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Plugable USB 3.0 Flash Memory Card Reader

$13.95 USD

SKU: USB3-FLASH3
Amazon Rating : (708 Reviews)

Features

USB 3.0— SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for maximum performance. Backward compatible with USB 2.0 hosts.
Supports Popular Formats— Supports All Common Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), and Memory Stick (MS) Card Types
Up to 104MB/s - SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards are supported in UHS-I mode up to 104 MB/sec. Note— Physical write-protect switch on SD cards not supported.
Up to 2TB— Supports SDXC / MSXC Cards up to 2 TB in size
Broad Compatibility— Supported out of the box by Windows, Mac, Linux, and certain Android systems

Connector

USB 3.0 USB-C

Product Information Menu

Plugable USB3-E1000 plugged into a computer and illustrating the ease at which cards can go from devices to computers and back.

Plugable's USB 3.0 flash card reader (USB3-FLASH3) is a great option for anyone looking for an easy way to add support for the most common storage media types to their USB-C enabled system. Expand the usability of your system by enabling access to removable storage cards used in many digital cameras, MP3 players, and mobile phones. Compact design for easy portability, with a permanently attached, flexible, robust USB cable to enable connections in tight spots.

Performance

Operates at USB 3.0 speeds. SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards are supported in UHS-I mode up to 104 MB/sec for maximum SD card performance. The benefits of USB 3.0's increased throughput over USB 2.0 are seen on SD cards class 10 and up.

Technical Specifications and Media Compatibility

Uses the Realtek RTS5307 chipset featuring:

SD, SDHC, SDXC, MicroSD (Trans-Flash), MicroSDHC, and MicroSDXC cards are supported in UHS-I mode up to 104 MB/sec
Memory Stick (MS), MS Pro, MS Duo, MS Pro Duo, HS MS, Micro-MS (M2) with adapter, MSPRO-HG Duo, MSPRO-HG Micro, MSXC
Supports newer high-capacity cards: SDXC / MSXC Cards up to 2 TB in size
MultiMediaCard (MMC), RSMMC, Mobile-MMC, MMCPlus, MMC-micro

Operating System Compatibility

Driverless compatibility with modern USB 3.0 capable systems including Windows (11, 10, 8.1/8), Mac OS X (10.10 Yosemite and newer), and Linux (3.x Kernel and newer versions).


	USBC-FLASH3 $19.95 USD	USB3-FLASH3 $13.95 USD
USB Connection	USB-C	USB 3.0
Transfer Speed	5Gbps	5Gbps
Supported Card Types	Supports All Common Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), and Memory Stick (MS) Card Types	Supports All Common Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), and Memory Stick (MS) Card Types

In The Box

Item and Quantity	Item Notes
1x USB 3.0 flash card reader

Connection To Host

Port	Placement	Version and Link Rate	Features
1x USB-A	Cable End	USB 3.0 (5Gbps)

Storage

Storage Port Location	Host Connection	Host Connecton Port Specification	Attached Cable (Port Type if No)	Slot and Media Type	Capacity (If Media Included) or Max Supported Capacity	Chipset
Slot 1	USB-A	USB 3.0 (5Gbps)	Yes	MicroSD (Trans-Flash) or MicroSDHC or MicroSDXC Micro SD	2TB	RTS5307 Realtek
Slot 2	USB-A	USB 3.0 (5Gbps)	Yes	SD or SDHC or SDXC or MMC or RSMMC or Mobile-MMC or MMCPlus or MMC-micro SD or SDHC or SDXC or MMC	64GB	RTS5307 Realtek
Slot 3	USB-A	USB 3.0 (5Gbps)	Yes	MS or MS Pro or MS Duo or MS Pro Duo or HS MS or Micro-MS (M2) with adapter or MSPRO-HG Duo or MSPRO-HG Micro or MSXC MS or MSXC	64GB	RTS5307 Realtek

Physical Stats

Item	Size (H x W x D) or Length	Weight	SKU or Part Number
1.5 x 6.5 x 2 centimeters 0.6 x 2.6 x 0.8 inches	20 grams 0.7 ounces	USB3-FLASH3

Card Reader

Media Interface	Bus Interface	Bus Speed	Chipset
Micro SD	Realtek RTS5307
SD or SDHC or SDXC or MMC	Realtek RTS5307
MS or MSXC	Realtek RTS5307

Insert storage card into the corresponding slot on the Plugable Flash Memory Card Reader. Ensure that it is inserted with the correct orientation
Plug the USB connector of the card reader into the host system

This device uses the pre-existing USB Mass Storage Drivers on your host system, so should be completely plug-and-play. Please note, though, that not all Android 4.x systems have USB Mass Storage support: The Google Nexus 7 is one notable example that lacks this capability.

Questions? We're here to help! Please reach out to us at support@plugable.com

Filter Help Articles and Frequent Questions by Category

Choose one or more filters within each category to narrow down the articles. Each selection will result in only displaying articles that include all of your choices.

Articles

Can I connect this product to a computer's Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 port?

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Many users assume that USB-C devices can work with older Thunderbolt 2 Macs if they use a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, such as the one made by Apple. However, this is not the case. These adapters are specifically designed to support Thunderbolt devices only - not standard USB-C peripherals.

While Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C share the same connector type, they use different underlying data protocols. Non-Thunderbolt USB-C devices, rely on USB standards for data and power. The Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter does not carry USB signals; it only passes Thunderbolt data. Because of this, plugging a USB-C device into a Thunderbolt 2 Mac using this adapter will not work - the computer will not detect or communicate with the device.

If you need to connect peripherals to a Thunderbolt 2 system, we recommend using a USB-A dock or hub (if available on your system). This ensures compatibility without relying on unsupported adapter chains.

In short, even though the connectors may fit, USB-C devices are not compatible with Thunderbolt 2 Macs via Thunderbolt adapters - only Thunderbolt devices will work in that setup.

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Do I need to approve or authenticate Thunderbolt devices when I connect them to my Windows or Mac computer?

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Overview

For most modern Windows and Mac systems, Thunderbolt devices are automatically approved and will ‘just work’ once connected.

The main exception is Apple Mac laptops with Apple CPUs running macOS Ventura (13) or newer, where you’ll be prompted to manually approve the device the first time you connect it.

The summary table below provides the specific details at a glance, and the text that follows explains the table in more detail.

Thunderbolt Approval / Authentication Summary Table

Platform	CPU Type	OS Version	Approval Needed?
Windows 11	Intel CPU (Thunderbolt 4 or 5 host)	Windows 11 version 21H2 or newer	No – automatically approved
macOS (Laptop)	Apple CPU	macOS 13 Ventura or newer	Yes – manual approval required
macOS (Desktop)	Apple CPU	macOS 13 Ventura or newer	No – automatically approved
macOS (Laptop or Desktop)	Apple CPU	macOS 11 Big Sur, macOS 12 Monterey	No – automatically approved
macOS (Laptop or Desktop)	Intel CPU (Thunderbolt 3 host)	macOS 13 Ventura or newer	No – automatically approved
Windows 10 / Early Windows 11 versions	Intel CPU (Thunderbolt 3 or 4 host)	Windows 11 versions prior to 21H2	Sometimes – depends on host system configuration

Why Authentication Exists

To expand further, Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5 are in essence external connections to the host computer’s internal PCI Express bus. This type of low-level and high speed connection warranted security protocols to prevent unauthorized access to user data.

Windows: From Intel Software to Native OS Support

When Thunderbolt 3 Windows systems were first introduced in late 2015 it was necessary to use Intel Thunderbolt software to manually authenticate and approve external Thunderbolt devices.

With the introduction of Thunderbolt 4 Windows systems in 2020, it was still necessary to have Intel Thunderbolt software installed on the host computer. However, in most cases the authentication and approval process would happen automatically greatly simplifying the process.

Starting with Windows 11 version 21H2 released in October of 2021, Microsoft integrated support for both USB4 and Thunderbolt into the Windows operating system → LINK

This means that with most modern Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 computers running the latest version of Windows 11 it is no longer necessary to install Intel Thunderbolt software on the host computer in order to manage Thunderbolt devices. In most cases, the authentication and approval process will still happen automatically.

macOS: From Intel CPUs to Apple CPUs

When Thunderbolt 3 Mac systems with Intel CPUs were first introduced in 2016, the authentication and approval mechanism was built-in to macOS and was transparent to the end user.

Apple introduced Mac computers based on Apple CPUs in 2020. Macs based on Apple CPUs running macoS 11 Big Sur or macOS 12 Monterey would automatically approve and authenticate Thunderbolt devices when connected.

macOS 13 Ventura was released in 2022 and for portable Macs with Apple CPUs Apple introduced a feature known as ‘Accessory Security’ (also known as ‘Restricted Mode’) → LINK

By default, portable Macs (i.e. laptops) with an Apple CPU running macOS 13 Ventura or newer version of macOS will require the end user to authenticate and approve a Thunderbolt device when initially connected.

Stationary Macs (i.e. desktops) with an Apple CPU running macOS 13 Ventura or newer version of macOS do NOT implement the ‘Accessory Security’ feature. As a result, Thunderbolt devices will be automatically approved and authenticated when initially connected.

Apple Macs with Intel CPUs (both laptop and desktops) running macOS 13 Ventura or newer do NOT implement the ‘Accessory Security’ feature. As a result, Thunderbolt devices will be automatically approved and authenticated when initially connected.

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