Many people have encountered different issues regarding the use of microSD cards on their Android tablets and smartphones. In fact, it’s among other inevitable problems by Android phone users to-date. SD card not detected, Failed to read SD card, SD card not recognized are some of the most common error prompts, indicating that something is wrong on either your phone or the SD card itself.
Tackled in this post is a similar issue transpiring on the new LG G7 ThinQ smartphone, in which the device cannot detect or read SD card. This can be very annoying issue especially if you badly needed to use an SD card for backups or file transfers. Before opting to get a new SD card replacement, there are some workarounds that can help you deal with software errors that might have prevented your phone from reading the SD card even when it’s already mounted. Read on for a more detailed walkthrough on how to deal with this issue.
For owners who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common problems with this device. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance don’t hesitate to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire.
First solution:Soft reset or restart your LG G7 ThinQ.
The simplest yet most effective solution you should try first is a soft reset. It helps resolve various types of device issues that are attributed to minor software errors and glitches. If this the first time that your phone failed to read the SD card, then it’s likely a random glitch or application error, which can be dealt with by restarting your phone. Here’s what you should do then:
- Press and hold the Power button and Volume Down button simultaneously for a few seconds or until the device power cycles.
Alternatively, you can turn off your device for a few seconds and then turn it on again. Here’s how:
- Press the Power button for a few seconds or until the power menu appears.
- Select Power Off from the menu.
- Tap OK to confirm device shutdown.
- After about 30 seconds, press the Power button again until the device turns on.
Both methods don’t affect any data and personal information saved on the internal memory of your phone.
Second solution: Wipe cache partition on your LG G7 ThinQ.
Wiping the cache partition clears cached data from the cache partition or system folders on your device. Broken or corrupted cached data might be the trigger the device to act up and eventually resulted to a failure in reading of external devices. To make sure this isn’t the underlying cause of the problem, wipe cache partition on your phone with these steps:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Select the General tab.
- Tap Storage then select Internal storage.
- Wait for the menu options to populate.
- Tap the option to Free up space.
- Tap Temporary files & raw files.
- Select any from the given options including Cached data, Clip tray temporary files, and Raw files from camera.
- Tap Delete twice to confirm.
Third solution: Unmount and mount the SD card on your LG G7 ThinQ.
Application errors might have affected the phone’s SD card system reader, thus causing it to fail. In this case, unmounting and mounting the SD card would be necessary. It’s like allowing your device to read the SD card as if it’s the first time it does. Before you remove the SD card, unmounting is recommended to prevent ruining the files saved in the card. Here’s how:
- Swipe down from the Notification bar.
- Tap the Settings icon.
- Select the General tab.
- Tap Storage.
- Then tap the Eject icon.
After unmounting the SD card, continue with these steps to remove and reseat the card on your LG G7 ThinQ:
- Turn off your phone.
- Hold the phone face up with the top panel facing you.
- Insert the tip of the eject tool into the small hole next to the microSD & SIM tray slot.
- Gently push the eject tool tip into the hole until the tray ejects.
- Pull out the tray carefully.
- Then remove the SD card from the card slot.
- Examine the card for any visible signs of damage like scratches or dents. If there’s none, place the microSD card back into the tray with the gold contacts facing downwards.
- Insert the tray back into the phone once you secure the card.
- Then turn on your phone and see if it’s now able to read or detect the SD card.
If the SD card is still not detected, move on to the next possible solution.
Fourth solution: Update software to the latest Android version.
Installing the latest software version on your phone can also be a potential solution especially if tough bugs are to blame. Software updates do offer bug fixes to eliminate existing bugs that caused various types of issues on a device. You can check for available software updates via over-the-air or wirelessly for as long as your device has Internet access. Here’s how:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Go to the General tab.
- Tap Update center.
- Tap System update.
- Then tap the option to Check for update.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to proceed with the update file download and installation process.
Don’t forget to restart your phone when the update is finished installing. Doing so will clear and refresh the internal memory and operating system, preventing any app or device itself from going rogue.
Fifth solution: Format or reformat SD card on your LG G7 ThinQ.
As your last resort, you may have to consider formatting the SD card. This will delete everything saved on the card including any broken data segments, corrupted files, and virus-infected contents that made the card unreadable. Follow these steps to format the SD card on your LG G7 ThinQ:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Go to the General tab.
- Tap Storage.
- Select SD card.
- Navigate to Menu-> Storage settings-> Format menu.
- Tap FORMAT.
- To confirm SD card formatting, tap DONE.
You can also format the SD card through a computer. You will need to use an SD card reader and SD card formatting software to get this done. Both way work and yield to a similar output of clearing the SD card system.
Other options
You can also consider performing a master reset if you think the problem is inflicted by complex system errors. This will wipe everything from your phone including personal data, downloaded apps, customized settings, and other added contents. Any tough bugs and malware that might have halted your LG G7 ThinQ from reading the microSD card will also be cleared in the process. Just don’t forget to back up your data beforehand for safekeeping. You can perform a master reset through settings menu or using a computer.
If a master reset is not an option, then you can either procure a new microSD card for your phone or take it to an LG service center nearby for hardware assessment. This is a must-do if there were previous instances of dropping or liquid exposure on your device. Also don’t forget to avail for service warranty, if necessary.
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