How To Format GoPro SD Card on Your Computer

Formatting your GoPro SD card is a fantastic option if you want to delete its contents or fix any issues. It erases all the stored data, so make sure to backup any important files before formatting the card.

GoPro provides two ways to format an SD card, using the inbuilt settings or the GoPro app. Apart from these, you can also format the card with other devices. We will discuss all of these methods in detail in this article.

When to Format GoPro SD Card

How to Format GoPro SD Card

Here are the methods to format your GoPro SD Card:

GoPro Quick Mobile App

This is the easiest and quickest method to format the SD card for any GoPro camera with Wi-Fi support. Follow the steps below to perform this method:

1. Turn on the camera after inserting the SD card.
2. Connect the camera to the GoPro Quick App through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
3. Launch the app and go to Settings.
4. Under DELETE, select Delete All Files from SD Card.
   

Built-in Screen Menu

The default method to format a GoPro SD card is with the GoPro camera. You can enter its settings and format your card.

The newer GoPro cameras have LCD back screens to help you easily navigate your camera preferences. Please follow the instructions below to format an SD card through the back screen menu in GoPro Camera:

1. Turn on the camera after inserting the SD card.
2. Open the Menu on the back screen. The way to do so varies between individual versions. They are:
   • GoPro HERO10 Black, HERO9 Black, and HERO8 Black, Hero (2018) – Swipe down the back screen.
   • GoPro HERO7 (Black/Silver/White), HERO6 (Black), Hero5 (Black), Fusion, and Max – Press the side button.
3. Go to Preferences.
   
4. Look for and select Reset > Format SD Card or just Format SD Card.
   
5. Click Format or Delete.

Older GoPro models like Hero4, Hero3, etc., do not have a back screen. You’ll have to access and manage settings using the Power button (front) and the Shutter button (top).

To format SD card on GoPro camera with only the front screen,

1. Turn on the camera after inserting the SD card.
2. Press the Power button (front) repeatedly until the camera mode changes to Settings. You’ll see a wrench icon on the front screen when this happens.
3. Press the Shutter button (top) to select it.
4. Press the Power button repeatedly until you see the Trash-bin icon and press the Shutter button.
5. Then, press Power repeatedly to highlight ALL/Format and press Shutter to select it.
6. Similarly, press the Power button to highlight Yes and select it with the Shutter button.

Format With Other Devices

It is also possible to connect your GoPro SD card to other devices and format it. You’ll likely need a card reader or an adapter to connect to other devices.

Generally, you use your computer to format the SD card. Here’s how you can use the Windows PC to format your GoPro SD card,

1. Connect the SD card to your PC through a card reader or adapter.
2. Right-click your SD card drive inside This PC and select Format.
3. Set the File System accordingly- ExFAT for 64 GB+ SD Card, and FAT32 for 32 GB and below.
4. Check Quick Format and click on Start.
   

To find how to format the SD card with even more devices, please visit our article on How to format sd card.

Related Questions

Why can’t I format my SD card?

There are a few possible reasons why you can’t format your SD Card. We have a dedicated article that explores this problem. Please visit it to find the causes and fixes for the issue.

I got the SD ERR message on my GoPro, but I don’t want to lose data by formatting the card.

First, you should seek help from the GoPro technical support team. If they can’t provide much help, you’ll likely have to recover your data from the corrupted SD card and then format it. 

Many third-party data recovery applications are available in the market. Please choose a reliable one by reviewing peoples’ opinions before using it. You may make use of data recovery companies as well.

Does formatting an SD card affect its life span?

Any read/write operations on an SD card can wear and tear the device. It doesn’t matter whether you manually delete its contents or format the card, it will eventually lead to card failure after a few years. 

Nevertheless, formatting is a superior alternative to deleting the files individually as it can prevent card errors. So, don’t worry about the lifespan of your SD card and format it when you need to.

What is the time taken to format an SD card?

If you used the quick format, it should only take less than a minute. A full format can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on the interface and the memory capacity.

For normal use, a quick format should be sufficient. So make sure to check any options for a quick format before formatting your SD card.