## Recover Lost Files from an SD Card on a Mac

An SD card is relatively small and is commonly used in digital cameras, phones, gaming devices, and home theater equipment. When using devices with SD cards, data on the card can become lost or corrupted. This is often due to misuse of the card or a fault with the card itself. Many people may not realize that files have been lost from an SD card and continue to write data to the memory location, which can cause errors and result in further loss of data.

When you experience data loss from an SD card on a Mac, the best solution is to use a data recovery tool to retrieve lost files from the SD card. When choosing an SD Card Recovery tool for Mac, consider the following points:

    • User-friendly: A simple interface and operation will help users get started with data recovery quickly.
    • Supports multiple file formats: Files on an SD card can be in various formats. You need a recovery tool that supports many different file types.
    • Multifunctional: A good recovery tool should primarily recover your data, but some programs come with extra features as well.
    • Safe and secure: Some SD card recovery tools aren't safe and may introduce viruses to your Mac. Choose a secure tool to recover lost files from your SD card on your Mac.

We have picked the eight best Mac SD card recovery software for you, and you can check out the details in the sections below.

Top 8 Best Mac SD Card Recovery Software to Retrieve Lost Files

We will introduce you to 8 Mac SD card recovery software, each with its features and highlights. Below is an overview list of the best Mac SD card recovery software to help you quickly and easily locate the product you need:

Tool: Mac Data Recovery Wizard [Recommended]

First on the list should be the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. This SD card recovery software will help you tackle tricky data loss issues and securely recover deleted files from the Mac Trash with ease. No matter the situation, whether your MacBook won't turn on after macOS Ventura, this tool can still help you salvage SD card data from an unbootable MacBook.

Highlight:

    • Recover APFS, HFS+, HFS X, ExFAT, NTFS, and FAT (FAT16, FAT32) files from an SD card on your Mac.
    • Supports data recovery from SD cards, HDDs, SSDs, MP4 players, camcorders, and other storage devices.
    • Restore data when your Mac won't start up. You can create a bootable media with the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.
    • Repair corrupted videos on your Mac. It's also a powerful video repair tool for Mac users.

<strong>Supported macOS versions: </strong>

Upgrade from Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) to macOS Ventura

We offer a video tutorial on how to use the Data Recovery Wizard tool on a Mac to retrieve data from an SD card; check it out and install the utility – it only takes 3 steps to recover your SD card data!

    00:58 - Select the SD card and scan it 01:12 - Filter the results 01:20 - Preview the data

We have a detailed guide that will walk you through the process of recovering data from an SD card on a Mac.

Step 1: Select the SD card

    Connect the memory card to your Mac correctly. Launch the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool. Proceed to "SD Card Recovery," find your Canon/Nikon/GoPro/DJI/Sony SD card, and click "Search for Lost Files."

Note: Before you perform any recovery, it's recommended that you click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar to create a backup of your SD card. This prevents further data loss. After backing up your SD card, the software can recover data from the SD card backup, after which you can safely remove the SD card and use it again.

Select the location to scan lost SD card data

Step 2: Filter 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.

Scan for lost data on the SD card

Step 3: Preview and recover the data

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

Recover Data from SD Card on Mac

2. StarUS Data Recovery for Mac

Stellar Data Recovery for Mac is one of the best SD card recovery software for Mac. This recovery tool can restore deleted pictures, audio, video, and movie files. It retrieves files lost due to USB errors, missing partitions, and unrecognized drives.

Stellar Data Recovery for Mac This is a screenshot of Stellar Data Recovery for Mac.

Focus:

    • Repair videos and photos from a corrupted SD card on a Mac.
    • Compatible with Mac computers equipped with M1, M2, and T2 chips.
    • Offers two scanning modes, allowing you to choose between a quick scan or a deep scan of your SD card.

Supported versions of macOS:

macOS 13, 12, 11, 10.15, 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, and 10.11

3. PhotoRec

PhotoRec is a free and open-source SD card recovery tool with a text-based UI that uses data carving techniques. You can recover files indefinitely, but you'll need to be comfortable with a command-line user interface. PhotoRec operates with read-only access to ensure the safety of each recovery operation.

PhotoRec

Highlight:

    • Completely free and can recover an unlimited number of files from an SD card, and the software is frequently updated.
    • Great for professional photographers who need to recover a large number of images.
    • Can handle corrupted photos from various devices like SD cards, external hard drives, CDs, and digital cameras.

Supported macOS versions:

Translation from macOS 10.6 to macOS Ventura: From Snow Leopard macOS to Ventura macOS

4. Recoverit for Mac

With Recoverit for Mac, you can get back unlimited files by retrieving lost data from the Trash or recovering data from accidentally or permanently deleted, formatted, computer crash, and other reasons. It's a trustworthy SD card recovery tool that gives you the best chance of getting back your lost or deleted data from an SD card.

Recoverit for Mac

Highlight:

    • Support for various storage devices, including SD, microSD, SDHC, and SDXC cards, as well as MMC, CF cards, HDD, SSD, and USB flash drives.
    • Ability to recover undamaged video files by automatically scanning, collecting, and matching video fragments.
    • Preview support for multiple file types, including documents, movies, and photos.

Supported macOS versions:

From macOS Yosemite to macOS Ventura

5. Data Rescue 6

Data Rescue 6 offers advanced search and filtering capabilities, along with a user-friendly interface and file preview options. These are some of the key features that make Data Rescue 6 stand out. To find out if Data Rescue 6 meets your file recovery needs, read on for the highlights of the software.

Mac Data Recovery 6

Highlight:

    • Clone failing SD cards with Data Rescue 6 to prevent further data loss.
    • The built-in FileIQ feature helps the software learn new unsupported file types.
    • Enables you to work with RAID settings in Pro Mode.
    • Data Rescue 6 supports bootable recovery. If your Mac device fails to boot, you can recover lost content from an SD card.

Supported versions of macOS:

macOS 10.12 or later macOS Base System

6. R-Studio for Mac

R-Studio for Mac is a powerful and affordable range of data recovery software for undeleting files. Thanks to its innovative cutting-edge data recovery technologies, it's an excellent all-around data recovery solution for restoring files from FAT12/16/32, NTFS, exFAT, and NTFS5 file systems. It works on both local and network drives, whether the partitions are deleted, damaged, or formatted.

R-Studio for Mac This is a screenshot of R-Studio for Mac.

Highlight:

    • Recover data over a network. A computer running macOS can access the data to be recovered over a network. • The recovered SD card data can be saved to any drive visible to the host operating system, including network disks. • If your SD card is part of a RAID, you can create a virtual RAID with R-Studio to access it and recover data before attempting to fix it.

<strong>Supported macOS versions: </strong>

macOS 10.13 and later

7. Remo Recover for Mac

Remo Recover Mac is a comprehensive data recovery software for Mac OS X, built as a universal binary program. With its inbuilt powerful scanning algorithm, it can find and recover deleted or lost volumes, formatted volumes, and repartitioned Mac drives. The data recovery software is available in three editions, and you can choose the appropriate one for your use.

Remo Reover Mac (Image: Remo Reover Mac)

Highlight:

    • Remo Recover can be used to retrieve lost or deleted files from Mac volumes (Journal based) and SD cards.
    • You can preview the recoverable files before restoring from an SD card. This lets you have a look at the recoverable photos or videos in advance.
    • Supports various partition types on an SD card including FAT16, FAT32, HFS+, and HFSX.

Supported versions of macOS:

All versions of macOS prior to macOS Monterey

8. CardRescue for Mac

< a href="https://www.cardrescue.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">CardRescue for Mac is a photo recovery program for macOS. This SD card recovery tool is designed to restore deleted pictures or videos, as well as images from memory cards/SD cards that have been damaged or formatted due to use in cameras, phones, or other devices.

CardRescue for Mac

Highlight:

    • Retrieve lost photos from formatted or reformatted SD card.
    • Recovers RAW image formats and allows preview of recoverable images.
    • User-friendly interface that requires no professional computer skills to use.

Supported macOS versions:

All versions of macOS, including the latest version (macOS Ventura)

Bottom line: Conclusion

In this article, we reviewed eight SD card recovery programs that can help you retrieve deleted files on your Mac, with some of them even working when your Mac won't start up. If you're having trouble picking the right tool to recover data from your SD card, consider trying Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. You can download a free trial by clicking the button below.

Frequently Asked Questions about Best SD Card Recovery Software for Mac

Continue reading to know more about the best SD card recovery software for Mac:

**1. What is the best SD card recovery software for Mac?**

This article discusses the eight best SD card recovery software for Mac. You can check them out from the list below:

    1. Mac Data Recovery Wizard 2. Stellar Mac Data Recovery 3. PhotoRec 4. Recoverit for Mac 5. Data Rescue 6 6. R-Studio for Mac 7. Remo Recover Mac 8. CardRescue for Mac

2. Can I recover data from a formatted SD card on Mac?

It can be used to recover formatted SD card on Mac. If you regularly back up your SD card on Mac with Time Machine or other backup software, you can choose to restore the backup and recover files from the SD card. Another solution is to download a data recovery wizard tool for Mac to recover the formatted SD card.

3. How to Recover Photos from SD Card on MacBook?

You can recover deleted photos from an SD card on your Mac or MacBook by following these steps:

    1. Recover photos from an SD card using a Mac Data Recovery Wizard tool. 2. Recover photos from an SD card using the Undo option. 3. Restore photos from an SD card using the Restore option. 4. Retrieve photos from an SD card using the Terminal. 5. Recover photos from the Recently Deleted album on the SD card. 6. Restore photos from an SD card using an iCloud backup. 7. Recover photos from an SD card using Time Machine.

4. Is it safe to use Mac SD Card Recovery software to retrieve data?

Generally, using an SD card data recovery software is safer than sending your SD card for physical data retrieval. When faced with data loss, users typically turn to software solutions first. While there are many excellent data recovery options available, caution is still advised when using them. The tool "Data Recovery Wizard" is entirely safe for securely retrieving data from an SD card.