SD cards are widely used on phones, cameras, ebook readers, drones, and other devices to save data. However, the SD card may not perform well or even fail due to several reasons. Regular formatting and reformatting is a great way to keep your SD card error-free and a nice performance. Here are some of the main reasons to format an SD card on a Mac.
🧼 Clears all unnecessary data, which avoids errors and amplifies storage efficiency.
📈 Establishes the pertinent file system for improved performance and better compatibility.
🚀 Regulates the read/write or transfer speed and reliability of the SD card.
⛑️ Fixes minor issues and corrupt files.
📦 Give away the old SD card, and you need to erase all items there.
Must Know and Dos before Formatting/ReFormatting SD Card to FAT32/exFAT on Mac
Backup important files. All data will be erased and cleaned while formatting the SD card on Mac. To avoid data loss issues, please create a folder on your Mac and copy these files there.
Make clear what are the differences among FAT32, ExFAT, HFS+, and APFS. Or at least know that if the SD card is ≤32GB, it's suitable to choose FAT32 or MS-DOS(Fat) as the file system. For an SD card that is ≥64GB, choose ExFAT.
Tip: If it malfunctions and becomes inaccessible, forcing you to reformat the SD card on the Mac, please first use iBeesoft Free Data Recovery for Mac to retrieve the files on it. It will ensure that you won't lose any content.
3 Ways to Format Micro SD on Mac
Method #1. Use Disk Utility
Disk Utility is the default tool in macOS for managing your storage devices. To format an SD card on the MacBook, iMac, and more easily, follow the steps below.
Insert the Micro SD card into a card slot on your Mac.
Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities to launch Disk Utility.
Select your SD card from the sidebar under External Drive in macOS 12 and later versions. For macOS 10.13 High Sierra, you need to expand "Show All Devices" to display it in the left sidebar. Please note that here, you should select the SD card, not just its volume.
Click the "Erase" at the top of the Disk Utility window.
Select a file system for the SD card from the pop-up window. As mentioned above, if you want to format an SD card to FAT32, then choose MS-DOS(Fat). If the SD card capacity is larger than 64GB, choose ExFAT.
Click "Erase" to begin the formatting process. Click Done to finish it.
After formatting the SD card on Mac, if you want to eject it, you need to go back to Disk Utility and click the Eject symbol. It will prevent new errors from happening in the SD card.
Disk Utility comes with a user-friendly interface, which makes formatting straightforward. It is the most widely used way to format and reformat an SD card on a Mac.
Method #2. Use Terminal Command
Terminal also helps you format the Micro SD on a Mac. If you want to try, please follow the steps below.
Connect the card to your Mac computer.
Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities to launch Terminal.
Type in "diskutil list" and press Enter. In this step, please find its identifier based on the capacity of your card. As shown in this screenshot, it is "disk2."
Type in "sudo diskutil eraseDisk FILE_SYSTEM MBRFormat /dev/IDENTIFIER" and press Enter.
The FILE_SYSTEM should be the file system you'll format the SD card to. Use FAT32 for a Micro SD card capacity of 32GB and ExFAT for 64GB or above.
The IDENTIFIER with the real number for your SD card.
For example: sudo diskutil eraseDisk ExFAT MBRFormat /dev/disk2
Press Enter. Type the Mac login password when there is a prompt.
Formatting the memory card on a Mac with Terminal is faster for experienced users. It does the formatting with one simple command. However, we still recommend using the above method for users who are unfamiliar with the Terminal because the wrong command may lead to serious consequences.
Method #3. Use the SD Card Formatter for Mac
It is a free app from the SD Association. It is specially designed for users to format SD cards according to the SD Association's standards. Before using it, you must know it only works for macOS 11 and later versions.
Connect your SD card with your Mac, letting it display in Disk Utility properly.
Visit the SD Association's website and install SD Formatter for macOS.
Launch it. From the Drive List, the app will display your SD card by default. If you're connecting more than one card, select the one you want to format.
In the formatting area, there are 2 types of formatting: Quick Format and Overwrite Format. Choose Overwrite format if you don't want to recover data by unformat SD card.
After selecting the mode, click on "Format".
SD Association develops SD Card Formatter. It helps regulate the card's speed and longevity. However, it lacks the file system options for users to choose from.
How to Repair a Damaged Memory Card On Mac Without Formatting
No one will format an SD card for any reason unless it has malfunctioned. But before starting, you can also try the following troubleshooting methods. Maybe they can make your card work properly.
Using First Aid:
Utilizing it helps locate errors and attempt repairs without formatting the memory card, therefore preserving crucial data while restoring the card's functionality.
Connect the damaged memory card to your Mac device using an appropriate card reader or slot.
Click on the Finder icon in the Dock.
Select Applications from the sidebar, then open the Utilities folder.
Double-click on Disk Utility to launch the application.
In Disk Utility, locate the SD card under the "External" section on the left sidebar.
After selecting it, click the First Aid button in the toolbar at the top of the window. Click Run to start the repair process.
Disk Utility will scan the SD card, look for errors, and fix them at the same time. Once completed, you will get a message telling you whether the repairs were successful or not.
Using the Repair Command:
It grants deeper repairs than First Aid, making it practical for complex file system errors without formatting the card.
Make sure your card is connected to your Mac.
Go to Applications > Utilities, then open Terminal.
Run the command: diskutil list. Note the identifier for your memory card (e.g., /dev/disk2).
Replace "diskX" with your identifier and run the following command.
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX
sudo fsck_msdos -y /dev/diskX
Enter your password when prompted.
Check the Terminal for any reported issues and their status.
Safely eject the card with diskutil eject /dev/diskX.
Open Finder to verify that your files are accessible and the card is functional.
Tips for How to Maintaining SD Card Good Health and Well Performance
Formatting and reformating an SD card on the Mac is the last resort to make it work. However, if you want to keep the good performance of the card, you're supposed to use it properly.
📬 Frequently transfer useful photos, videos, and other files to your computer to prevent them from being lost.
⏏️ Always use the "Eject" option before removing the SD card to prevent the device or its files from being corrupted.
🧪 Have free space on the card to regulate optimal performance.
✅ Format with the correct file system for improved performance and compatibility.
Conclusion
Proper and systematic formatting of your memory card is crucial to maintaining its functionality, speed, and longevity. However, you should keep you mind to backup files before the format. Otherwise, you will lose them. Finally, regardless of the purpose for which you wish to format an SD card on a Mac, please follow the methods and its steps described in this article respectively to avoid errors.
FAQs
Yes, but as long as you don't format the SD card too often, there will be no significant influence on its lifespan.
Although formatting will erase all data, if you realize it in time and you haven't saved new files on the SD card, then it is still possible to recover them by using programs such as iBeesoft Data Recovery and Disk Drill.
First, connect it to another computer to exclude connection errors or physical damage. Then, try to reformat your SD card on the Mac. It should be noted that you must wait for the entire erasing process to complete before you can eject the card.
This is due to the different ways in which the two operating systems calculate storage space. In macOS, 1KB = 1000 bytes, while in Windows, 1KB = 1024 bytes, so your SD card may show a slightly different capacity, but the actual available space will be the same.