Available space on SD card the same even after deleting photos

[ES_]

Hi,
I wonder if anyone has any insight into this...

I store the photos I take on my phone on the SD card. (I know Ive set this up right cos theres a little sd card icon on the photo folder and when I backup my photos theyre in the expected place).

I was looking at the 'My files' bit where it lists storage information, and it said on the SD card Ive used 12.08GB out of 14.83GB.

Ive backed up my photos and videos, and then I have deleted all photos and vids off my phone. Then I went to the recycle bin and made sure they were deleted from there too.

Deleting the photos has not changed the available space on my sd card in the slightest and Im stumped. It still says 12.08GB...

Im aware that other things might be stored on the sd card, so maybe it shouldnt have gone back down to 0GB, but surely it should have decreased...I had like 1000 photos I just deleted from there...

This isnt the first time Ive backed up photos off sd card and deleted them off phone, but this is the first time Ive been aware of the numbers of available space, so I cant say if this has happened before or not.

Its just really confusing.

(samsung s20 fe)

Thank you!

 

[mustang7757]

Welcome to AC!
Did you transfer any app data to the SD card ?

 

[ES_]

no, all the app stuff Ive saved on the internal storage

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Have you tried unmounting the card (in Settings>Storage, if that option exists), then removing the card and inserting it into a PC, and using Windows Explorer to see if the files are still there (and if it still reads as almost full)?

 

[unique9876]

Sometimes the space update on SD cards can be delayed. Try restarting your phone, and the available space should update. If it doesn't, try using a file manager app to check if any hidden files are still taking space.

 

[ES_]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
Restarting it didnt change anything.
I unmounted it and put it in my PC. Checked for hidden files/folders. Nothing. Went through every single one and got info about each folder and the size of it and they were all tiny, measuring in KB. Nothing at all that could explain the 12 GB. Back into phone, still says 12 GB. So I just formatted the entire SD card, and that has sorted the issue and now its reading a low number.

 

[B. Diddy]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
Restarting it didnt change anything.
I unmounted it and put it in my PC. Checked for hidden files/folders. Nothing. Went through every single one and got info about each folder and the size of it and they were all tiny, measuring in KB. Nothing at all that could explain the 12 GB. Back into phone, still says 12 GB. So I just formatted the entire SD card, and that has sorted the issue and now its reading a low number.

Glad the card seems to be working normally again. One other thing to consider is if this might be a counterfeit SD card -- counterfeits are common, especially if bought from random online sellers rather than reputable stores. With counterfeit SD cards, a small card (like 4-8 GB) is programmed to report a much higher capacity (like 128 GB or higher). The card will function normally as it initially saves data, but once it surpasses the actual capacity, data starts to get screwy or corrupt. Here's how you can test: How to Spot a Fake MicroSD Card and Avoid Being Scammed