How to Recover Deleted Files From SD Card on Mac

If you’ve accidentally deleted important files from your SD card on your Mac or camera—or deleted the wrong ones—this article is for you. We’ll show you exactly where those files can be found or how to recover deleted files from your SD card on Mac. Whether you’re looking to recover photos, videos, or other files, we’ve got you covered.

Is it Possible to Recover Deleted Files from an SD Card on a Mac?

When you delete files from an SD card on macOS, they are not immediately lost forever. If you delete files while the SD card is connected to your Mac, the files move to the Trash. However, if the files were deleted from an SD card using a camera or another device, such as a Windows PC, they bypass the trash and are directly marked for deletion, though they still occupy the physical space until overwritten. This keeps the door open for recovery using specialized SD recovery software, but several factors critically impact the likelihood of success:

• ❓ Type of Data Loss. The nature of the data loss—accidental deletion, formatting, or corruption—plays a significant role in recovery possibilities.
• ⏳ Time Elapsed Since the Loss. The sooner you attempt recovery after data loss, the better the chances of successful recovery, as ongoing usage can overwrite the data you aim to restore.
• 💾 SD Card Usage Post-Deletion. Continuing to use the SD card after data loss can severely diminish recovery prospects, as new data can overwrite the deleted files.
• ✂️ SD-ERASE command on cameras. Some cameras and SD cards support the SD-ERASE command, which is executed by the SD card’s internal controller when requested by the host device (like a camera). Each camera manufacturer handles data deletion differently, so the chances of recovery also depend on the specific device the SD card was used with.

Check Your Trash Bin to Recover Deleted Files from SD Card on Mac

As we already mentioned, if you deleted files from your SD card while it was connected to your Mac, there’s a good chance they were moved to the Trash Bin. This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to recover deleted files from an SD card on a Mac:

1. Click on the Trash icon in your Dock.
2. Browse through the contents of the Trash to find the files you’ve deleted from the SD card. You can search by file name if you remember it, or sort the files by type or date to locate them more quickly.
3. Once you find the files, you can right-click on the file and select “Put Back,” which will move the files back to their original location on the SD card. Alternatively, you can drag the files from the Trash to your desktop or another folder on your Mac.
   

This method only works if the Trash has not been emptied since you deleted the files from the SD card. If the Trash has been emptied or the files aren’t there, you’ll need to consider SD data recovery software, as described in the following sections.

Have You Checked Your Cloud Backup(s)?

If you’ve used your SD card with a device connected to cloud services, like a smartphone or newer digital camera, it might be worth it to check your cloud backups. Photos or videos you thought were deleted might still be stored in services like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Many modern devices automatically sync media to the cloud, so before attempting recovery software, check your cloud storage for any deleted files.

👉 Check the “Recently Deleted” folder. Many cloud services have a “Recently Deleted” folder where files are kept for a period after deletion, so you may find your files there even if they’ve been removed from the main library.

How to Recover Files from an SD Card on Mac Using Third-party Software

In most cases of successful recovery of deleted files from an SD card on Mac, it’s SD data recovery software that deserves praise. When files aren’t found in the Trash or cloud backups, specialized software steps in to restore your lost data. These tools scan your SD card for hidden/deleted/lost files that are no longer visible to your Mac’s operating system or other devices.

After personally testing many SD card data recovery apps, we created a list of the Best SD Card Data Recovery Software for Mac. From that list, we selected three tools to demonstrate how to recover files from an SD card on a Mac in detail: Disk Drill, PhotoRec, and FonePaw Data Recovery for Mac.

Here’s a quick look at what each can offer:

Option A: Recover Deleted Files from SD Card on Mac With Disk Drill

Disk Drill for Mac, developed by CleverFiles, has been around for over a decade and continues to stand out in the market. With regular updates and impressive results, it remains a top choice for Mac SD card recovery. Its consistent performance with deleted files from SD cards has made it one of our favorite tools.

✅ Here’s what we like about Disk Drill:

• Support for all commonly used SD cards.
• Clean, intuitive interface.
• Powerful scan modes – Quick Scan (for recently deleted files), Deep Scan (for formatted or corrupted SD cards), Signature Scan (searches for file signatures when the file system is damaged).
• Supports a wide range of file formats – Disk Drill handles common formats like JPEG, PNG, and MP4, as well as more obscure formats like RAW photo formats (CR2, NEF) and RAW video formats (ARW, MXF).
• Preview and recover files before the scan is finished – Unlike many other tools, Disk Drill lets you see and restore files even while the scan is still running.
• Byte-for-byte backup – Allows you to create an exact copy of your SD card for safe recovery.
• Free version – Offers scanning, file preview, and additional free features without a paid upgrade.
• Strong preview feature – Capable of displaying even rare RAW media files that many other recovery tools can’t handle.

These advantages position Disk Drill as an ideal solution. Here’s a guide on how to use Disk Drill to recover deleted files from an SD card on a Mac:

1. Verify that your SD card is recognized by your system, open Disk Utility, and see if it is displayed with the correct size.
2. Go to the official Disk Drill website, download the Disk Drill software for Mac, and install it.
3. You can launch Disk Drill by using Spotlight search or by finding it in the Applications folder within Finder.
4. Once Disk Drill opens, it will display all connected storage devices. Select your SD card from the list of drives and click on ‘Search for lost data’ to start the scanning process.
5. Click ‘Review found items’. In the Existing tab, you’ll see data currently on your SD card; clicking on a file will display a preview in the right panel. The Deleted or Lost tab contains recoverable deleted files. If the files were found by signatures, you will find them in the Reconstructed tab. Disk Drill displays Recovery Chances for each file: High, Average, or Low. If the files were simply deleted and no new data has been written to the SD card, the chances should show as High.
   
6. Select the files or folders you wish to restore and click ‘Recover’. Choose to save the recovered files either on your Mac or an external drive—but not back on the SD card, as this may overwrite your data. Use the ‘Choose destination’ button to select a specific folder. Click ‘Next’ to start the recovery of the files that disappeared from your SD card.

❎ We relied on Disk Drill for data recovery more than once and found it to be a great app. But, like any other tool, it has its shortcomings. Here’s what we think could be improved:

• While Disk Drill allows free scan and preview, recovery of files requires an upgrade to the Pro version.
• If restored media files are damaged—whether due to overwriting, file system damage, or issues present before the files were lost—Disk Drill does not include a repair module to fix these issues. However, CleverFiles offers a free online video repair service.

Option B: Recover Files from an SD Card for Free on Mac with PhotoRec

PhotoRec is a formidable tool in the arsenal of data recovery solutions, particularly favored for its technical prowess and versatility.

✅ Here’s what we like about PhotoRec:

• PhotoRec is completely free and open-source.
• Supports a wide range of file signatures.
• PhotoRec ignores the file system, focusing instead on data signatures, which makes it effective even with severely corrupted or unrecognized file systems.
• You can run PhotoRec directly after extracting it.
• PhotoRec comes bundled with TestDisk, a powerful tool that specializes in file system recovery and repair.
• Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

The biggest issue with PhotoRec is its command-line interface (CLI). However, with a little patience, it’s one of the most powerful free tools available for Mac SD card recovery.

Here’s how to use PhotoRec to recover data from your SD card:

1. Visit the official PhotoRec website to download the software package. Extract it on your Mac. Alternatively, PhotoRec can also be installed via Homebrew.
2. Navigate to Applications > Utilities on your Mac and open Terminal.
3. In Terminal, use the ‘cd’ command to change directories to where you extracted PhotoRec. Type ‘cd [path-to-PhotoRec-folder]’, replacing ‘[path-to-PhotoRec-folder]’ with the actual path. If you installed PhotoRec via HomeBrew, just skip to the next step.
4. Type ‘./photorec’ (or ‘sudo photorec’ if you install PhotoRec via HomeBrew) in the terminal and press Enter to start the program. Enter your Mac’s password if prompted for administrative privileges.
5. PhotoRec will display a list of connected storage devices. Use the arrow keys to select your SD card and confirm your selection with the on-screen prompts.
6. PhotoRec allows you to specify which types of files to recover.
   
7. Follow the prompts to select the location on the SD card where the files were stored and begin the recovery. PhotoRec will save the recovered files in a directory on your Mac, as specified during the setup.

We’ve used both PhotoRec and its companion tool TestDisk many times, and if you take into account that they are completely free, they form a great recovery combo. For users who need effective recovery without spending money, this combination is hard to beat. However, it’s not perfect.

❎ What we don’t like about PhotoRec:

• Relies only on signature scanning. PhotoRec can’t retrieve file names or folder structures, which means you’ll be sifting through unnamed files, which makes the recovery process time-consuming.
• Unlike the Windows version, which has a basic GUI, the macOS version is CLI-only.
• PhotoRec is not updated frequently.
• No option to create backup disk copies.
• Not all file signatures are selected by default. You need to manually select multiple checkboxes to include all possible file types in the scan.

Option C: Recover Deleted Files from SD Card on Mac With FonePaw Data Recovery

FonePaw Data Recovery is another solid option for memory card recovery on Mac. It offers a more user-friendly experience than PhotoRec, with a clean interface and support for a wide variety of file types. FonePaw is designed to handle data loss from SD cards, external drives, USB drives, and more.

✅ Here’s what we like about FonePaw Data Recovery:

• Simple and intuitive interface.
• Quick and deep scan options – Allows for both fast recovery of recently deleted files and deeper scans for more complex cases like formatted SD cards.
• Supports a wide range of file formats – photos, videos, documents, and more.
• Lets you preview recoverable files.
• Partial recovery option – You can filter specific file types and recover only what you need.

How to recover SD files using FonePaw Data Recovery:

1. Visit the FonePaw website, download the macOS version, and install the software on your Mac.
2. Insert your SD card into your Mac via a card reader, and FonePaw will automatically detect it.
3. Open the app and select your SD card from the list of available drives.
4. Click on the “Scan” button. Choose between Quick Scan for recently deleted files or Deep Scan for a more thorough recovery.
5. Once the scan is complete, preview the recoverable files, select the ones you need, and click “Recover” to restore them to your Mac.

In our test, we found that FonePaw Data Recovery offers reliable recovery for common file types. It’s ideal for users who need a simple solution without dealing with complex technical steps.

❎ What we don’t like about FonePaw Data Recovery:

• The free version only allows you to scan and preview files, but actual recovery requires a paid upgrade.
• While great for basic file recovery, FonePaw may not be as effective as other tools like Disk Drill or PhotoRec for more severe cases like extensive corruption or deeply formatted cards.
• The deep scan takes more time compared to competitors, especially with larger SD cards.

In Conclusion

As you can see, if you don’t have backups and your deleted files aren’t in the Trash, your only choice is to use one of the SD recovery software options available for Mac. Whether you opt for the powerful yet user-friendly Disk Drill, the capable (but technical) PhotoRec, or the easy-to-use FonePaw Data Recovery, these tools offer a lifeline for recovering lost data from your SD card. The important thing to remember is to act quickly and avoid using the SD card until you’re ready to start the recovery process.

ℹ️ By the way, if you’re sure you didn’t delete the files and they disappeared on their own, you may have a case of a corrupted SD card. In that case, we recommend you check out our article on How to Fix a Corrupted SD Card on Mac, as a faulty card can lead to future problems.