How to Format an SD Card in GoPro HERO9

Before you can use an SD card in your GoPro HERO9 Black, you’ll need to format it. This wipes the card, resets the filesystem type, and prepares the folders/directories that the camera needs for saving data. And by deleting all of the existing data, it also frees up space for the next shoot.

You can format the card in the camera. Or you can format it using a computer. Of those options, formatting the card in the camera is the best and most reliable option, and it’s the one I’m focusing on here.

There are two methods to formatting an SD card in the HERO9 Black:

• One uses the camera’s on-screen menu system.
• The other uses the GoPro Quik mobile app.
  

Both methods work equally well, and one method isn’t better than the other. I’ve got information on how to do both methods below.

But first: a reminder that formatting the card is going to wipe all the data from the SD card. So be sure to have downloaded any photos or videos you want to keep. (If you accidentally format the SD card, it still might be possible to recover the photos and videos from it.

Method 1: Using the HERO9’s On-Screen Menu System

The menu item you’re looking for is:

Preferences > Reset > Format SD Card

On the camera’s back screen menu, swipe down to show the dashboard. Then swipe from right to left to bring up the panel that has a choice between Connections and Preferences. Choose Preferences.

Then scroll down to Reset and choose the option to Format SD Card.

Method 2: Using the GoPro Quik Mobile App

1. Power on your HERO9 and connect the Quik app.
2. Tap on the wrench icon at the top right of screen to open the settings.
3. Scroll down to Delete All Files from SD Card.
   

You’ll then be asked to confirm that you want to delete all data from the SD card.

Things Worth Knowing

If you choose to format the SD card using a computer, I recommend using the free SD Card Formatter app provided by the SD Association. It sets the card up according to the official SD card specs and reduces the risk of problems.

The GoPro HERO9 Black performs a high-level format. That means that the data index is wiped, but it doesn’t perform a low-level and more thorough format of all the SD card’s sectors. For any sensitive data, a low-level format using a computer is a more secure method.

If you’re upgrading to the HERO10 Black, the process for formatting the SD card is the same in that model.

There’s only one camera in the HERO9 lineup: the HERO9 Black. There were no Silver or White editions in that line.

If you put in an unformatted SD card, or one that has been formatted with the wrong filesystem, you’ll get an SD Card Error on-screen like this one: