How to Keep GoPro from Overheating

There are several ways to keep your GoPro from overheating, including lowering your video resolution, recording shorter clips, getting airflow to the camera, and reducing sunlight exposure.

Hi, my name is Larry, and I’ve been a passionate GoPro user for over 8 years. I’ve recorded with multiple GoPro camera models during this past decade and have encountered various overheating issues. Through my own testing, I’ve learned why GoPros overheat and the best ways to prevent them from overheating.

I’m excited to share these learnings with you today so you can understand how to keep your GoPro from overheating.

Let’s cool off your camera!

Why is My GoPro Overheating?

The initial step in preventing your GoPro from overheating is to understand why it’s overheating in the first place. Although it’s normal for GoPros to get hot, your camera shouldn’t be so hot to where it’s painful to touch it. 

Your GoPro may even unexpectedly turn off, begin stuttering, or suffer heightened battery loss if its temperature is too high. So let’s discuss the most common reasons why your GoPro is overheating.

Reason 1: Long Recording Time

In my experience, long recording time is the most significant cause of overheated GoPros. GoPros are action cameras that are meant to record short clips. If you record long videos without giving your camera a break, you are putting strain on your GoPro’s battery and internal processors, causing it to heat up. 

Reason 2: High-Resolution Video Quality

Recording in a high-resolution video quality means that your GoPro’s internal processors and battery need to work much harder to shoot the video. For this reason, it’s common for GoPros to overheat when you record with a high-resolution video setting. 

Reason 3: Faulty SD Card

A faulty SD card prevents your GoPro camera from running optimally. If you’re using a slow and old GoPro microSD card, it may be bottlenecking your camera’s performance and causing it to overheat.

Reason 4: Outdated GoPro Firmware

Just like any other electronic device, GoPros are prone to glitches and bugs as well. When these glitches occur, GoPro usually releases a new firmware that addresses the problems. So if you’re using outdated GoPro firmware, it may be the reason why your GoPro overheats when you record.

Reason 5: High Outdoor Temperatures

If you record outdoors on a hot summer day, the high external temperatures will seep directly into your GoPro. GoPros left in the sun will heat up very quickly since the device is so tiny. 

How Do I Stop My GoPro from Overheating? (GoPro Overheating Fix)

Now that you understand the reasons why GoPro cameras overheat, I’ll explain how to stop your GoPro from overheating.

Here’s my list of 9 GoPro overheating fixes:

Tip 1: Let Your GoPro Breathe

It’s essential to get as much airflow around your GoPro as possible. Unfortunately, since GoPros are so small, they don’t have built-in cooling mechanisms. However, GoPros do have a small air vent on the bottom of the camera. 

If you record indoors, I recommend turning on a fan or placing your GoPro near an air conditioning unit.

If you record outdoors, keep the GoPro moving as much as you can and avoid covering the air vent on the bottom of the camera. 

Tip 2: Reduce Sunlight Exposure

Sunlight shining directly onto your GoPro will cause it to overheat quickly. For this reason, you must reduce sunlight exposure to your camera. I recommend keeping your camera in a bag or under the shade when you’re not recording. You should also remove your camera from the sunlight as soon as you finish recording.

Tip 3: Lower Video Resolution

Although recording at a high video resolution offers a much better viewing experience, it may be causing your camera to overheat. I recommend testing a lower video resolution and seeing if your camera still has overheating issues. If it doesn’t, you should continue recording at a lower video resolution and only use high resolutions when absolutely necessary.

Tip 4: Record Shorter Clips

As I mentioned earlier, recording lengthy GoPro videos causes your camera to work overtime. Therefore, rather than recording for 30 minutes continuously, I recommend breaking up the video into shorter 5-minute clips. Furthermore, you should give your camera some time to breathe in between each clip.

Tip 5: Turn Off GPS, Voice Control, and Wi-Fi 

When these settings are unnecessarily turned on, they take up processing power. For this reason, make sure your GoPro’s GPS, voice control, and Wi-Fi are turned off when you aren’t using them.

Tip 6: Upgrade Your SD Card

If you’re using an old and outdated microSD card for your GoPro, it’s time to upgrade. First, check out GoPro’s official microSD card list. This list shows all the microSD cards that are fully compatible with GoPro cameras. The list also explains the maximum size SD card your specific GoPro model can support.

Tip 7: Update Your Firmware

The next step to prevent your GoPro from overheating is regularly updating your GoPro’s firmware. To learn how, check out my guide on how to update GoPro firmware. Basically, you can either update your GoPro with the GoPro Quik mobile app or through a manual installation with your computer.

I highly recommend using the GoPro Quik app because it automatically scans your camera’s firmware and updates it every time you open the app.

Tip 8: Use a Video Performance Mode

If you have a GoPro HERO10 Black, there are three different Video Performance Mode settings you can select. 

These include:

• Maximum Video Performance – for maximum resolutions and frame rates
• Extended Battery – uses lower video resolutions and frame rates to extend battery life
• Tripod / Stationary Video – for stationary video recording when you can’t get proper airflow to your GoPro

One of these settings may be beneficial for the type of video you’re recording and allow your camera to run optimally to prevent overheating. 

Tip 9: Don’t Lay GoPro on Flat Surface When Recording

If you rest your GoPro on a flat surface while recording, airflow won’t be able to reach all the surfaces on the camera. For this reason, I recommend using a mount that elevates the camera off of the flat surface. This way, you can ensure as much airflow is getting to your camera as possible to prevent overheating.

How Much Heat Can a GoPro Take?

If your GoPro camera starts overheating, it may display a warning sign that reads “CAMERA TOO HOT” on the LCD screen. GoPros have built-in safety features that automatically shut the camera off when temperatures are too high to prevent the internal parts from melting and getting damaged.

The warning message and automatic shutdown take place when your camera reaches temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. So if you’re recording on a blistering hot summer day, make sure to keep your camera covered and cool when you’re not filming. 

Do High Temperatures Shorten GoPro Filming Time?

High temperatures shorten GoPro filming time because your camera may automatically shut off. When this happens, your video will cut out, and you’ll need to turn your camera on again to continue recording. You’ll also need to let your camera cool off for a bit or else it may overheat and shut down again. 

Furthermore, high GoPro temperatures cause the battery to drain faster. If your battery drains too quickly, it will reduce the length of your GoPro filming time unless you have a charger or another battery nearby.

FAQs

Here are a few common questions about GoPro overheating issues.

Does a GoPro get hot while charging?

Although GoPros tend to heat up while charging, they shouldn’t get severely hot. If your GoPro is overheated while charging, I recommend using a different charging cable. Faulty charging cables will cause GoPros to get very hot while charging. Check out GoPro’s list of recommended chargers to find a compatible charging method. If your GoPro still gets too hot while charging, I recommend using another battery.

Why do GoPros get hot?

The reason why GoPros get hot is that they are small electronic devices that use a lot of processing power to record high-quality videos. Because of this, GoPros are incredibly vulnerable to overheating when not used correctly. 

How do I stop my GoPro HERO9 from overheating?

You can stop your GoPro HERO9 Black or GoPro HERO10 Black from overheating by testing a new SD card, updating your GoPro’s firmware, and getting as much airflow as possible to the camera. Furthermore, you should reduce sunlight exposure, record shorter clips, and use lower video resolutions.

Closing Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed my guide on how to keep your GoPro from overheating. There’s nothing worse than your camera automatically shutting down right before you want to record a cool stunt or trick.

The tips outlined in this guide should prevent GoPro overheating issues in the future. However, now I really want to hear from you.

Which explanation from today’s guide relates to your overheating situation too most? Does your camera overheat because you rest your camera on a flat surface while recording? Maybe you were using outdated GoPro firmware?

Let me know in the comments down below. Also, feel free to ask any additional questions you may have about my GoPro overheating fixes.