Recover Data from Nintendo Switch SD Card on Mac [NS Recovery]

Data Loss from Nintendo Switch SD Card

With limited internal storage, an Nintendo Switch allows you to save game data, videos, and screenshots on an SD card. Many Nintendo fanatics wouldn't want to lose game progress on Super Mario, Zelda, Splatoon, and other games on their NS. However, issues may occur with the SD card, putting your NS in an emergency situation and at risk of losing game data by accident. Why could data be lost from an SD card on a Nintendo Switch?

• Free up space on the Nintendo Switch SD card by deleting game data.
• Accidentally formatted the SD card on the Nintendo Switch.
• Data loss due to incorrect operations on the Nintendo Switch.
• Data loss from improperly ejecting the SD card on a Mac.
• The SD card for the Nintendo Switch is damaged or corrupted.

We have four solutions available for you to recover data from Nintendo Switch SD card, and retrieve your data either on NS or Mac device.

Method 1: Recover Data from Nintendo Switch SD Card on Mac

When you save screen shots and game videos to your NS SD card, it might get erased or formatted by accident. It's difficult to recover lost photos and videos on Nintendo Switch, but you may have the chance to recover formatted SD card on Mac.

What makes the Mac Data Recovery Wizard stand out among numerous powerful SD Card Recovery for Mac utilities?

Step 1: Choose the SD card

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

Note: Before you recover data, it is recommended that you create a backup of your SD card by clicking “Disk Backup” from the left pane to prevent further data loss. After backing up the SD card, the software can restore data from the SD card backup, and you can remove the SD card for regular use.

Select the location, and then scan for lost SD card data

Step 2: Filter out lost data from the SD card

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

Step 3: Preview and recover the data

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

Method 2: Restore Data from NS SD Card with Cloud Backup

Owners of the Nintendo Switch Online can automatically back up their game data to the cloud. An individual membership costs $19.99 per year, while a family plan runs $34.99 annually for up to eight users.

We will show you two ways to restore game data from a Nintendo Switch SD card cloud backup.

Download game data from the game menu:

Step 1: Unlock your Nintendo Switch and select the game you want to recover data for.

Step 2: Press the -/+ buttons to open Game Settings and Details.

Step 3: Use the Joy-Con to select “Save Data Cloud.”

Step 4: Choose a user.

< strong > Step 4. On the right, you can see the specific time and size of the backup. Select Download archive data.

Download Cloud Backup from System Settings:

Step 1. Select the Gear icon from the Nintendo Switch home menu.

Step 2. Scroll down and select “Data Management” and then “Save Data to the Cloud.”

Step 3. The system will ask you to select the user account that has a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Step 4. Select the game you want to restore your data for, then choose Download Save Data.

Method 3: Redownload the Data from the Nintendo Switch eShop

If you accidentally deleted the entire game from your Nintendo Switch without having a local backup, you can try redownloading it through the eShop on your Nintendo Switch. This can also help you recover data from the SD card of your Nintendo Switch.

Step 1: Select a user account that can download the target game and log in to the eShop.

Step 2. In the eShop, open “Account Information” and select “Redownload.”

Step 3: The game will begin downloading again after you click the Cloud Download icon.

Method 4: Restore Game Data from an NS SD Card Using Time Machine

If you have connected your Nintendo Switch SD card to a Mac, the Mac Time Machine might have backed up the SD card automatically. You can recover lost game data or media files from the Mac Time Machine backup.

Step 1. Connect the microSD card from your NS to your local Mac.

Step 2: Start up Time Machine on the Mac and choose a previous backup to restore from.

Step 3. Click “Restore,” and make sure your target is the SD card for your NS.

Step 4. Insert the target microSD card into your Nintendo Switch, and then reboot it.

Bottom line

When you come across data loss on your Nintendo Switch SD card, don't be frustrated. The above four tested methods can help you easily recover data from the Nintendo Switch SD card on your Mac or NS.

Download a practical tool – tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to avoid losing data from SD card. Click the button below to download the free trial of this recovery software.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Recover Data from Nintendo Switch SD Card

After getting to know the 4 methods to recover data from Nintendo Switch SD card, we have answered some common questions to help you learn more:

< strong > How can I recover game data from an SD card of Nintendo Switch?

Here are four methods you can use to recover game data from a Nintendo Switch microSD card:

1. Recover data from a Nintendo Switch SD card using the Mac Data Recovery Wizard tool. 2. Restore game data on the Nintendo Switch SD card from a cloud backup. 3. Re-download data from the eShop on your Nintendo Switch. 4. Recover data from the Nintendo Switch SD card using Time Machine.

2. What is the best Nintendo Switch SD Card Recovery Software?

Here are the 5 best SD card recovery software for Mac:

1. Mac Data Recovery Wizard 2. Stellar Mac Data Recovery 3. PhotoRec 4. CardRescue for Mac 5. Data Rescue 6

3. How do I access files on the SD card on the NS?

You can't use the NS system to manage files on an SD card, or view any files that aren't supported by the game that's running. Files saved to the SD card must be managed on a computer.

How to recover Nintendo Switch screenshots from SD card on Mac?

The best way to recover Nintendo Switch screenshots from SD card on Mac is by using an SD Card Recovery program – the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

1. Remove the SD card from your Nintendo Switch and connect it to your Mac device.
2. Run the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool to scan the SD card for screenshots.
3. Use the filter options to quickly locate the missing game screenshots.
4. Select a destination folder to recover the lost game screenshots on your Mac.