How to Update Your GoPro Hero4 Firmware (and Fix a Fail)

In this post, you’ll learn how to update the firmware on your GoPro Hero4. And how to fix a fail in case it glitches. (It did for my update.)

I bought my GoPro Hero4 Black back in June, and it shipped with v2.0. In August, a firmware update was released (v3.0), and I finally got around to updating the camera today.

In this post, you’ll learn:

1. How to update GoPro Hero4 firmware (3 ways)
2. How to save it from a failed update
3. Tips for updating your GoPro Hero4 firmware

Here’s how to update the firmware on your GoPro Hero4, both Black and Silver editions.

Written instructions are below the video.

How To Update GoPro Hero4 Firmware

3 Ways to Update GoPro Firmware

There are three ways to update the firmware on your GoPro camera.

1. Via the GoPro application on your smart device.
2. Via GoPro Studio
3. Manually download the file and copy it to the memory card

I updated the firmware via the app. Here’s how I did it:

1. Download the GoPro app (Android or iOS) and pair your Hero4 camera to your phone or tablet.
2. Inside of the app, tap on the update button (see the image below). Choose “Install” and agree to “Terms & Conditions”.
3. Sit back and wait for the upgrade to complete.
4. If it takes more than a few minutes, you might have a problem. My update got caught in a loop for 75 minutes. I couldn’t find a solution to the failed update, so here’s what I did: I turned off the camera and wasn’t sure what would happen. It would either restart or become a brick.
5. After turning the GoPro off and then back on, it began to install the updates. I don’t know why that happened – I can’t find any explanation of this on any blog. I should mention that this may or may not work for you. Whenever a firmware install is interrupted, there is a chance of killing the whole device. So, be careful!

Within two minutes, the update had been completely installed, and I got this message:

Here are the best settings for your GoPro Hero4 camera.

The process worked properly, and my Hero4 was updated with the new firmware.

2 Tips for Your GoPro Firmware Update

1. Ensure your batteries (on your phone and GoPro) are fully charged. The last thing you’ll want is one of them to die during the process.
2. Be sure to download any photos on your memory card. You will likely lose all your photos/videos during the process.

Your Turn

Are you having trouble with your firmware update? Did your update get stuck in a loop? Please join the conversation below.

Learn more about using your GoPro camera.