In this guide, you will learn to format SD cards on your Android device and recover data from a formatted card.
Mastering SD Card Formatting on Android Devices
Sometimes, you may face compatibility issues with an SD card. This is where you need to format it before connecting it to any device. Though formatting SD cards is a common practice around the globe, many people are still unaware of its importance.
When formatting an SD on Android, there is a chance that you delete important files or data accidentally. This is what has happened to millions of people worldwide so far.
If you have the same concern and are looking forward to restoring the lost data from your SD card, it is recommended to use a powerful SD card recovery tool – Wondershare Recoverit.
Part 1. Why and When to Format an SD Card on Android?
Let’s understand what exactly is the need for formatting an SD card on Android and other devices.
The Need for Formatting Your SD Card on Phones
First of all, when your card is short on space, and you can’t store more data on it, you can format it to remove the unnecessary files to free up some space. Similarly, if you want to do loop recording, you will have to format the card regularly. Otherwise, it will build-up the protected files and the recording time will get reduced.
When you purchase a new SD card, don’t forget to format it before connecting it to your device. Doing this will ensure the memory card works perfectly with the file system of the device you attached it to. It is recommended to format your SD card at least once a month.
In addition, when you plan to delete all the data from your memory card, simply erasing or deleting files will not completely clear your card. It will have some leftovers.
When Should You Format an SD Card on Your Android Device?
Below is a list of the common reasons why you should format an SD card.
- Security Concerns: If a virus attacks your SD card or you are not sure whether or not the files stored on your card are safe, immediately format your memory card.
- Damaged Card: If you are unable to access the data from your memory card and it gives error messages, it might be damaged. In this case, always format your SD card to get rid of this problem.
- Low Performance: In case of the degraded performance of your SD card, you may enhance its performance by formatting it right on priority.
- Compatibility Problem: SD cards often experience compatibility issues when connecting with Android phones and other devices. The older phones that do not support the exFAT file system are mostly not compatible with the memory cards. If you are stuck in this situation, perform a quick SD card format to swim your worries away.
Part 2. How to Format an SD Card on Android?
There are different ways to format your SD card for your Android phone. This section presents two effective solutions you can count on. Let’s look at how these solutions assist you in formatting the card.
Solution 1: Using the Android Settings
Though different Android versions may have different settings to format a card, the main idea is quite similar, which is go to the settings, choose storage, click on the advanced option, and find your memory card to format it. Below are the steps you need to follow to format an SD card from Android.
Step 1: Ensure that the SD card is connected to your Android phone and can be recognized well.
Step 2: Go to the “Settings” option and navigate to “Battery and device care.”
Step 3: Click on the Storage option, tap on the three vertical dots, and click on the Advanced option.
Step 4: Now, choose your memory card and hit the Format option to format your card for Android.
Following these 4 steps will help you format your Android memory card within minutes.
Solution 2: Formatting via a Computer
The File Explorer feature on Windows computer can also help you format the card in no time. To do this, follow the steps listed below.
Step 1: Connect the SD card to your computer with a card reader.
Step 2: Press the “Windows + E” key from the keyboard to open the File Explorer.
Step 3: Locate your SD card, right-click on it, and tap on the Format option.
Step 4: You can set the new file system to your card, e.g., NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT.
Step 5: Once you select the desired file system, check the Quick Format box and hit the Start button, as shown below.
Part 3. Recover Data from Formatted SD Cards using Recoverit
There is a chance that you accidentally format your memory card and lose your important data files. In that case, you may need to know how to retrieve the lost data.
If your SD card was accidentally formatted and you are now worried about how to get the lost stuff back, all you need to do is use an unmatchable data recovery tool – Wondershare Recoverit. It is highly compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.
The best thing associated with Recoverit is that it enables you to restore 100MB of data for free from your formatted memory card. Let’s look at some more amazing features it offers.
- Along with the SD card, Recoverit supports more than 2,000 storage devices.
- This software ensures a successful data recovery 98% of the time.
- You can recover data from 500+ scenarios, such as formatted device recovery, partition recovery, virus attack recovery, and more.
- The quick and deep scan guarantees accurate data recovery.
- With this utility, you can restore more than 1,000 file types.
How to Recover Data from an Android Micro SD Card using Recoverit?
This tool makes it super easy to get your lost data back, no matter it’s lost due to sd card formatting, accidental deletion, virus attack, or computer crashes. You just need to download and install this software and follow the steps listed below.
Step 1: Launch the software. Navigate to the “SD Card” tab from the left pane. Ensure that the SD card is connected to your computer and is recognized.
Step 2. Find and click the SD Card to proceed the scanning process.
Step 2: Now, Recoverit will scan the card and search for your lost files. It enables you to stop the scanning process whenever you want. Moreover, the progress of this process appears at the bottom of the screen, as shown below.
Step 3: It is time to preview the scanned data before you restore it. To do this, click on the Preview button. If you are satisfied, hit the Recover button and save the data on your device.
Part 4. Tips for Maintaining SD Cards on Android Devices
No one of us wants SD cards to get either corrupted or experience accidental deletion. To avoid this issue, follow the tips given below. They will help you increase the life of the memory card.
- Keep It at a Secure Place: When your SD card is not in use, always store it in a dry and secure place. It is always better to keep your card in a protective case. Doing this will help you avoid any sort of physical damage to your card.
- Keep It from Extreme Temperatures: Never expose your memory card to a too low or a too high temperature. Keeping it away from extreme temperatures will increase the lifespan of your card.
- Select a High Performance Reader: A high-performance SD card reader ensures an accelerated workflow and instant data transfer from the card to any other device.
- Format It Regularly: Formatting your card on a regular basis increases its lifespan and effective data storage.
Ending Note
When and why you need to format an SD card is discussed in detail above. This guide has presented two efficient solutions to format an SD card in Android: using phone settings and a computer. If you want to increase the lifespan and working performance of your memory card, follow the best practices for effective SD card maintenance, as listed above.
Have you lost some important files when formatting your memory card? Don’t worry. A leading SD card data recovery tool – Wondershare Recoverit – will enable you to retrieve your lost data regardless of how it was deleted or lost while formatting.