A GoPro camera can record until the battery runs out or when the microSD card is full. This typically ranges from 50 minutes to 150 minutes, depending on which GoPro and SD card you have and which video mode you use to record.
Hi, my name’s Larry. I’ve been filming and documenting my adventures with GoPros since 2014 and have a wealth of experience handling GoPros. Unfortunately, GoPros can’t record as long as regular cameras since GoPros use smaller batteries due to their compact size.
In today’s guide, I’ll explain the different factors that affect a GoPro’s recording time and how long your GoPro can record.
Continue reading to find out!
Contents
Does GoPro Have Recording Limit?
As impressive as it would be, GoPros cannot record forever. There are three factors that determine how long a GoPro can record.
- Battery life
- Recording conditions
- SD card size
Battery life is the most important factor because your GoPro will automatically turn off once the battery runs out. The battery life will also vary depending on which video mode you record in. Check out my other guide to see the battery life of each GoPro camera.
Your recording conditions also impact your GoPro’s battery life. For example, if you’re recording a stationary video while indoors, there won’t be any airflow cooling off the camera. This means that the battery will be hotter than normal and drain faster. On the other hand, if you film outside while moving the camera around and providing airflow to it, the battery will last longer.
Furthermore, your recording conditions impact how long your GoPro can record. If your GoPro overheats due to lack of airflow or hot outdoor temperatures, it will automatically turn off. Poor recording conditions will cause your battery to drain faster too.
Your microSD card can also affect your GoPro’s recording limit. If you have a low memory size microSD card (32 GB), your memory card might fill up before the battery dies. When your microSD card is full, you won’t be able to record any more content unless you delete files or insert a new microSD card.
If you have a GoPro HERO4 or newer, your GoPro can support a 128 GB microSD card. I recommend using at least a 128 GB microSD card but check out GoPro’s official microSD card specifications to see how much memory your GoPro supports.
How Long Can a GoPro Record Continuously?
Now, I’ll explain how long your GoPro can record depending on what size microSD card you use and which video mode you use to record.
How Long Can a 32 GB MicroSD Card Record?
- Number of pictures: 12,157
- 5K / 30fps video: 48 minutes
- 4K / 60fps video: 48 minutes
- 2.7K / 120fps video: 48 minutes
- 2.7K / 60fps video: 60 minutes
- 1080p / 120fps video: 60 minutes
- 1080p / 60fps video: 79 minutes
- 720p / 60fps video: 79 minutes
- 720p / 50fps video: 115 minutes
How Long Can a 64 GB MicroSD Card Record?
- Number of pictures: 24,337
- 5K / 30fps video: 97 minutes
- 4K / 60fps video: 97 minutes
- 2.7K / 120fps video: 97 minutes
- 2.7K / 60fps video: 126 minutes
- 1080p / 120fps video: 126 minutes
- 1080p / 60fps video: 158 minutes
- 720p / 60fps video: 158 minutes
- 720p / 50fps video: 230 minutes
How Long Can a 128 GB MicroSD Card Record?
- Number of pictures: 48,960
- 5K / 30fps video: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- 4K / 60fps video: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- 2.7K / 120fps video: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- 2.7K / 60fps video: 4 hours
- 1080p / 120fps video: 4 hours
- 1080p / 60fps video: 5 hours and 18 minutes
- 720p / 60fps video: 5 hours and 18 minutes
- 720p / 50fps video: 7 hours and 43 minutes
How Long Can a 256 GB MicroSD Card Record?
- Number of pictures: 97,920
- 5K / 30fps video: 6 hours and 30 minutes
- 4K / 60fps video: 6 hours and 30 minutes
- 2.7K / 120fps video: 6 hours and 30 minutes
- 2.7K / 60fps video: 8 hours
- 1080p / 120fps video: 8 hours
- 1080p / 60fps video: 10 hours and 30 minutes
- 720p / 60fps video: 10 hours and 30 minutes
- 720p / 50fps video: 15 hours and 30 minutes
How Long Can a 512 GB MicroSD Card Record?
- Number of pictures: 195,840
- 5K / 30fps video: 13 hours
- 4K / 60fps video: 13 hours
- 2.7K / 120fps video: 13 hours
- 2.7K / 60fps video: 16 hours
- 1080p / 120fps video: 21 hours
- 1080p / 60fps video: 21 hours
- 720p / 60fps video: 21 hours
- 720p / 50fps video: 31 hours
In most cases, your GoPro’s battery will run out before you completely fill your microSD card.
Why Does GoPro Stop Recording on Its Own?
The main reason why GoPros stop recording by themselves is because of overheating. When a GoPro begins overheating, it will automatically shut itself off to avoid damaging the camera’s internal parts.
Furthermore, overheating usually occurs when you record using a high-resolution video mode for an extended period of time. For example, if you record at 4K / 60fps for 30 minutes, your GoPro would feel extremely hot to the touch.
Another reason why your GoPro stops recording on its own is because of a faulty microSD card. GoPros are notorious for having issues when you use a noncompatible microSD card. Check out GoPro’s official microSD card list for more information.
How Do You Record GoPro Video All Day?
The best way to record GoPro videos all day is by gathering the right equipment. This includes several microSD cards, multiple GoPro batteries, and a high-quality power bank.
Furthermore, you should use the lowest-resolution video mode you feel comfortable recording in to avoid overheating your camera. I also recommend recording short clips instead of continuous clips since it can cause your camera to overheat.
Whenever your battery dies or your microSD card reaches capacity, swap in a fresh one to continue recording GoPro content throughout the entire day.
FAQs
A few questions always get brought up when I discuss how long can a GoPro record, so let’s discuss these now.
Why does my GoPro only record for 8 minutes?
GoPro cameras split videos into 4 GB-sized chunks since that’s all GoPro’s FAT32 filesystem can handle. Unfortunately, if you’re recording high-resolution video on a GoPro HERO10 Black, 4 GB can fill up extremely quickly. So it’s important to understand that your long videos ending up as shorter segments are intended and not an error.
How long can a GoPro record time-lapse?
You can record a time-lapse with your GoPro for a long period of time if you remove the battery and use A/C wall power via USB to give your camera power. Without continuous A/C power, you can only record a time-lapse until the battery drains or the microSD cards fills up to max capacity.
Which GoPro has the longest recording time?
In theory, the GoPro HERO10 Black and HERO9 Black have the longest recording times because they use the most powerful batteries out of all GoPro cameras. However, these cameras also record in high-resolution video modes, which drain the battery faster.
Closing Thoughts
You should now understand that GoPro cameras can record for one to two hours in normal conditions. Your GoPro’s battery, recording conditions, and microSD card all impact how long a GoPro can record.
Now it’s my turn to ask you a question. Which GoPro do you own or are planning on buying? What type of action or adventure content are you passionate about?
Either way, let me know by dropping a quick word down below!
Miguel
I purchased a Hero11 from the GoPro website. It was overheating. I tried all their suggestions about turning off features and gps, screen brightness, etc. still no luck. After about 12 minutes it shuts down due to overheating. So disappointing. I want something to record my hiking trip down in the Patagonia region this coming December.
Larry Li
Hi Miguel! I’m sorry to hear about your new GoPro HERO11 overheating. First, make sure your firmware is updated to the latest version using the GoPro Quik mobile app. If the camera is still overheating, I recommend reaching out to GoPro support as it may be a defective camera issue and you probably still have a warranty.
Alejandro Gil
Hi Larry thanks for your advice I just bought a GoPro hero 10 black and this info has a great value for me since I committed a mistake of buying a slow card and my camera got so hot and turned off by itself, and I didn’t know why, thanks again.
Larry Li
Hey Alejandro! Glad you found my guide helpful. Hope you have a wonderful time recording awesome content!
Larry Li
Hi Mike!
As long as your 12-volt deep cycle marine battery has a compatible USB connector, you can power your GoPro camera. Since it’s a high-power battery, I expect the marine battery to keep your GoPro powered for several days. Therefore, it’s likely that your SD card will completely fill up before your camera runs out of battery.
mike allen
Can you run a go pro off of a 12 volt deep cycle marine battery, using a yolotech Camera mount, and how long will it record?