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How to Format an SD Card for GoPro

Formatting the GoPro's SD card gets the card ready for use and keeps the filesystem healthy and minimizes the risk of errors. Here are the various ways to do it on different GoPro models.

How to Format an SD Card for GoPro

By David Coleman | @havecamerawilltraveldc
Last updated about 3 months ago // Categories: Memory Cards
Tags: GoPro Fusion, GoPro HERO (2014), GoPro HERO (2018), GoPro HERO Session, GoPro HERO+, GoPro HERO+ LCD, GoPro HERO3 Black, GoPro HERO3 Silver, GoPro HERO3+ Black, GoPro HERO4 Black, GoPro HERO4 Session, GoPro HERO4 Silver, GoPro HERO5 Black, GoPro HERO5 Session, GoPro HERO6 Black, GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, GoPro HERO7 White, GoPro HERO8 Black, GoPro HERO9 Black

Formatting the SD card will wipe all the data on it. So make sure you’ve backed up everything off the card first.

Save $220 on GoPro HERO9 Bundle

GoPro is running a deal on the new HERO9 Black, their newest and best camera. It's a bundle that includes the HERO9 Black, a 1-year subscription to GoPro, a free extra battery, and a 64GB SD card. It's all for $349.98.

SD cards are an essential accessory for your GoPro. You’re not going to get far without one.1 I’ve previously put together some recommendations on which SD card to get for specific GoPro models. Here I’m focusing on how to prep the card for use in the GoPro and how to keep its filesystem healthy and ready for use.

Formatting the SD does two things. It wipes all the data off the card to free up space for new photos and videos. It also prepares the card to be the way the camera wants it, including the appropriate filesystem and folder structure. A kind of conditioning, if you like.

Formatting is something you should do before you start using a card—and you’ll get prompted by the camera to do it if the card isn’t ready. And then you should also keep doing it routinely after that each time you’ve downloaded all the images and footage of the card.

01 678x453 - How to Format an SD Card for GoPro

As a rule, it’s best to format the card in the camera. That’s true not just for GoPros but for any camera. It is possible to format SD cards using a computer, and I have more details on that below, but it’s good practice to always do it in the camera to minimize the risks of data corruption or some kind of formatting issue that could interfere with shooting.

It’s also worth doing regularly. That again maximizes the chance that the SD card’s filesystem is healthy. I do it whenever I’ve finished downloading the files to my computer after a shoot. Or you could do it after uploading the files to a cloud service such as GoPro Plus.

There are a few different ways that GoPros can format the card. The process does vary a little between models, but the general approach is the same. And on some GoPros you can choose among more than one way of doing it. Some GoPros, for instance, give you the option of using the menu on the touchscreen, the buttons and the front status screen, or the GoPro mobile app. On other GoPros, only one or two of those options are available.

On GoPros with a Built-in Screen and Menu

All of the GoPros that come with a built-in touchscreen have the formatting option as part of the menu system. The terminology isn’t always exactly the same, but in general, you want to go into settings and find the option to refers to resetting the memory card.

Here are some examples:

  • HERO8 & HERO7: Preferences > Reset > Format SD Card
  • HERO6, HERO5, & HERO (2018): Preferences > Format SD Card > Delete
  • HERO4 Silver: Setup > Delete > ALL/Format

On GoPros with a Small Front Screen

On GoPros with only a small screen on the front, such as the HERO4 Black and the HERO3 and HERO3+ models, you can use a combination of the power button on the side and the shutter button on the top to navigate through the menu system to the format SD card function. Some of the newer models, such as the HERO5 Black, HERO6 Black, HERO7 Black, or HERO (2018) also have a small front screen, but on those models, you can’t access the settings menu with it—it’s only for switching shooting modes.

  • Press the power button a few times until you see a trashcan icon on the front screen.
  • Press the shutter button to select that option.
  • Press the power button until “ALL/Format” shows on the screen.
  • Press the shutter button to select the “ALL/Format” function.
  • Press the power button until “Yes” is highlighted.
  • Press the shutter button to select “Yes.”

The camera then starts the formatting, and the camera’s light and the trashcan icon on the screen will both start blinking to denote that the formatting is in process. The blinking will stop once the process is complete.

On GoPros with Wireless Capabilities / GoPro Mobile App

The GoPro mobile app also includes the function to format the SD card.

Again, the terminology hasn’t always been completely consistent between versions of the app, and it’s not consistent between the camera’s menu and the app’s menu, but the current version of the GoPro app calls it “Delete All Files from SD Card”.

gopro format from mobile app 678x381 - How to Format an SD Card for GoPro

Formatting a GoPro’s SD Card Using a Computer

While it’s best practice to format the SD card in the GoPro camera itself, it is possible to format it using a computer. There are a couple of main options and some things to watch out for.

SD Card Formatter. The safest, most reliable, and simplest is to use the free app that the SD Association makes available specifically to set SD and microSD cards up to be fully compliant. It’s called SD Card Formatter, and you can download for free directly from the SD Association’s website.

There’s nothing complicated about using this app—the whole point is that it’s a foolproof way to use the appropriate format for the type of card—but I’ve put together a more detailed walk-thru here.

Operating System Disk Utilities. Another option is to use the operating system’s built-in disk utility. With Windows 10, go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management. On Mac, use Disk Utility.

As for the formatting type, there are some specific requirements according to the size of the storage capacity of your memory card. If it’s 32GB or smaller, choose FAT32, which conforms to the microSDHC standard. If it’s 64GB or larger, choose exFAT, which is what the microSDXC standard specifies.2


  1. Some GoPros do have an HDMI out port, in which case, as a technical matter, it is possible to shoot without a memory card by connecting the camera directly to an external recorder or display. But that’s not how most users shoot with their GoPro most of the time. ↩
  2. As a technical matter, it is possible to reverse these. That is, you can format a 32GB with exFAT or a 128GB with FAT32, for example, but doing so goes against the SD Association’s specs, as well as what the camera expects, and introduces added risk of the camera having a problem with the card. ↩

More GoPro Tips & Tricks:

  • GoPro Format SD Card 2 1 300x200 - How to Format SD Cards in a GoPro
    How to Format SD Cards in a GoPro
  • GoPro HERO6 Black Recommended microSD Cards
    Best SD Cards for the GoPro HERO6 Black
  • GoPro HERO4 Memory Card Close-Up
    What Size Memory Card is Best for a GoPro HERO4?
  • GoPro Fusion microSD cards
    SD Card Recommendations for the GoPro Fusion
  • GoPro HERO3+
    Recommended SD Cards for the GoPro HERO3 Black & HERO3+ Black
  • GoPro HERO front 300x200 - Recommended Memory Cards for the GoPro HERO (2014)
    Recommended Memory Cards for the GoPro HERO (2014)

What to Do if Your GoPro Photos or Videos Go Missing From Your SD Card

There can be several reasons why photos and videos go missing from memory cards. But you can often recover at least some of them. I have a more detailed post on how to recover deleted GoPro videos and photos from SD cards, but here's the quick version:

  1. Stop using the SD card. This is important, because overwriting the data will make it harder to recover deleted files from it.
  2. Scan the memory card with the free trial versions of either Stellar Photo Recovery or Disk Drill. Both have Windows and Mac versions. The scan will show you whether any files can be found and recovered.
  3. Recover the files. If the apps can find the files, you can then decide whether to buy a full license to run the actual recovery process or to try one of the other options covered here.
By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on October 12, 2020

Categories: Memory Cards
Tags: GoPro Fusion, GoPro HERO (2014), GoPro HERO (2018), GoPro HERO Session, GoPro HERO+, GoPro HERO+ LCD, GoPro HERO3 Black, GoPro HERO3 Silver, GoPro HERO3+ Black, GoPro HERO4 Black, GoPro HERO4 Session, GoPro HERO4 Silver, GoPro HERO5 Black, GoPro HERO5 Session, GoPro HERO6 Black, GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, GoPro HERO7 White, GoPro HERO8 Black, GoPro HERO9 Black

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GoPro News & Deals

New Smart Remote GoPro will be announcing the new Smart Remote for the HERO9 Black on December 17, 2020. The HERO9 Black isn’t compatible with the previous version of the Smart Remote.

HERO8 Black firmware v2.0 now available. Enables webcam mode; enables Display Mod compatibility; expands HyperSmooth 2.0 High and Boost availability to more video settings; general bug fixes. Update through the mobile app or manually.

GoPro Launches New Live Streaming Service for GoPro PLUS. GoPro has launched their own live-streaming platform for PLUS subscribers. It’s a pretty bare-bones offering for now, with livestreams shared with a dedicated URL. This is alongside their efforts to make the HERO8 Black useful as a webcam when connected to a computer (via USB plug-in-play, not requiring the Media Mod accessory with HDMI out). New firmware adds that functionality for Mac users, and the Windows version is in Beta.

New GoPro Zeus Mini Video Light. GoPro has released released a new video LED light designed to complement their GoPro cameras. It’s tiny, waterproof, and has a built-in magnetic swiveling clip. It’s waterproof down to 33 feet (10 meters), has four levels of brightness, and includes a diffuser to cool the color temperature to 5000K. GoPro claims that the built-in battery lasts up to 6 hours (presumably at the lowest brightness setting, although they don’t specify). It’s available now and priced at $69.99.

DJI Osmo Action firmware update adds live streaming. DJI has released a firmware update for the Osmo Action (v. 01.08.00.10) that adds live streaming support, so you can upload directly to platforms like Facebook and YouTube (it goes through the DJI Mimo mobile app). They’ve also improved the in-camera video stabilization. You can find the new firmware here.

New Underwater Housing for GoPro HERO8 Black from Isotta. Isotta, an Italian brand specializing in underwater housings, has announced a new high-quality underwater housing for the HERO8 Black. It’s an aluminum housing depth-rated to 650 feet (200 meters), has a one-handed open/close switch, double o-rings, and can be used with filters. There’s also a dual-handled tray to go along with it. And like all their housings, it’s in their distinctive red. Priced at $450, it’s only for those who need a highly specialized piece of underwater kit. It’s available for preorder from underwater specialists Backscatter.

Light Mod Now Shipping The Light Mod, one of the three new GoPro accessories, is now shipping. It’s a standalone light that is waterproof, rechargeable and compatible with all GoPro mounts. It was originally announced along with the HERO8 Black, but it hasn’t been available until now. It’s priced at $49.99, and you can find them at GoPro.com.

GoPro MAX Now Shipping. The new 360° camera, the MAX, is now shipping.

GoPro HERO8 Black and Max Unveiled. The new GoPro cameras and accessories have been unveiled. I have a rundown of the highlights of the HERO8 Black here.

DJI Osmo Action vs GoPro HERO7 Black. I’ve posted my detailed hands-on comparison of the Osmo Action and the HERO7 Black. There’s a lot similar between the models, but once you start digging down into the details there are differences that can help in choosing between them. And each has strengths the other doesn’t have. You can find my review here.

GoPro HyperSmooth vs DJI RockSteady. The new DJI Osmo Action also has built-in electronic stabilization to smooth out video. They’re calling it RockSteady (GoPro has HyperSmooth). I’ve been out testing them side-by-side. You can see the results here.

GoPro Deals page. I’ve put together a dedicated page on GoPro deals. So if you’re looking for cheap GoPro deals, check it out.

DJI Osmo action 4K Camera. Best known for their camera drones, DJI has released a new 4K action cam that’s taking direct aim at the GoPro HERO7 Black. It shoots up to 4K60 video and 12MP stills, includes electronic stabilization, has high-dynamic range video at 4K30, voice commands, a touchscreen on the back and another smaller live view screen on the front, and is waterproof down to 36 feet (11 meters). It’s priced at $349, and they’re now available at B&H Photo.

SD Cards for GoPro

SanDisk 256GB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I...
SanDisk 256GB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I...
Check Price on Amazon
Samsung Electronics EVO Select 256GB...
Samsung Electronics EVO Select 256GB...
Check Price on Amazon

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About Me

I’m a professional travel & location photographer based in Washington DC and traveling all over. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between.

I’ve owned and used every GoPro since the HD HERO and particularly like finding new and different ways to use them to capture photos, video, and time-lapse.

You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com.

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