How to Backup SD Card to Google Photos [Everything Your Need to Know]

This page will concentrate on how to back up SD cards to Google Photos on Android phones. If some of you encounter issues where your SD card photos are not appearing in Google Photos, don't worry.

Follow the solutions on this page to learn how to back up and sync or update your pictures/videos from an external SD card, micro SD card, or TF card on your Android phone to Google Photos now.

Translate into English

Why Aren't My SD Card Photos Showing in Google Photos?

"I saved my photos and videos on an external SD card in my Samsung Galaxy 20. I enabled the Google Photos backup and sync feature to upload them to the Google Photos app. However, none of my media appears in Google Photos. They're still only on the SD card."

"Why is that? Is there a way to back up everything on my SD card to Google Photos?"

The Google Photos app, recognized as a cloud storage solution for Android devices, enjoys wide popularity among Android users. It offers the capability to back up local photos and videos (up to 16Mp and 1080p HD) free of charge. However, certain Android users have reported encountering issues where they are unable to access or view their photos on Google Photos, and they are unsure of the reason behind it.

Essentially, there are three main reasons that might prevent you from backing up your SD card to Google Photos or accessing files in this app:

• The Android version is too old, only Android 6.0 and above is supported.
• The SD card is not set as internal storage.
• The backup process didn't complete or failed.

For these issues, you'll need to restart the SD card backup to Google Photos process. Follow the instructions below to do it yourself:

How to Backup SD Card to Google Photos

Here, we've compiled three reliable tools - two from support.google.com and one from the support team tools to help you fully back up SD card photos, videos, and even everything to Google Photos.

Choose one and follow the guide to start safeguarding your important files on the Android SD card now:

• #Method 1. Use Google Photos Backup and Sync to Back Up SD Card
• #Method 2. Upload Photos to Google Photos from Computer
• #Method 3. Back Up Everything on SD Card

Method 1: Use Google Photos Backup and Sync to Back Up SD Card

Before You Begin: Verify if the SD Card is Detected

Step 1. Open the Settings app on your phone.

Step 2. Tap Storage & USB.

Step 3. Check if you see your SD card listed under the "Device storage" or "Portable storage" section.

If you see your card listed, proceed with the steps below. If not, remove the SD card, re-insert it into your phone, and set it as either "Portable" or "Internal" storage through the popup notification.

Step 1. Launch the Google Photos app on your Android device.

Step 2. At the top left, touch the "menu" icon with three horizontal lines.

Step 3. Choose "Settings > Backup & Sync."

If it's not enabled, turn it on.

Step 4. Tap "Choose folders to back up..." and select the SD card photo folder, like DICM, that you want to back up.

Wait for the backup process to finish.

Method 2: Upload Photos to Google Photos from Computer

Another method you can try is to connect your Android phone's SD card to your computer and upload the photos and videos to Google Photos.

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Step 1. Safely eject and remove the SD card from your Android phone.

Step 2. Open photos.google.com in a web browser on your computer.

Step 3. Click "Photo," then click the Upload icon in the top-right menu.

Step 4. Click "Computer" and then select photos from your SD card to upload.

Wait for the process to finish. After that, you can open the Google Photos app to view your SD card photos.

If you frequently clear or free up space on your SD card, remember to disable or turn off the Backup and Sync feature on your phone before deleting photos.

Method 3: Back Up Everything on SD Card to Google Drive

Since Google Photos only offers the Photos and Videos backup option, any other crucial files like contacts or local documents on your card won't be backed up to this cloud drive.

To back up everything on your SD card, follow this link for assistance: Backup Micro SD Card.

But if you still prefer to fully back up your SD card data to a Cloud service, you can consider using Google Drive. There are two methods available for backing up your SD card to Google Drive:

1. 1. Manually back up your Android SD card to Google Drive using the Backup Utility on your phone: How to backup SD card to Google Drive.
2. 2. Perform a one-time backup of all SD card data to Google Drive in bulk.

Here, we'll demonstrate the latter method, which is more efficient and straightforward. Trustworthy file backup software - Todo Backup can back up unlimited files to Google Drive in one go.

Here are the steps to back up all your SD card data to Google Drive on your computer: 1. **Connect SD Card to Computer**: Insert your SD card into an SD card reader, and then connect the reader to your computer's USB port. 2. **Open Google Drive**: Visit [drive.google.com](https://drive.google.com) in your web browser and log in to your Google account if you're not already signed in. 3. **Create a Backup Folder**: In Google Drive, right-click anywhere in the interface and select "New" > "Folder". Name the folder something like "SD Card Backup." 4. **Access SD Card**: On your computer, locate the SD card, which should appear as a new drive in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). 5. **Copy Files**: Navigate to the contents of the SD card, select all the files and folders you want to back up, and then right-click and choose "Copy" (or press `Ctrl+C` on Windows or `Cmd+C` on Mac). 6. **Paste to Google Drive**: Return to your open Google Drive window in your browser, navigate to the backup folder you created, and right-click in the folder and choose "Paste" (or press `Ctrl+V` on Windows or `Cmd+V` on Mac). This will start uploading your files to Google Drive. 7. **Wait for Upload to Complete**: The upload time will depend on the size of your files and your internet speed. Be patient and ensure your computer remains connected to the internet during the process. 8. **Verify Backup**: Once the upload is complete, check the contents of the "SD Card Backup" folder in Google Drive to ensure all files have been uploaded correctly. 9. **Eject SD Card Safely**: After confirming the backup, safely remove the SD card from your computer by either using the "Safely Remove Hardware" option in the system tray (Windows) or ejecting it from Finder (Mac). Now your SD card data is securely backed up to Google Drive. You can access these files from any device with an internet connection and a Google account.

Step 1. Click "Select backup contents" to start a backup.

Step 2. There are four data backup categories: File, Disk, OS, and Mail. Click File.

Step 3. Local and network files will be displayed on the left side. You can expand the directory to choose which files to back up.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to choose the location where you want to save the backup.

Click "Options" to encrypt the backup with a password under "Backup Options," and to set up a backup schedule and choose to initiate a backup at a specific event under "Backup Scheme." Numerous other customization options are available for the backup process as well.

Step 5. You can save the backup to a local disk, the tool's online service, or a NAS.

Step 6. Todo Backup allows users to back up data to a third-party cloud drive or its own cloud drive.

If you want to back up data to a third-party cloud drive, select Local Drive, scroll down to add Cloud Device, add your account, and then log in.

You can also save backups to the tool's cloud storage service. Click on "Tools Cloud," sign up for a Tools Account, and then log in.

Step 7. Click "Backup Now" to start the backup process. When the backup is complete, it will appear as a card on the left panel. To manage the backup job further, right-click on it.

In addition to backing up SD cards, Todo Backup tools can fully protect your computer's operating system and data with the following features:

• Backup Windows 10 to USB
• Automatically copy files from one folder to another
• Backup files to OneDrive
• Clone and upgrade disk without reinstalling Windows
• Migrate Windows 10 to SSD

Bonus Tip - How to Transfer Photos from Internal Memory to SD Card If you're running out of space on your device's internal memory and want to move your photos to an SD card, follow these steps: 1. **Insert the SD Card**: Ensure that your device has an SD card slot and insert the SD card properly. 2. **Enable Write Access**: Go to your device's settings, then find and enter the "Storage" or "Memory" section. Make sure the SD card is mounted and set as "Write-Enabled." 3. **Access Photos**: Open the gallery or photos app on your device. 4. **Select Photos**: Choose the photos you wish to transfer. Depending on the app, you might be able to select multiple photos by tapping on them while holding down the "Select" button or by using the "Select All" option. 5. **Move/Copy Photos**: Look for an option like "Move," "Copy," or "Save As." Tap on it, and then choose the SD card as the destination folder. 6. **Wait for Transfer**: The transfer process may take some time depending on the number of photos and their sizes. Do not remove the SD card or turn off your device during this time. 7. **Verify Transfer**: Once the transfer is complete, check the SD card to ensure that your photos have been moved successfully. You can do this by opening the file manager app on your device and navigating to the SD card's photo folder. That's it! Your photos should now be stored on the SD card, freeing up space on your device's internal memory.

Some of you might also want to learn how to move internal storage photos to an external SD card. That's what we'll be discussing next.

Here are the steps to move and transfer photos from internal memory to an external SD card: 1. **Insert the SD Card**: First, ensure that your device has an empty SD card slot. Insert the external SD card into the designated slot. 2. **Enable Storage Access**: On your device, go to the Settings menu and find the "Storage" or "Memory" option. Depending on your device, it might be under "System" or "Device Care." 3. **Format SD Card (if needed)**: If it's a new or previously used SD card, you may need to format it for your device. In the Storage settings, select the SD card and choose "Format" or "Erase & Format." Confirm the action when prompted. 4. **Set up SD Card**: After formatting, you'll likely have an option to "Move Apps" or "Change Default Storage." Select this to set the SD card as the default storage location for new content. 5. **Access Photos**: Open the Photos or Gallery app on your device. 6. **Select Photos to Move**: Choose the photos you want to transfer. This may involve tapping on individual photos, selecting multiple by ticking checkboxes, or choosing an entire album. 7. **Move Photos**: Look for an option like "Move," "Copy," or "Save As." Tap on it, then select the SD card as the destination. 8. **Wait for Transfer**: The transfer process may take some time depending on the number of photos and their size. Be patient and do not remove the SD card during this process. 9. **Verify Transfer**: Once completed, check the SD card in your Photos or Gallery app to ensure the photos have been successfully moved. 10. **Free Up Internal Space**: Now that the photos are on the SD card, you can delete them from the internal memory to free up space. Remember, these steps might vary slightly depending on your device's operating system (Android, iOS, etc.).

Step 1. On your Android phone, tap on "My Files".

Step 2. Tap "Internal storage" and open the DCIM folder.

Step 3. Tap "Camera", then long-press to select the photos or image folder within this folder.

Step 4. Tap the Move button and navigate to your files menu, then tap "SD card".

Step 5. Tap the DCIM folder, then tap "Done".

If there is no DCIM folder in the SD card, create one and name it "DCIM".

Conclusion

On this page, we discussed why SD card photos are not appearing in Google Photos and provided two reliable methods to assist you in fully backing up Android SD card photos and videos to Google Photos.

Note that if you prefer to create a full backup of your SD card in one go, you can also consider using a cloud service like Google Drive. Tools like Todo Backup, with its advanced backup functionality, can assist you in this process.

Regardless of the method you choose to back up your SD card, it's time to take action and become a guardian of your own files now.