SD cards are pretty useful for various reasons. Mobile users, in particular, rely heavily on SD cards as their secondary storage option after the built-in storage of their mobile devices. Most of them use PCs to format the SD card, and if you are a Mac user, you probably want to learn how to format SD card on Mac. Today’s topic is all about formatting SD cards, and we will be bringing you a comprehensive guide to keep everything crystal clear for you. Let’s do this.
Why Should I Format My SD Card Instead of Deleting Files?
There are numerous advantages of an SD Card; obviously, storing data is the primary job. Although you think that deleting is a fine way to erase the existing files, it is not. What happens when deleting files is the removal of accessing path to the specific file, and it is not a perfect deletion, to say the least. For example, if you have kept a private picture on the SD card, the deleting process will just remove access to that file. The destined file will be in the same position until being replaced by another file.
Even if you cannot take it back, there are third-party apps that can recover the deleted file. Running a scan and bringing it back will be just a matter of a couple of minutes with those apps. So, if you want to get rid of the existing files completely, the formatting would be the best option.
How to Format SD Card on Mac?
Before we begin the guide, note that formatting the SD will delete the content permanently. If you only want to delete some files, you don’t have to use a PC to perform the action. The device that you are using the SD card should have options in it to help you delete the files. If that is all you want, you don’t have to look at how to format SD card on Mac.
Other than that, the probability of losing file systems and corrupting the SD card is also higher in this method. However, if you are willing to know how to format an SD card on Mac, following the below-mentioned steps will keep you away from unwanted occurrences.
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Connect the SD Card to Mac
As the initial step, you have to be aware of connecting the SD card properly. There are few ways to connect the SD card. The easiest way to do this is, inserting the SD card directly into the SD card slot. If your Mac doesn’t have such slots, you will have to use either an SD adapter cartridge or a USB card reader.
Open the Disk Utility App
There are a couple of ways to locate the SD card on your Mac; using a third-party app from the App Store or using the Disk Utility App. The utility app is the easiest way and it is available under the apps. If you want to use the utility app, you will find the destination in the Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility menu path as well. In addition, you may use either Siri (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206993 ) or Spotlight to find the Utility App.
Identifying the SD Card
You will find the additional storage on the left side of the Disk Utility Apps interface. Also, the SD card will be shown as internal memory on the Mac device. Identifying the SD card perhaps will be a bit difficult thing to do as the SD card may appear as “NO NAME” or “UNTITLED.” The best way to identify the SD card is by analyzing its available storage. Usually, the available space in the SD card storage is less than general Mac storage.
Also, you may view the files in it to have an idea. For example, if the SD card is used in a camera, there will be some folders that indicate the camera’s brand name.
It is important to note that the selection of the SD card in the Utility app is as vital as formatting the SD card. If not, you will end up erasing the wrong storage, and eventually, you will lose everything.
Formatting the SD Card
Now you have identified the SD card that needs to format. Then, you may simply hit the erase button. Although it says Erase, the function will format the SD card in the end. You will be warned that you are about to erase the files, and you should confirm the action you are trying to perform.
Rename the SD Card
You are free to rename the SD card. After pointing to the cursor on the SD card, you can assign a new name for it. If you leave as it is, the “NO NAME” or “UNTITLED” titles will remain the same. But, if you assign a new name, it will make things easier in the future.
Conclusion
We hope now you know how to format SD card on Mac. Even if you don’t have any experience with the formatting, now, you will be able to perform the action without much of an issue. However, formatting an SD card will erase all the content permanently; hence it is an action that should continue with utter attention. If you have any concerns regarding the topic we discussed, please let us know about them via a comment. Our team will respond to you in an instant. Have a great day!
