How Long Does a GoPro Battery Last? (8 Tips for a Longer Life)

How long does a GoPro battery last? Here’s the average life for all GoPro cameras. They include the Hero12 back to vintage models. And tips to extend battery life and gear for extended shooting. You’ll also see some great accessories for extended shooting.

GoPro batteries generally last about 60 minutes of filming. Various factors affect battery life, including the video mode, external temperature, and on-camera settings. Tweaking these can extend battery life up to another 30 minutes.

How Long Does a GoPro Battery Last?

One of the biggest complaints about GoPro is battery life. As soon as you start looking into getting one, you hear about battery drain and start to wonder how long does a GoPro battery last.

The answer seems simple but there are a few things to consider. So let’s get to it.

7 New GoPro Models

Here are the battery life, capacity, and battery model for the seven newest GoPro cameras.

Model	Battery Life	Capacity	Battery Model
Hero12 Black	70-150 minutes	1720mAh	SPBL1B
Hero11 Black Mini	70 minutes	1500mAh	Embedded
Hero11 Black	73 minutes	1720mAh	SPBL1B
Hero10 Black	90 minutes	1720mAh	SPBL1B
Hero9 Black	90 minutes	1720mAh	SPBL1B
Hero8 Black	70 minutes	1220mAh	AJBAT-001
GoPro Max	85 minutes	1600mAh	ACBAT-001

18 Older GoPro Cameras

If you have an older GoPro, it might be included in this list. This includes 18 of the older models.

Model	Battery Life	Capacity	Battery Model
Hero 7 Black	45 – 90 minutes	1220mAh	AJBAT-001
Hero 7 (Silver, White)	106 – 146 minutes		Embedded
Hero (2018)	80 minutes	1220mAh	AJBAT-001
GoPro Fusion	75 minutes	2620mAh	ASBBA-001
Hero6 Black	70 minutes	1220mAh	AJBAT-001
Hero5 Black	120 minutes	1220mAh	AJBAT-001
Hero5 Session	95 minutes	2000mAh	Embedded
Hero+	120 minutes	1160mAh	Embedded
Hero4 (Black, Silver)	80-100 minutes	1160mAh	AHBBP-401
Hero4 Session	105 minutes	1180mAh	Embedded
Hero (2014)	165 minutes	1160mAh	Embedded
Hero3+ (Black, Silver)	90-120 minutes	1050mAh	AHDBT-301, AHDBT-302
Hero3 (Black, Silver, White)	90-120 minutes	1050mAh	AHDBT-301, AHDBT-302

So, How Long Does a GoPro Battery Last?

How long a GoPro battery will last depends on a number of factors.

How long does a GoPro battery last? GoPro batteries last between 60-90 minutes with the following settings. Continual video shooting in 4K or 5.3K with no other features turned on. And the battery is fully charged, warm, and brand new.

The measurements in this post are a result of our tests. If you want the official numbers from GoPro, there is a link later in the post.

In this post, you’ll learn factors that shorten GoPro battery life, the average battery life for all GoPro models, tips to make your GoPro battery last longer, and accessories for extended shooting.

Let’s get started!

3 Factors that Shorten GoPro Battery Life

Here are three things that will shorten your GoPro battery life, in descending order:

1. Too Many Features Enabled: The more features you have turned on (WiFi, GPS, voice control …) the faster your battery will drain.
2. Temperature: Both high heat and cold temperatures: will drain faster your battery. This is true if the air or the water is too cold.
3. Age: The battery life gets shorter with age.

How long can a GoPro record? Here are 6 ways to improve GoPro recording time.

8 Tips to Make Your GoPro Battery Last Longer

If you only turn your camera on when you want to shoot, or you use one button control, you may get the better part of a day out of your battery.

That’s what I do (on an average day of shooting).

If that sounds like what you’re planning, here are some tips.

1. Don’t use the extra settings (WiFi, GPS, voice control).
2. Keep your batteries warm in cold weather. Consider putting them in an inside zippered pocket of your jacket.
3. Turn off the screen.
4. Turn off extra lights.
5. Don’t use a remote or smartphone app.
6. Keep Protune off (I keep Protune on – because I prefer better image quality over a slight improvement in battery life.)
7. Use a wall charger (faster and better charge than a USB cable from your PC).
8. Download the latest firmware.

Battery Life for GoPro Cameras: By Model

According to GoPro, here is the approximate battery life for every GoPro Hero model released since September 2014.

Hero12 Black Battery Life and Specs

• GoPro Hero12 Black: 70 minutes (recording at 5.3K resolution)
• Battery Model: SPBL1B (Fits Hero9 Black, Hero10 Black, Hero11 Black, and Hero12 Black)
• Battery Capacity: 1720mAh

Get your GoPro Hero11 Black on Amazon, B&H Photo, or Best Buy.

Hero11 Black Battery Life and Specs

• GoPro Hero11 Black: 70 minutes (recording at 5.3K resolution)
• Battery Model: SPBL1B (Fits Hero9 Black, Hero10 Black, Hero11 Black, and Hero12 Black)
• Battery Capacity: 1720mAh

Get your GoPro Hero11 Black on Amazon, B&H Photo, or Best Buy.

Hero10 Black Battery Life and Specs

• GoPro Hero10 Black: 90 minutes (recording at 5.3K resolution)
• Battery Model: SPBL1B (Fits Hero9 Black, Hero10 Black, Hero11 Black, and Hero12 Black)
• Battery Capacity: 1720mAh

Hero9 Black Battery Life and Specs

• GoPro Hero9 Black: 90 minutes (recording at 5.3K resolution)
• Battery Model: SPBL1B (Fits Hero9 Black, Hero10 Black, Hero11 Black, and Hero12 Black)
• Battery Capacity: 1720mAh

Usage time for each battery varies, not just by camera model, but by the video mode and resolution. Here is the detailed battery life info.

Hero8 Black Battery Life and Specs

The Hero8 Black camera has a removable battery. This is an important feature – because it allows you to bring spare batteries and exchange them during the day.

• GoPro Hero8 Black: 70 minutes (recording at 4K resolution)
• Battery Model: AJBAT-001 (Fits Hero5 Black, Hero6 Black, Hero7 Black, and Hero8 Black)
• Battery Capacity: 1220mAh

As already covered in this post, there are lots of factors that affect battery life. If you have all features enabled and your camera on for a few hours before you start filming, you won’t get the full 70 minutes of recording time. This is why it’s so important to bring spare batteries.

Fortunately, GoPro didn’t change the battery style for the Hero8. This means that the same battery will fit Hero6, Hero7, and Hero8.

Best battery for Hero8: There is an argument to be made that GoPro makes the best battery for its camera. And while there’s nothing wrong with it, it is a little expensive.

GoPro Max Battery Life and Specs

• GoPro Max: 85 minutes
• Battery Model: ACBAT-001
• Battery Capacity: 1600mAh

More reading: GoPro Max Battery Guide: 9 Things to Know

Hero7 Battery Life and Specs

The battery in the Hero7 Black is removable. This means that you can bring extra batteries and charge your dead batteries while you’re shooting with fresh ones.

The battery in both the Silver and While are built in. This seriously limits shooting time on each adventure.

• GoPro Hero7 Black: 45 – 90 minutes
• GoPro Hero7 Silver: 106 – 146 minutes
• GoPro Hero7 White: 107 – 146 minutes
• Battery Model: AJBAT-001 (Fits Hero5 Black, Hero6, Hero7, and Hero8)
• Battery Capacity: 1220mAh

As you might expect, shooting at high resolution, high frame rates will consume your energy faster. Here’s an overview of how the resolution affects battery life in the Hero7 Black.

• 4K60: 45 minutes
• 2.7K120: 30-45 minutes
• 1080p60: 85-90 minutes
• 720p240: 85-90 minutes

As you’ll see below, the battery life has not improved since the Hero6. It actually has gotten worse.

Best Battery for Hero7 Black: I’m a long-time fan of WasabiPower. They match the same capacity of the original GoPro battery (1220mAh) but cost much less.

Hero6 Battery Life and Specs

• GoPro Hero6 Black: 70 – 110 minutes
• Battery Model: AJBAT-001 (Fits Hero5 Black, Hero6, Hero7, and Hero8)
• Battery Capacity: 1220mAh

The shooting time depends on the video resolution you are shooting. Here are a few examples of what to expect.

• 4K60: 70 minutes
• 2.7K120: 60 minutes
• 1080p60: 100 minutes
• 720p60: 110 minutes

Best Battery for GoPro Hero6 Black: I’ve been using WasabiPower batteries for many years and they haven’t failed me once. These come rated at 1220mAh with an approximate run time of 2 hours. Of course, this depends on what resolution you’re shooting – and how many features you have on.

GoPro Fusion Battery Life and Specs

The battery life of the GoPro Fusion actually isn’t that bad, especially considering the resolution that it captures.

• GoPro Fusion: 75 – 80 minutes
• Battery Model: ASBBA-001
• Battery Capacity: 2620mAh

This time varies, depending on the video mode you’ve chosen, but not that much.

• 5.2K30: 75 minutes
• 3K60: 80 minutes

What’s the best battery for GoPro Fusion? If you’re off on a shoot with your Fusion, you’ll need some extra batteries. You can shoot with your fresh battery, while your dead batteries charge in your backpack with a power bank.

GoPro Hero5 Battery Life and Specs

The Hero5 comes in two models. Here’s what to expect for battery life in each Hero5 model:

• GoPro Hero5 Black: 2h
• GoPro Hero5 Session: 1h 35m
• Battery Model: AJBAT-001 (Fits Hero5 Black, Hero6 Black, Hero7 Black, and Hero8 Black)
• Battery Capacity: 1220mAh

The Hero5 Session has a built-in battery and can’t be swapped out. This means that you’re limited to 95 minutes of shooting time before you have to plug the whole camera in to charge.

What’s the best battery for GoPro Hero5 Black? Fortunately, the Hero5 Black comes with removable batteries. It will come as no surprise to you that I love WasabiPower batteries.

These batteries match the GoPro specs but cost much, much less. At this price, it’s worth picking up a charger and at least a couple of batteries. It is easy to burn through 2 or 3 in a day.

GoPro Hero4 Battery Life and Specs

The Hero4 comes in three models. Here’s what to expect for battery life in each Hero4 model:

• GoPro Hero4 Black: 1h 20m
• GoPro Hero4 Silver: 1h 40m
• GoPro Hero4 Session: 1h 45m
• Battery Model: AHBBP-401
• Battery Capacity: 1160 mAh

What’s the best battery for GoPro Hero4? While the availability of these isn’t like it was, there are still some great options for batteries to fit a Hero4 Black or Silver.

From our experience, these times are very generous. With our Hero4 Black, we average about 1 hour of continuous shooting. That’s not very long, is it? But don’t worry, you can make it last longer.

So the important question may not be, how long does a GoPro battery last. But, how can I make my GoPro battery last longer?

Learn more differences between GoPro cameras in the GoPro Comparison Guide.

The voice control setting drains the battery even when you think the camera is off. So before you power off make sure the voice control is disabled.

How do I turn off my GoPro? Check out our guide to all models.

You might also consider taking the battery out when the camera is not in use. That way, if you’ve forgotten to disable anything, your battery will still be fully charged when you want to use it.

Trust me, it’s pretty frustrating when you want to start shooting and your battery is D-E-A-D, dead!

Especially when you fully charged it the night before so you’d be “all ready to go.” I just charge it the night before and then pop it in before I set out to start shooting.

With that being said, it’s not much fun if you can’t use all those cool settings on your GoPro. So now we’ll look at how to extend your GoPro shooting time.

Here’s how to charge your GoPro battery and camera.

More reading: If your GoPro won’t charge, try these 7 things

4 GoPro Accessories for Extended Shooting

If you want to shoot underwater, do extended time-lapses or video recording, you’ll need some accessories to give you more juice.

With the following GoPro accessories, you’ll have the juice to shoot all day long and change your batteries less.

And when you aren’t worried about battery drain, you can be more focused on the action around you.

1. Extra Batteries with Charger

If you want to keep your GoPro going all day you’ll need more than one battery. Charge up a few extra batteries the night before. When one drains, just pop in a new one.

It’s easier if you can charge a couple at a time.

A couple of batteries fit numerous GoPro cameras.

• SPBL1B: Fits Hero9 Black, Hero10 Black, Hero11 Black, and Hero12 Black
• AJBAT-001: Fits Hero5 Black, Hero6 Black, Hero7 Black, and Hero8 Black

Here are some options for longer shooting time. Either buy the Enduro battery (for better cold weather shooting) or the Volta for more than 4 hours of shooting.

Model	Battery Life	Capacity	Battery Model
Volta	240 minutes	4900mAh	Volta battery grip
Enduro Battery	71 minutes	1720mAh	SPBL1B-C

Here’s the full guide to GoPro battery compatibility.

2. Volta Grip/Charger

This Volta grip/charger also works great as an external power source. It’ll help extend your shooting time up to more than 4 hours.

In the following video, you’ll see the grip and how it works.

Remember, you’ll need to take that side door off your GoPro before you can use this mount.

3. Mobile Power Bank

A mobile power bank is one of the best ways to keep your GoPro going through extended shooting. Even with the more basic models, you can more than 10x your battery life.

To use this, you’ll need to remove the side door to be able to plug the USB-C cable in while the camera is mounted. This means that your GoPro is no longer waterproof.

Check out our guide to GoPro Charging Cables.

4. Portable Solar Charger

Another great accessory to have is a solar charger, especially if you like to camp or go on long hiking trips. You can plug your GoPro directly into it, or use its mobile battery pack.

I’ve done both with it, and it works great. I’ve found the 14W model to be more than enough for charging my phone and camera batteries.

What Will You Use to Extend GoPro Battery Life?

Did you see any accessories that you’ll be getting to help your GoPro batteries last longer? I usually carry extra batteries, and we use the SunJack Solar Charger for shooting time-lapses.

What do you use to make your GoPro batteries last longer? Please share with us by commenting on this post.

If you’re wondering if you should get a GoPro read this before you buy.