
If you plan to get rid of your SD card, you need to erase it completely first using the command dd on Mac. Sudo diskutil eraseDisk ExFAT SDCARD MBRFormat /dev/disk4

To find the unique identifier of your SD card, type diskutil list.You can also press Cmd + Space and write Terminal. Open the app Terminal through the Launchpad in the dock.To format an SD card using Terminal on Mac: This is a step just for Advanced users if you are concerned, use Disk Utility instead. Commands like diskutil they will happily erase almost any drive you specify in Terminal. Note: You must be very careful before doing this. If you prefer to do things the old way, you can also format your SD card using the application Terminal.
#How do i format an sd card for mac how to
How to format SD cards on Mac using Terminal You can also remove it from your Mac and use it on other devices that support your card’s new file system. If the card is formatted correctly, you can start using it to store important files or photos. After a few moments, you will see the confirmation that the process has finished.Choose MS-DOS (FAT) for cards less than 32 GB Y exFAT for larger SD cards. Keep it short and avoid special characters and spaces to ensure maximum compatibility. At the top of the window, click Delete.

It should be close to the size advertised on your SD card packaging. If you are not sure how to choose the correct drive, take a look at the storage capacity. Unformatted SD cards will appear as UNTITLED or NO NAME.The SD card should appear in the section External on the left: select it.In the window of the Disk Utility, Press the sight icon and select Show all devices.You can also press Cmd + Space and write Disk utility. Open the Disk Utility through folder Launchpad in your Dock.If you are using a USB card reader, connect it to an available USB port on your Mac. To format an SD card on Mac using Disk Utility: You can also use the tool to format USB flash drives, external hard drives, or internal drive partitions.
#How do i format an sd card for mac software
You don’t need any special software to format an SD card on your Mac as you can use the built-in application Disk Utility.ĭisk Utility allows you to safely format SD cards on your Mac. How to format an SD card on Mac using Disk Utility The best method is to use the Disk Utility application, but there are third-party alternatives such as SD Card Formatter. Once you’ve determined the file system you need, you can start formatting your SD card. Cards larger than 32GB need the file system exFAT. For SD cards less than 32GB, please use the file system FAT32. Then you have to know which file system to use. If your Mac doesn’t have a built-in card reader, you’ll have to buy one. Some Macs have them, but many don’t.įortunately, SD card readers are not expensive. Before formatting SD cards on Macīefore formatting an SD card in macOS, you will have to make sure you have a card reader. If you are not sure how to format an SD card on Mac and want to do it safely, please follow these steps. However, there are risks, and you could lose your data or corrupt your SD card if you don’t take precautions.


It also allows you to change the file system of an SD card (new or old), allowing other devices to read and write to it, including Macs. Did you buy a new SD card or are you just reusing a spare one? It may be a good idea to format it first.įormatting an SD card makes a clean slate, removing any trace of old files.
