[2024] How to View SD Card Files on Android

If you have little memory space on your Android phone, sooner or later you will need to buy an SD card to store larger amounts of data. If you have already installed an SD card and put some content on it, this post will teach you how to view files on an SD card on Android phones.

Although you can easily access internal storage on Android, the same does not work when you attempt to locate and view SD card files on your Android device. In the following sections, you can view SD card files on mobile or computer easily.

Also Read: How to Back Up Data from Locked iPhone >

View SD Card Content from Android Chrome

The easiest way to view files on an SD card on a phone is by using Google Chrome or other browsers on your phone. Here showing the steps to what is on my SD card on Samsung:

Step 1. Open Google Chrome on your phone > Type file:///sdcard/ and open it.

Step 2. You will get an index of /sdcard/, click any directory to view files in detail. For example, you can type and open file:///sdcard/backups, file:///sdcard/gallery, etc.

Also Read: How to Transfer Photos from SD Card to Phone >

View SD Card Files on Android in 1 Click

If you fail to locate your SD card files on an Android phone, you can try some professional Android data management tools to open files on an SD card. Among the most popular Android Data managers in 2023, we highly recommend you give DroidKit – Complete Android Solution a shot. With its Android Data Manager, you can view SD card files on your Android phone in 1 click. Except for viewing and reading SD card on Android phone, you can also figure out other impressive features.

• Locate, view, and manage SD card files on your Android phone.
• Edit and delete files on your SD card and Android phone with ease.
• Recover deleted data from a formatted SD card.
• Import & export data – photos, videos, contacts, messages, and other data or files from your Android phone/tablet to PC/Mac computer.

Now, Free install the latest DroidKit and take the following detailed instructions to locate and view SD card files on Android in 1 click.

Step 1. Choose Data Manager

Once you open DroidKit, choose the Data Manager mode to get started.

Step 2. Tap on Files

Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your Android phone to the computer > Click on the Files mode on the right.

Step 3. Show SD Card Files

Locate the folder that stores SD card files > View files on SD card on Android phone and then you can click the To PC or Add icon to manage the files on your Android phone.

How to View SD Card Files on Android with Google Files App?

Most Android phones come preinstalled with at least one file manager app. A file manager app lets you view and work with the files sitting on both internal and SD card storage on your device. This app may be called File Manager, Files, or something similar and should be available in the app drawer of your device.

If you do not see such an app in your app drawer, you can use the Files app by Google. It is available on the Google Play Store and it lets you view all the files on your device.

Step 1. Launch the Google Play Store app on your Android phone and search for and tap on Files by Google. Tap on the Install button to install the app on your device.

Step 2. Launch the Files app from the app drawer on your phone. You will likely be in the Clean tab but that is not where you can view your SD card files. Tap on the Browse button at the bottom.

Step 3. On the following screen, scroll all the way down and you will find your SD card. Tap on it to view its content. You will then see the folders and files on your SD card.

That is how you can view the files residing on your SD card using your Android phone. Also, you are not limited to using the Files app to view your files. Pretty much every file manager app offers the ability to view your SD card files on your phone.

How to View SD Card Files on Android without USB Cable?

If you are looking to view your SD card files and eventually transfer them to your computer, you can also turn to a powerful Android data manager called AnyDroid.

AnyDroid allows you to mount and view your SD card on your computer without connecting your Android phone to the computer via a USB cable. You can view your SD card’s files, play with them, and even copy them over to your Windows PC or Mac. The following are some of the features.

• Import files to the SD card of your Android phone and export files from your SD card over to your computer.
• More than managing files, AnyDroid enables you to directly send files from iOS device/iTunes/iCloud to Android phone.
• Transfer files at a fast speed. AnyDroid can help you transfer 3000 songs from device to computer in 5 minutes.

If you would like more than the ability to view your SD card files, AnyDroid is an ideal solution for you. Get it on your PC or Mac and the following shows how to view SD card on Android.

Step 1. Launch AnyDroid on your computer > Plug-in your Android phone to your computer using a USB cable or connect it with computer via Wi-Fi.

Step 2. Now you should land in the Device Manager section. Upon landing, click on the option that says Files to view the files on your device. Then you’ll see the following screen, where you should be able to view all the files stored on your device and on your SD card. You may play with your files and even transfer them to your computer by clicking on the Send to PC button at the top.

In a rare case, if the app does not recognize your SD card, you may want to check if it is properly inserted into your device. Many times the SD card is loosely inserted which results in the app not being able to recognize the card.

Why SD Card is Not Showing in File Manager?

If you found that your SD card not showing up on Android, or File Manager can not detect your SD card, it may be caused by the SD card is not compatible with the device, a damaged/formatted SD card, the SD card being too full to load normally, etc.

To View SD Card Storage Space:

1. On your Android device, open Files by Google.
2. Click the Clean tab, then you can view the available storage space of your SD card.

To Fix SD Card Not Detected:

1. Open Settings and Find Device maintenance > Storage to check if the SD card is not showing in Settings.
2. Try to remove and reinsert the SD card.

The Bottom Line

If your friend or someone else has given you an SD card with some content on it, the above guide should teach you how you can view that content stored on the SD card from your Android phone. We hope you can access the required content using our guide above. Why not give DroidKit a try right now?