the tray to dislodge (using a fingernail).
Remember to also re-insert the SD card while the phone is still off.

Check Whether the SD card is working or not

The next good thing that you can do if your Galaxy is still not detecting the SD card is to ensure that the card itself is working. If you have another phone, insert the SD card in there and see it gets recognized. Then, try to save a file or files to it to check if it does receive file transfers normally.

Simple Reboot or Forced reboot

Well, I think you already know how to restart your phone. So just restart the device and see whether it solves the issue or not. Restarting a device is always the ultimate solution for any issue. Not only Pixel but this applies to each and every electronic device. I used to tell my mom to restart her device if she faces any issue with her smartphone.

Rebooting your device regularly at least once every week can be beneficial. If you tend to forget things, we suggest that you configure your phone to reboot on its own. You can schedule it to do this task by doing these steps:

Open the Settings app.
Tap Device Care.
Tap the 3-dot at the top.
Select Auto restart.

Format SD card

From home, tap Apps.
Tap Settings.
Tap Device maintenance.
Tap Storage.
Tap More options.
Tap Storage settings.
Tap SD card.
Tap Format.
Confirm by tapping on Format.

Reset App Preferences

Open the Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
Select Reset app preferences.
Restart your Galaxy and check for the problem.

Clear Cache from Recovery Mode

In case you don’t know what is recovery, the first thing the bootloader rings up is the recovery. Recovery Mode refers to a special bootable partition, which contains a recovery application installed in it. And you can fix some problems with your phone. Follow the steps to clear cache from recovery mode:

Turn off your phone.
Once it is turned off. Press and hold the power/Bixby and volume down button simultaneously until the Android logo pops up.
When the green Android logo displays, release both buttons.
The Recovery screen menu will now appear
Use the Volume button to go to Wipe Cache Partition then press the Power button to confirm the selection.
Wait until your device wipes out all cache or temporary data from the system partition.
Press the Power button again to reboot the device.

This clears all the temporary data from the device. And then it works like new.

Update to Latest Software

Follow the below steps to update system software:

Open Settings from either Quick Nav menu or the launcher.
Go to the More tab, then tap on About device.
Tap on the Software update.
If a system update is available, you’ll see the option on the screen. Tap Download and Install.
If your system is up to date, you will see a message stating that the system is up to date.

That is all. You have successfully checked for a system update on your Samsung Galaxy S20 (Plus) and S20 Ultra.

Here are a few things that are needed to take care while updating your Samsung Galaxy S20 (Plus) and S20 Ultra or any device:

Your device must be connected to the internet.
Your device must have enough space to download the update.
Your device should have enough charge, more than 50% to install the update.

Troubleshoot apps in Safe Mode

In case you don’t know what is safe mode, in safe mode, the system temporarily disable all third-party applications you installed on your device. By doing this we can figure out which app is occurring the problem. Follow the below step to turn Safe Mode on:

Turn OFF the device.
Press and hold your device’s Power button till the model name screen.
When the SAMSUNG logo appears on the screen, release the Power key.
Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

After figuring out the apps which are creating the problem, follow the below steps to uninstall it(if required):

Open Settings from Launcher.
Tap on Apps.
Tap See All Apps.
Tap an app that you want to uninstall
Tap Uninstall.
Tap OK to confirm.

Factory Reset

Disclaimer

Factory reset will delete everything, so you want to make sure that you create a copy of your personal data such as photos, videos, documents, texts, etc. ahead of time.

Open the Settings from the launcher.
Scroll to and tap General management.
Tap Reset.
Select Factory data reset.
Tap Reset to continue.
Tap Delete All to confirm the action.

From Recovery:

Turn off your phone.
Once it is turned off. Press and hold the power/Bixby and volume down button simultaneously until the Android logo pops up.
When the green Android logo displays, release both buttons.
The Recovery screen menu will now appear
Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
Press the Power button to confirm the action to clear your phone data.

Visit the Service Centre

Although it’s rare, some cases of overheating issues on Samsung Galaxy devices may have bad hardware as the origin. If a factory reset won’t help in fixing your issue, visit your local Samsung store or Service Center so a qualified Samsung technician can examine the hardware. If needed, they may send it in for repair or replacement.

Do you own a Galaxy Device, or any Android device and need these types of simple tutorials? Then stay tunned to GetDroidTips’ Android Tips & Tricks column because many simple tutorials for Galaxy are coming soon.

If you have any queries regarding this, the comment section always available for you.