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How to Backup the SD Card in Your Android Phone or Tablet

This brief tutorial will show you how to access the contents of the SD Card in your Android phone, and backup any files you deem appropriate (pictures, videos, etc) to your hard drive – in Windows and macOS.

This guide was initially published way back in 2011 – when there weren’t as many SD Card Readers built into laptop and desktop computers. Fast forward to 2021, and now most do.

Assuming you have a SD Card Reader in your computer, the very, very easiest way is to just remove the SD card from your device, use an SD Card Adapter (if required) and plug it directly into your Mac or PC. Then just copy the files from the card to your hard drive, portable drive or burn them to CD/DVD.

If you don’t have an SD Card Reader, here’s how you can backup the contents of your SD card to your Mac or PC –

Plug your Android device into your PC or Mac via USB. Once you have, pull down the ‘top menu’ from your Android screen.

Select USB connection

Select USB Mass Storage and then tap the OK button.

If you’re using Windows, a new drive will appear. This is the SD Card in your Android phone. Navigate through it as you would any other drive, and copy files from it to an ‘android backup’ folder you can create on your hard drive.

click to enlarge

If you’re using macOS – a new drive will appear once you select USB Mass Storage. You can copy files from this new drive as you would any other.

That’s all there is to it – It’s that easy!

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jac stubbs says:

February 8, 2012 at 10:33 am

Thank you for your Help --I managed to transfer my Music from my Computer to my Andoid phone -However I having found the music from the Filer icon on the home page I cannot find out how to cnnect to the tracks to listen to them--could some one please help me--Thank you !!!