How to quickly format an SD card on a Mac

If you're a long-time Mac user, you're probably familiar with Disk Utility. This application allows you to manage and format your system's internal storage as well as external storage devices. The problem is that while Disk Utility works well for SSDs and hard drives, it's a bit 'strange' when you want to format an SD card.

 

Fortunately, there's a quicker and easier way to format your SD card on your Mac. The SD Card Formatter application, developed by the SD Association, allows you to easily format common SD card types on macOS with just a few clicks. The application supports SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.

To begin, go to the SD Association's SD Card Formatter application download page . There, click the ' For Mac ' button.

 

Next, scroll down and click 'Accept' to accept the terms and conditions. The application will now be downloaded to your Mac's Downloads folder.

 

Go to your Downloads folder and double-click the 'SDCardFormatterv5_Mac' zip file.

This action will take you to a folder with the same name. Double-click the folder to open it.

Now, double-click the app installer.

 

Follow the on-screen instructions to install the SD Card Formatter application.

After the application is installed, you can open it in the Applications folder or by using Spotlight search.

Now, connect the SD card you want to format to your Mac (using a card reader or the SD card slot, if your Mac supports this port), and access Finder to ensure you have connected the correct SD card.

Returning to the SD Card Formatter app, the SD card you just connected will appear in the 'Selected Card' section. You will also see the card's details, such as the card type and capacity.

 

Now, if you want to format the SD card quickly, select the 'Quick Format' option in the 'Formating Options' section. If you want to overwrite the entire format, select the 'Overwrite Format' option. This second option will take longer.

Then, from the 'Volume Label' section, you can choose to rename the SD card if you wish.

Once you've finished, click the "Format" button.

From the pop-up notification, click the 'Continue' option.

Enter the password for your user account and click the 'OK' button to allow the application to format the SD card.

 

Now, the application will request access to the removable drive (SD card). Here, click the ' OK ' button.

All you have to do now is wait. If you selected the 'Quick Format' option, the process will be completed in a few seconds and you will see the 'Format Complete' message pop up.

This pop-up window will display details about the newly formatted drive. Click the 'OK' button to exit.

That's all, your SD card is now formatted.