Can a PC read the contents of a micro SD while the SD is inside a phone which is connected to the PC

[Android Central Question]

If it can, can i transfer data from the SD to the PC and vice versa that way? Thanks

 

[scottbeamer]

Yes and yes

 

[jaxsta]

Yes you should be able to, I have always been able to with my Samsung galaxies. Your phone should show up in my computer, then when you select it you should get 2 options, phone and card.

 

[Mooncatt]

If the computer doesn't see the SD card, you may need to swipe down the notification bar on the phone and change the USB option. When plugging into a computer, the phone may default to charge only, and you'll want to set it to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) to get full access.

 

[ManiacJoe]

We need to be careful with the phrasing here.

If the PC can see the phone by Wifi or USB cable, the phone will let the PC see most of the SD card, just like the phone's file browser can see most of the SD card, subject to the android file system security.

If you want to see the SD card contents without the android security, you need to use a card reader.

Glossing over the details, yes, you can use your PC to copy to and from the SD card for the most part.