The process of safely detaching a Secure Digital (SD) card from a device, such as a smartphone, camera, or computer, so that it can be removed without causing data corruption or loss. For example, prior to physically removing an SD card from an Android phone, the operating system provides an option, typically found in the storage settings, to execute this detachment procedure.
This safeguard is essential because devices often actively read from and write to the SD card. Abrupt removal during data transfer can interrupt these operations, leading to incomplete files, corrupted directories, or even damage to the SD card itself. Properly executing this procedure ensures that all pending read/write operations are completed and the file system is safely dismounted, preventing potential data loss. Historically, the lack of such functionality resulted in frequent file system errors for removable media devices.
