Let me guess…you’re searching for How to Format SD Card for GoPro, right?
We’ll show you how to do it as well as the benefits of formatting your GoPro’s card.
Formatting your GoPro Memory Card is the best way to REMOVE all existing GoPro Videos and Pictures from your card, PREPARE it for use in your GoPro and MAXIMIZE the Performance and Reliability.
Memory Card Formatting is essentially the process of preparing the card for data storage. In this case, data means videos and photos.
In other words, the card can properly communicate and function with your GoPro in the most reliable way possible.
If you’re here to learn how to format your card, we’re covering that next. You can also watch the video below.
How to Format your GoPro Memory Card
Whether you have a HERO8 or one of the original HD Hero cameras, it’s possible to reformat the card inside of the camera.
However, the steps are a bit different from model to model.
Shown below is a slideshow of how to reformat a HERO6 Black.
Swipe Down to access settings
Tap Preferences
Scroll Down to Reset Section and tap Format SD Card
Tap Delete to Format
Why Format your GoPro Memory Card?
There are a few reasons why you would format your GoPro’s memory card:
If you plan on using a memory card that was already being used in another device
Deletes all of your GoPro Videos and Pictures very quickly (a few seconds)
Preserves maximum storage capacity
Reduces the risk of any storage errors
Maintains the card’s full speed performance capability
It is recommended to reformat your card regularly to ensure maximum performance and reliability with your GoPro.
How is Formatting Different from Deleting the Files?
When you simply delete all of your videos and pictures (whether directly on the GoPro or on your computer), there are still some fragments and files left on the card.
Repeating this process of deleting files without reformatting the card can leave lots of these little file fragments that could eventually compromise or reduce the performance and reliability of your memory card over time.
Some image data may still remain on the card and it’s even possible, with software, to recover parts of an image/video or even the entire file.
When should you Format your Memory Card
So now that you understand why you should format your card and how it’s different from deleting your photos and videos, let’s talk about when you should do it.
A good rule of thumb is to format your card every month or so.
Think of it like spring cleaning for your camera card but instead of once a year, you’re doing it a bit more often.
There are no negatives to reformatting your card so feel free to do it as often as you’d like.
However, there are specific instances that call for immediate memory card reformatting outside of the normal monthly clean-up.
Before selling your memory card to someone else
Before a GoPro Camera Firmware Update or Software Update
The first reason is for privacy and to prepare the memory card for use for the next user.
You don’t want some stranger looking at your latest travel photos or videos, do you?
And if you just purchased a used memory card, I would definitely recommend formatting it before first use even if the seller said they already did it.
The second reason is to make sure you have a clean memory card that will greatly reduce any errors you could encounter when updating your camera’s software.
Avoiding errors altogether is impossible but if you can reduce the likelihood of a conflict, do it.
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