How to Format SD Card On Mac? [Safe Method]

Are you facing issues with your SD card? Do you want to erase everything on it and store new files? Do you want to know how to format an SD card on a Mac? Then you are in luck, you are reading the right article.

Today, we are going to take a look at why you should format your SD card and the methods required to do so on a Macbook. New macOS users might find it a little confusing compared to Windows, but it is actually pretty simple. With that out of the way, let’s jump right into it.

Why Should You Format an SD Card?

It is common knowledge that formatting an SD card empties the storage device, making it appear new. It also changes the existing file system of an SD card and replaces it with a new one. This is important because devices support different file systems and the SD card cannot be used in a device that cannot support it.

This is why some devices make you format an SD card before you can use it. An SD card format can also fix a corrupted memory card. Formatting in a Mac is pretty simple and it does not require any paid apps.

How to Format SD Card on Mac?

You can use two easy methods to format SD card on Mac. However, if you want to use the SD card with a camera, then we recommend that you format the SD card using the format option on the camera.

Requirements

• SD card of dimensions 32mm by 24mm by 2.1mm. These are your normal SD cards. You can also use thinner cards (like MMC) but avoid using thicker cards.
• If you have a MicroSD card (a small card that you put in phones), then you can use the SD adapter that comes with the MicroSD card.
• A card reader, if you own a newer Mac that does not have an SD card slot.

1. Use the SD Card Formatter

This is an app provided by the SD Association. We recommend that you use this app because of its simplicity. It automatically detects the SD card in your Mac and chooses the appropriate file system based on the size of the memory card.

1. Download the SD Card Formatter for the Mac using this link.
2. Open the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install it.
3. Insert the card into the card reader slot.
4. Open the SD Card Formatter program.
5. The program will detect the SD card.
6. Choose the Quick Format option. If you have sensitive data on the SD card, we recommend that you choose the Overwrite Format option. However, the overwrite format option is far slower than the quick format option.
7. You can change the name of the SD card in the New label box.
8. Click Format and keep an eye on the progress bar. The SD card will be formatted.

This is the easiest way to format an SD card on Mac. It makes sure that you don’t format your other storage device by accident.

2. Using Disk Utility

Disk Utility comes pre-installed with macOS. It is a tool that is used to manage all storage devices. You can also use it to format SD card on Mac.

1. Insert the SD card into the SD card slot.
2. Open up your Applications folder.
3. Click Utilities and then open Disk Utility.
4. Select the name of your SD card from the list. Make sure that you have the right name, otherwise, you might end up formatting your storage drive.
5. Click the Erase icon on the top.
6. You can enter a new name for your SD card.
7. Select the new file format from the drop-down menu. Select  MS-DOS(FAT32) if your SD card storage is smaller than 32GB. If You have a larger storage size, go for ex-FAT. Mac OS extended filesystem is only supported on Macs and the SD card will not work on Windows if you choose this option.
8. Click Erase and wait for a few seconds.

Things To Do If You Run Into Problems

Now you know how to format an SD card on Mac. However, you can come across some issues and this section will help you deal with them.

• If your SD card is not recognized by the system, reinsert it. If you insert the card slowly, then the Mac will have trouble reading it.
• ExFAT is not supported by OSX version 10.6.6 or older versions. Update the system to make it work.
• If your Mac does not read the SD card, insert another SD card to make sure that the card reader is working fine. Swap the adapter if you are using a MicroSD card.

Final Take

That’s all there is to know about formatting an SD card on a Mac. I hope that you found this article helpful and informative. You can use this guide to format almost every normal SD card. If you have any doubts or suggestions, please let us know in the comments section down below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.