In some cases no, such as on a PC, but many devices won’t let you use a card otherwise. Android phones will automatically prompt you to format before you can transfer files or apps.

SD cards are enormously useful devices that hold more data every year. Reformatting an SD or microSD card can make sure all the data that was on it is gone.

Most people save files, photos, videos and more to internal SD cards, then transfer them to their computer via an SD card reader. Make sure your reader is compatible with your computer’s ...