How to Recover Lost Photos After a macOS Update or SD Card Corruption

Losing photos after a macOS update or seeing a “Disk Not Readable” error on an SD card is stressful, but in most cases the files are not permanently gone. Usually only the file system index or directory structure is damaged. As long as you avoid writing new data to the drive, the photos can often be recovered.

This guide walks you through the safest recovery order: start with free built-in tools, then move to dedicated recovery software only if needed.

Key Takeaways

• Stop using the affected drive or SD card immediately.
• Try the free methods (Relocated Items, Photos Library Repair, iCloud check, Disk Utility First Aid).
• If those fail or the card is completely unreadable, use data recovery software and save the recovered files to a different drive.
• Once your photos are safe, reformat the SD card in-camera if needed and set up proper backups going forward.

We remind you that the single most important rule is simple: stop writing anything new to the affected drive or SD card. The longer you keep using it, the higher the chance the original photo data gets overwritten.

Quick Comparison of Recovery Approaches

Method	Best for	Success potential	Skill level	Notes
Time Machine	Files lost after a macOS update (if backup was enabled)	High (when backup exists)	Low–Moderate	Fastest free option if you have a recent backup
Photos Library Repair	Corrupted Photos library, blank or missing thumbnails	Moderate	Low	Rebuilds the library database
Disk Utility First Aid	Minor file system errors on drives or SD cards	Low–Moderate	Low	Fixes directory issues but cannot undelete files
Data recovery software	Formatted/RAW SD cards, missing partitions, emptied Trash, deep file system damage	High	Low	Needed when native tools fail

Why Photos Disappear

After a macOS update

• The Photos library database (SQLite indexes inside Photos Library.photoslibrary) can become corrupted.
• User folders are sometimes moved to /Users/Shared/Relocated Items.
• iCloud Photos sync can temporarily pause or conflict with local files.

On an SD card

• macOS shows “The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer.”
• The card appears as RAW or unformatted.
• Files show as 0 KB or have grayed-out thumbnails.

In both cases the actual photo data often remains on the drive until it is overwritten.

Step 1: Try Free Built-in Methods First

These take only a few minutes and should be attempted before any 3rd-party recovery tool.

1. Check for Relocated Items

Open Finder and go to /Users/Shared/Relocated Items. macOS sometimes places files here after major updates.

2. Repair the Photos Library

• Quit the Photos app.
• Hold Option + Command while opening Photos.
• Choose Repair when prompted.

This rebuilds the library database and often restores missing photos.

3. Verify iCloud Photos

Go to System Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Photos and confirm “Sync this Mac” is turned on. Sometimes photos are still in iCloud but not downloaded locally.

4. For SD cards – basic checks

• In Finder, press Cmd + Shift + . to show hidden files (look for .Trash or similar folders).
• Open Disk Utility, select the SD card, and run First Aid.

From our experience, the free steps above solve a surprising number of cases—especially Photos Library database issues after an update. We always recommend trying them first before reaching for paid tools.

Step 2: When Free Methods Aren’t Enough

If the Photos library still shows nothing, the SD card remains unreadable, or First Aid cannot repair the volume, a dedicated data recovery tool is the next practical step. These tools scan the raw disk sectors and can find photos even when the file system is damaged.

One widely used option on Mac is EaseUS Data Recovery for Mac. It is relevant here because it supports the situations most common in this scenario:

• Deep scan that works on corrupted, RAW, or formatted volumes (APFS, HFS+, exFAT, FAT32)
• Native support for common photo formats (HEIC, JPG, PNG) and camera RAW files (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, etc.)
• Full-size preview so you can verify image quality before recovering
• Ability to save recovered files to a different drive (important to avoid overwriting the original data)
• More details, read our full EaseUS Data Recovery review here.

How to recover photos with the software

1. Download and launch the app. Select the internal Mac drive or the connected SD card and start the scan.
2. When the scan finishes, switch to the Pictures category (or filter by HEIC/JPG/RAW extensions). Double-click any file to preview it at full size.
3. Select the photos you want, click Recover, and choose a different drive or external disk as the destination.

We remind you to recover the files to a completely different drive. Saving them back to the same SD card or Mac volume is one of the most common ways people accidentally overwrite the data they’re trying to save.

Best Practices to Prevent Future Loss

Before major macOS updates

• Make sure Time Machine has a recent backup, or create a full disk clone.
• Keep at least 20–25 GB of free space on your system drive.

When using SD cards

• Always eject the card properly in Finder before removing it.
• Format the card in the camera rather than on the Mac.
• Avoid shooting when the camera battery is critically low (incomplete writes are a common cause of corruption).

We’ve seen too many cases where a quick “just format it” decision made recovery much harder. We remind Mac users again: always eject SD cards properly and format them in the camera, not in Finder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are missing photos permanently deleted after a macOS update?
Usually no. The photo data typically remains on the drive; only the index or library database is damaged. Avoid writing new files to the drive so the original data is not overwritten.

Should I format an SD card that shows “Disk Not Readable”?
No — not yet. Formatting creates a new file system and makes recovery much harder. Scan and recover the photos first, then format the card in your camera for future use.

Can I recover photos from a corrupted SD card for free?
You can try the free built-in methods above. Most recovery software also offers a free scan and preview so you can see what is recoverable before deciding whether to purchase a license. Recovery limits in free versions vary by tool.

Does recovery software work on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. Current versions of major Mac recovery tools, including EaseUS Data Recovery for Mac, support Apple Silicon (M-series) chips and recent macOS releases.

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