On this page, you will learn about why data gets lost after formatting SD card as internal storage on Android, how to recover data from an SD card formatted as internal storage, why people need to do this, and what happens when you format an SD card as internal storage.

Check and learn how to recover lost data from SD card immediately:

Reasons for Data Loss from SD Card as Internal Storage

Thus, when you use an SD card as internal storage on Android, the card gets encrypted, and all data is wiped out completely. If you didn't back up photos or any essential files on the SD card, you can only recover deleted data with the help of data recovery tools.

In addition to the lack of backup, there is another risk of data loss when you use an SD card as internal storage: It will be subjected to more frequent read-write operations, which will degrade its performance over time.

It becomes slow and corrupt, making data inaccessible.

How to recover data from formatted internal SD card?

Then, how to recover data from a formatted SD card or access data from a slow or corrupted SD card? Tools like Data Recovery Wizard are professional SD card recovery software that can get the job done accurately.

Before you can recover data from the adoptable storage card, you need to decrypt the SD card so that Windows can recognize it. As the card is encrypted, the only solution is to format it as a portable device. Follow this guide to now recover data from an SD card formatted as internal storage on your phone:

#1. Decrypting the SD Card from Within Android

    On your phone, go to Settings > Storage > Storage settings. Tap Format as removable storage.

Format SD card as portable

    Click "Format."

Safely eject the SD card from your Android device once it's portable again.

#2. How to recover data from a formatted SD card?

First of all, download the trial version of tools Data Recovery Wizard Professional and install it on your computer. Next, connect the SD card to the Windows system via a card reader and follow the simple guide below to get your files back.

Here are the detailed steps to recover data from an SD card that was formatted as internal storage: 1. **Cease using the SD Card**: As soon as you realize data is lost, stop using the SD card immediately to prevent overwritten data. 2. **Acquire Data Recovery Software**: Choose a reputable data recovery tool, such as Recuva, tools Data Recovery Wizard, or Disk Drill. Make sure you get the version compatible with your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Android). 3. **Connect the SD Card**: Insert the SD card into a card reader connected to your computer, or directly to your device if supported. 4. **Run the Data Recovery Software**: Open the downloaded data recovery software and follow the installation prompts. Upon launching, it should usually detect the connected SD card automatically. 5. **Scan the SD Card**: In the software, select the SD card as the scanning target and initiate a full scan. This may take some time depending on the size of the SD card and the amount of stored data. 6. **Preview and Recover Files**: After the scan, the software will display the recoverable files. Preview these files to confirm they are the ones you need. Select the files you wish to restore and click "Recover" or a similar button to save them to another location on your computer. 7. **Verify Recovered Files**: After recovery, make sure to check the integrity and readability of the files to confirm successful data retrieval. Please note that not all lost data can be recovered, especially after formatting. Regularly backing up important data is the best way to avoid data loss.

Step 1: Select the SD card to be scanned

    < li > Download and install the tools Data Recovery Wizard on your Windows computer.< / li > < li > Connect your SanDisk / Lexar / Transcend SD card to the PC in the right way.< / li > < li > Launch the tools SD card recovery software. Select "SD Card Recovery" on the left. All connected drives will be displayed here. Choose your SD card and click "Scan".< / li >
Select the SD card and click 'Scan'

Step 2: Check the scan results

    Wait for the scan to complete. Select one or more file types to display, such as pictures or videos. Click "Preview" to check if they're the files you want.
Recover Lost Photos

Step 3: Recover Data from SD Card

    • Preview the recovered files and click “Recover”. • Select a location other than the original SD card to save the recovered files.
Recover Lost Photos

Consult with tools Data Recovery Specialists for one-on-one manual recovery service. After the free diagnosis, we offer the following services:

  • Rebuild damaged RAID structures, unbootable Windows OS, and corrupted virtual disk files (e.g., .vmdk, .vhd, .vhdx, etc.)
  • Restore/recover lost partitions and reformatted drives
  • Undelete formatted hard drives and raw repair drives (BitLocker encrypted drives)
  • Fix disks turned into GPT protected partitions

Why format the SD card as internal storage?

Running low on storage space! Many users will let out a sigh and start complaining about their phone's memory. The solution to boosting your storage lies in the SD card slot. A quick Google search will show you how to format your SD card as internal storage. But what does that entail?

Android treats the SD card as part of the internal storage pool for data, so apps can be installed on the card and save their data there.

What happens if I format the SD card as internal storage?

    - You accidentally deleted all data from your Android SD card - Your Android formatted the SD card, changing the standard FAT32/exFAT format to ext4 or f2fs - Your SD card is encrypted, making it unmountable on another Android smartphone

There's good news and bad news about adding expandable storage to Android that lasts.

With as little as 4-8 GB of onboard storage, it's easy to fill up the storage on an Android phone like Android One when installing apps. Starting with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google introduced Adoptable Storage, which allows you to add a removable microSD card to expand your Android device's internal storage. Historically, SD cards have been used to store photos, music, and videos, but not apps.

Now, expanding the internal storage of an Android device is no longer an issue. To use an SD card as internal storage on Android, you need to format it to ensure security – a process that will erase all the data currently stored on the card. To avoid losing any data, consider backing up first.

How to Format/Use an SD Card as Internal Storage on Android

1. Go to Settings, then choose Storage & USB.

2. At the bottom of the list, you should see your SD card's details, along with an option to format it as “Internal” storage.

sd card format android

After that, restart your device, and you should be ready to go.

Format SD card as internal storage

Tip
If your device doesn't detect the micro SD card, the formatting process might get stuck. Click the link to fix the issue.