How To Charge A GoPro Camera (2 Ways)

GoPro cameras are a popular option for people who like to take action-packed photos and footage while traveling, participating in extreme sports, going on adventures. They are useful in activities that involve intense water exposure as they're waterproof and can be used with accessories like mounts so you can go hands-free.

In terms of battery life, depending on which GoPro model you have, how new the gadget is, which shooting mode you have enabled, and how long you keep the device in shoot mode, your camera can handle between an hour and almost two and a half hours of nonstop recording. If you are the type who will use your GoPro on a more regular basis, it's probably in your best interest to keep multiple GoPro batteries on hand. In any case, much like other electronics, you will eventually have to charge your GoPro camera's battery to ensure that it doesn't switch off mid-activity. There are two charging methods you can try out, and both should work regardless of what GoPro model you use.

If you only have GoPro accessories that came fresh out of the box, in order to properly charge a GoPro camera battery, you can use the USB charging cable along with any wall outlet charger you might have, as long as it outputs 5V and 1A (although one that outputs 5V and 2A is more ideal if you own a HERO5 or newer). Make sure that your GoPro camera's battery is properly inserted into the device, and then follow these steps:

1. If your GoPro has them, make sure its Wi-Fi, GPS, Connections, or Voice Command features are turned off.
2. Power off the GoPro camera completely.
3. If you have any BacPac accessories, make sure they are disconnected from the main camera.
4. Plug the USB charging cable that came with your GoPro into the device. The location of the camera's USB port depends on which model you have — it may be under a removable port cover or a panel that pops open when a button is pushed.
5. At least one of the GoPro camera's LED indicators should turn red to indicate that it is charging.

Make sure to leave the camera powered off and plugged in until the front LED turns off. This means the battery is fully charged.

While you can charge the GoPro camera battery by plugging it into a wall outlet directly or by plugging it into a computer USB port, there are several things you need to note about employing the in-the-camera battery-charging method. For instance, make sure you don't turn on the camera during the process — even though the GoPro is plugged in, its battery won't actually charge while the device is running. It's best to just leave the device switched off and not try to access it until it's 100% charged.

Next, for some GoPro models, if you decide to charge the battery this way, you may need to keep the battery compartment latch open. It's also not recommended to charge the camera through ports on internal or external devices that connect to a computer, like a USB hub.

Finally, getting a full GoPro camera battery charge can take up to two hours via a USB wall charger, and at least four hours if connected through a computer port.

Buying a separate GoPro charging device is considered ideal because not only does it achieve a full charge faster, but if you own multiple batteries, you can still use your camera while your backups are charging. GoPro offers several official battery chargers:

• Dual Battery Charger + Enduro Batteries – compatible with the Hero11 Black, Hero10 Black, and Hero9 Black models and comes with two extra Enduro batteries ($59.99)
• HERO8 Black Dual Battery Charger + Battery – compatible with the Hero8 Black, Hero7 Black, HERO (2018), and Hero6 Black models and comes with one extra battery ($49.99, currently discounted at $29.99 on the GoPro website)
• MAX Dual Battery Charger + Enduro Battery – compatible with the MAX model and comes with one extra Enduro battery ($69.99)

Using one of the options above, here's how you can charge your GoPro camera's battery:

1. Release the battery compartment door of your GoPro.
2. Remove the battery by yanking gently on the plastic attachment.
3. Insert the battery into the battery charger slot. Make sure that it is properly seated.
4. Plug the charger into a wall socket or a computer port.

Each battery slot has its own LED indicator for charging status. When the slot's LED is orange, it means the battery is still charging. Once the LED is green, the battery is charged. This can take around two to four hours but can be 13% faster for Enduro batteries.

Amazon has several third-party GoPro battery chargers that are affordable, such as the MAXCAM Power Triple Battery Chargers for GoPro HERO11/HERO10/HERO9 or GoPro HERO8 Black / HERO7 Black / HERO6 Black / HERO5 Black, both only $15.99. Do note that when using non-GoPro brand accessories with official GoPro products, optimal results are not always guaranteed.

In general, you will get a better charging experience when you use a wall charger to juice up your GoPro camera battery instead of a computer. You can use any charger head on the GoPro's USB cable, provided that it has the required output. However, as is the case for most electronic gadgets, you typically get the best results when you use a device with accessories of the same brand. An official GoPro charger will work better on a GoPro camera than any third-party alternative. The same is true for the charger head, which you can use on both the in-camera and battery charger methods mentioned earlier.

The Supercharger can fully charge certain GoPro products significantly faster:

• Up to 20% quicker for GoPro Fusion, HERO7 Black, HERO6 Black, HERO5 Black, HERO (2018) and HERO5 Session
• Up to 45% faster for the Dual Battery Charger (HERO7 Black/HERO6 Black/HERO5 Black/HERO 2018)
• Up to 70% sooner for the Karma Grip

GoPro's Supercharger lets you charge up to two GoPro devices simultaneously. It's normally priced at $49.99 but is currently both discounted at $29.99 and temporarily out of stock on the official GoPro website. Once inventory for this accessory is replenished, consider getting it — according to GoPro, using the Supercharger guarantees the fastest charge for compatible devices, provided that you use the 3A USB-C cable that comes in the box with it.