Formatting the SD card for GoPro means deleting all existing data on the card and renewing it for your next shoot.

Remember, that it’s important to make sure to download and store your data well before formatting.

The few easy formatting methods mentioned below will allow you to format your GoPro SD Memory Card safely. 

 

3 Ways To Format SD Card

There are mainly three ways to format your SD card:

In your camera 

It is always a good idea to format the SD card using the camera itself. The performance is better and the card functionality is not affected at all. In simple words, after you insert the card in your GoPro and turn it On, you need to select the desired options from the menu and click Delete to complete the process.

Using GoPro app

Formatting SD card using a GoPro App is also quite simple. Insert the SD card in the camera and turn it On. For formatting the card, you need to connect the cam with the GoPro App using a WiFi/Bluetooth connection. Select the desired option from Settings in the GoPro App and choose Delete.

On your Computer

You may also format your SD card using your computer. All you need to do is connect the card to your computer using an external card reader. After the connection has been established with your machine, you need to select the required options from Menu to Format the card.

For best performance and results, it is advisable to use GoPro recommended Memory Cards or Fast SD Memory Cards for GoPro. Click on this link to learn more about them.

gopro sd card

 

How to Format GoPro SD Card – In Camera

It is advisable and necessary to format your SD card in your camera itself to retain the performance and proper functionality of your SD card. For different GoPro models, you need to follow a few varying steps as it follows.

format gopro sd card

GoPro HERO 12, 11, 10, 9, 8  Black and 11 Mini

  1. Power on your GoPro HERO 12.
  2. Swipe down on the camera’s touch screen to open the Dashboard.
  3. Tap on the “Preferences” icon (the gear icon).
  4. Scroll down and tap on “Reset.”
  5. Tap on “Format SD Card.”
  6. You’ll see a warning message stating that this action will delete all data on the SD card. If you’re sure you want to proceed, tap on “Format.”

GoPro HERO 7 (Black / Silver / White)

  1. Insert the card into the camera and turn it on.
  2. Open the menu on the back screen (side button).
  3. Go to Preferences.
  4. Scroll down and select “Reset“.
  5. Choose the option “Format SD Card“.
  6. Click “Format”.

GoPro HERO 6 (Black) or Hero 5 (Black)

  1. Insert the card into the camera and turn it on.
  2. Open the menu on the back screen (side button).
  3. Go to Preferences.
  4. Scroll down and select “Format SD Card.”
  5. Choose Delete.

GoPro HERO 5 Session, HERO 4 Session or HERO Session

For the GoPro session series, there is no way to format the SD card using the camera and choosing the desired option from the Menu. You need to use the GoPro App to do the same. Scroll down to the next section for detailed steps.

GoPro HERO 4 (Black / Silver)

  1. Insert the card into the camera and turn it on.
  2. Push the bottom button and select Setup (Press top button).
  3. Scroll down and select Delete (trash can icon).
  4. Choose All/Format.
  5. Choose Delete.

GoPro Fusion & Max

  1. Insert the card into the camera and turn it on.
  2. Open the menu on the back screen (side button).
  3. Go to Preferences.
  4. Scroll down and select “Reset“.
  5. Choose the option “Format SD Card“.
  6. Click “Format”.

Just follow the above steps as per your GoPro model before you are about to roll on for your next adventure to capture everlasting moments.

To fix your SD Card error read the article: How to Fix SD Card Error on ANY GoPro (Step-by-Step).

 

How to Format GoPro SD Card – Using the GoPro App

Using a GoPro App is easy and convenient when it comes to formatting of SD cards. The GoPro App works with all models which support the feature “WiFi”. Follow the below steps :

  1. Insert the microSD card into the camera.
  2. Connect the camera to the GoPro app via WiFi/Bluetooth.
  3. In the GoPro app, go into Settings.
  4. Scroll down to the Delete Section.
  5. Choose Delete All Files from SD Card.

gopro app format gopro

And there you go.. all set to capture some new memories!

 

Formatting GoPro SD Card – On Your Computer

The third and last way to format your SD card is using your computer. You will need an external card reader to connect the SD card to your PC. Make sure to download all the data on your card before you begin formatting.

Format GoPro SD Card on Windows

1. Connect the card to the computer using a card reader.

2. Go to “My Computer“, and select your SD card device.

3. Right-click on your SD card.

4. From the pop-up menu, choose the option “Format“.

5. In the Format window, make sure to choose the correct format options.

  •  It should be set to FAT32 for 32GB SD cards and EXFAT for 64GB SD cards.
  • Select the check box “Quick Format”
  • Hit the Start button.

The formatting of your SD card is now complete.

Format GoPro SD Card on Mac

1. Connect the card to your Mac using a card reader.

2. Open Disk Utility app.

3. Select your SD card (If it hasn’t been formatted before, it might have a name like “NO NAME” or “UNTITLED”.)

4. Choose the option “Erase” from the top menu bar.

5. Enter a name for the SD card (optional).

6. Choose filesystem format. If 64GB or larger, choose EXFAT. If 32GB or smaller, choose FAT32.

7. Hit the option Erase and you are done.

Pro Tip: Mac OS 10.6.5 or earlier does not support exFAT format, so you won’t be able to format 64GB SD cards. Thus, either upgrade your OS to 10.6.6 or later, or use an SD card that’s already formatted to MS-DOS (FAT) or FAT32.

 

How Should You Format Your GoPro SD Card?

There’s no such “best” method for formatting an SD Card. The best method is what suits your needs the most. However, the formatting GoPro SD card (in camera), as well as recharging all GoPro batteries before every session (eg. hiking day) is a good practice for ensuring quality performance and proper functioning of your camera.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

I hope this guide helped you learn how to format your GoPro SD Card 🙂

 

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