How to Format SD Card on Mac (3 Easy Ways Explained)

An SD card is a lifesaver to increase the storage capacity of your device. But it needs to be formatted before you can start using it on your device. If you’re having trouble formatting your MacBook’s SD card, don’t worry! You have landed at the right place. This article explains each step you need to follow to get the job done.

Before we get into the steps, let’s understand why you should format your SD card.

• Why should I format my SD card?
• How to format an SD or MicroSD card on your Mac
  1. Using Disk Utility on Mac
  2. Via SD Card Formatter Software
  3. Using the Mac command line
• Why can’t I format my SD card?

Why should I format my SD card?

Most leading brands provide pre-formatted SD cards these days, but to minimize the risk of data corruption in the future, it’s always a good idea to format them before using them. Here are a few more reasons why you should consider formatting your microSD card or SD card.

• Make sure your SD card is ready for your device.
• Formatting cards before replacing a device is a good practice to avoid memory issues.
• Simply deleting content doesn’t completely clear your map; you need to format the SD card, even if it’s meant to clear memory.

Whatever your reason, it is recommended that you format your SD card for healthy storage. Here are some quick ways to do it.

Note. If you’re using an iPad instead of a MacBook, you’ll need a Lightning SD Camera Card Reader to access your SD card with your iPad.

How to format an SD or MicroSD card on your Mac

Using Disk Utility on Mac

1. Use the slot to access the SD card with a card reader.
2. Open the Disk Utility app on Mac.
3. Find your SD card and click on it.
4. Click Erase. You can enter a name for the SD card if you like.
5. Select a file system format. If it’s 64 GB or more, choose exFAT; otherwise select FAT32.
6. Erase the SD card.

That’s all! Your SD card is formatted and reusable.

Via SD Card Formatter Software

SD Card Formatter is a free application from the SD Association. The software takes care of the technical work so you don’t get swayed by technical issues. The best thing about the software is that it supports almost all macOS (macOS X 10.7 Lion or later).

Download and install the software → launch the software and follow the instructions on the screen. Make sure your SD card is connected to your Mac to format it.

The software is simple and reduces the risk of formatting an unknown drive or card as it automatically detects your SD card. It also selects the appropriate file system (exFAT or FAT32) depending on the size of the SD card.

Using the Mac command line

1. Type cmd + space to launch spotlight. Type Terminal.
2. Connect a card reader to your Mac and insert an SD card.
3. To see a list of all available storage, type diskutil list. Now you will see all storage in list format. Select an SD card from the list.
4. Enter the following command: sudo diskutil eraseDisk FAT 32 SDCARD MBRFormat /dev/disk2

This command will format your SD card. To confirm your actions, the system may request your password. Enter it and you’re done!

If you’ve followed all these steps and still can’t format your SD card, keep reading.

Why can’t I format my SD card?

Despite doing all the methods perfectly, sometimes your Mac still cannot format the SD card. This may be due to the following reasons;

• Virus attack.
• Unsafe ejaculation.
• Damaged SD card.
• The SD card is protected by some rights.

You can deal with the first two problems by being a little more careful, but if you’re stuck with a corrupted SD card or a protected SD card, there’s nothing you can do about it.

I hope this guide has helped. Let me know in the comments section below if you run into any issues.