diff --git a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/CHANGELOG.md b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/CHANGELOG.md
index 0f06c6b5..48cf7747 100644
--- a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## [Unreleased] 
+
+- Added public API support for formatting
+
 ## 1.1.3 
 
 - Implemented request sense, to get sense data from USB device in case of an error
diff --git a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/include/usb/msc_host_vfs.h b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/include/usb/msc_host_vfs.h
index c116eb7f..c7ec1a6f 100644
--- a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/include/usb/msc_host_vfs.h
+++ b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/include/usb/msc_host_vfs.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -16,6 +16,20 @@ extern "C" {
 
 typedef struct msc_host_vfs *msc_host_vfs_handle_t;           /**< VFS handle to attached Mass Storage device */
 
+/**
+ * @brief Format MSC device.
+ *
+ * @param[in] device Device handle obtained from MSC callback provided upon initialization
+ * @param[in] mount_config Mount configuration
+ * @param[in] vfs_handle Handle to MSC device associated with registered VFS
+ * @return esp_err_t
+ * @return
+ *    - ESP_OK: Format completed
+ *    - ESP_ERR_INVALID_ARG: All arguments must be present and couldn't be NULL
+ *    - ESP_ERR_MSC_FORMAT_FAILED: Formatting failed
+ */
+esp_err_t msc_host_vfs_format(msc_host_device_handle_t device, const esp_vfs_fat_mount_config_t *mount_config, const msc_host_vfs_handle_t vfs_handle);
+
 /**
  * @brief Register MSC device to Virtual filesystem.
  *
diff --git a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/src/msc_host_vfs.c b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/src/msc_host_vfs.c
index eac6bc47..47a5b374 100644
--- a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/src/msc_host_vfs.c
+++ b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/src/msc_host_vfs.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ static esp_err_t msc_format_storage(size_t block_size, size_t allocation_size, c
     return ESP_OK;
 }
 
+esp_err_t msc_host_vfs_format(msc_host_device_handle_t device, const esp_vfs_fat_mount_config_t *mount_config, const msc_host_vfs_handle_t vfs_handle)
+{
+    MSC_RETURN_ON_INVALID_ARG(device);
+    MSC_RETURN_ON_INVALID_ARG(mount_config);
+    MSC_RETURN_ON_INVALID_ARG(vfs_handle);
+
+    size_t block_size = ((msc_device_t *)device)->disk.block_size;
+    size_t alloc_size = mount_config->allocation_unit_size;
+
+    return msc_format_storage(block_size, alloc_size, vfs_handle->drive);
+}
+
 static void dealloc_msc_vfs(msc_host_vfs_t *vfs)
 {
     free(vfs->base_path);
diff --git a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/test_msc.c b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/test_msc.c
index 80974d84..1aaceacb 100644
--- a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/test_msc.c
+++ b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/test_msc.c
@@ -459,6 +459,26 @@ TEST_CASE("can_be_formated", "[usb_msc]")
     mount_config.format_if_mount_failed = false;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief USB MSC API format testcase
+ * @attention This testcase deletes all content on the USB MSC device.
+ *            The device must be reset in order to contain the FILE_NAME again.
+ */
+TEST_CASE("can_be_formated_by_api", "[usb_msc]")
+{
+    printf("Create file on MSC device\n");
+    msc_setup();
+    write_read_file(FILE_NAME);
+
+    printf("Format storage device using msc_host_vfs_format\n");
+    esp_err_t ret = msc_host_vfs_format(device, &mount_config, vfs_handle);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(ESP_OK, ret);
+
+    printf("Verify file does not exist after formatting\n");
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(file_exists(FILE_NAME));
+    msc_teardown();
+}
+
 static void print_device_info(msc_host_device_info_t *info)
 {
     const size_t megabyte = 1024 * 1024;