The GoPro Hero 4 isn’t particularly good at battery life. Thankfully, there are ways for you to extend your GoPro Hero 4’s battery life, so that filming with your action camera becomes more enjoyable and less stressful.
In this article we’ll give a few tips on how to maximize your camera’s battery life so that you don’t run out of juice unexpectedly while you are capturing something awesome.
Watch this tutorial to extend your GoPro’s battery life:
GoPro Hero 4 Battery Life & Specs
First, let’s talk about the specs of GoPro Hero 4 battery. There are two models of GoPro Hero 4, which include: the GoPro Hero 4 Black & Silver.
Hero 4 Black
The GoPro Hero 4 Black has a replaceable 1160 mAh Lithium-ion battery. Its model number is AHDBT-401.
- 1160mAh lithium ion battery: High quality rechargeable battery for your HERO4 BLACK...
- Extra or Replacement Battery: Use it as a spare or replacement battery for your GoPro...
- See: AHBBP 401 Dual Battery Charger + Battery for your charging needs
Here’s the approximate continuous recording time that you can expect when shooting in various video modes using a fully charged Hero 4 Black:
- 4K @ 30fps – 65 minutes
- 2.7K @ 30fps – 70 minutes
- 1080p @60fps – 80 minutes
- 1080p @30fps – 90 minutes
- 720p @120fps – 110 minutes
Hero 4 Silver
The GoPro Hero 4 Silver uses the same battery as its Black counterpart. Here’s the approximate recording time that you’ll achieve when shooting with Hero 4 Silver:
- 4K @ 15fps – 120 minutes
- 2.7K @ 30fps – 110 minutes
- 1080p @60fps – 100 minutes
- 1080p @30fps – 110 minutes
- 720p @120fps – 115 minutes
Please note that these are just the approximate values of the Hero 4 battery life. The exact battery life of your GoPro on a single charge depends upon various factors, like whether you’re using all the extra features of your camera or not.
Tips to Improve GoPro Hero 4 Battery Life
Here are some useful tips to improve the battery life of the GoPro Hero 4:
Turn on Auto Power off
Auto Power Off is a feature that will automatically turn the camera off if it is not in use after two minutes. Turn on the Auto Power off feature of your GoPro Hero 4. It would help you reduce the unnecessary battery drain of your action camera.
Use Sleep Mode
The Sleep Mode allows for one final video clip to be recorded before shutting down, while preserving battery life. This can be enabled from Settings > General on your GoPro Hero 4. Put your action camera into sleep mode when you are done recording to preserve and extend its battery life.
Remove Unnecessary Accessories & Mounts
Additional mounts and accessories like external microphones etc. require more power of the device. This reduces its battery life and increases charging time as well. So, remove unnecessary mounts and accessories to increase your camera’s battery life.
Turn off WiFi
If you’re not using the GoPro Hero 4’s remote control or the smartphone app, then it would be a good idea to turn off Wi-Fi before starting up the camera. This will save battery life by preventing unnecessary transmission of data.
Turn the camera off
If you are not recording any video or taking pictures, it would be a good idea to turn the GoPro Hero 4 off, since its standby mode consumes power as well. So, if there is no need for your action cam’s features, then switch it off after use to conserve battery life.
Keep the Batteries Warm in Cold Weather
The lithium-ion batteries usually don’t perform well in cold weather conditions. It is important to keep the battery of your GoPro warm when operating in these types of environments where it will be exposed to lower temperatures. So, you should always store your camera’s battery inside something warm – the zippered pocket on a jacket, for example.
You can also opt for GoPro bag. Click here to find the best ones!
Update the Firmware
Updating the firmware of your GoPro Hero 4 camera will not only fix lingering issues but it can also increase battery life. With each update, the company comes up with several fixes to improve performance and longevity of our cameras.
Reduce the Resolution & Frame Rates
If you’re looking to keep your GoPro Hero 4 action camera’s battery life lasting longer, consider reducing its resolution or frame rate when shooting videos. Lowering these settings can help your device last longer on a single charge, giving you more time in between charges for capturing footage of those special moments.
FAQs
Here are the answers to some of the commonly asked queries regarding the GoPro Hero 4 battery life:
Why does my GoPro Hero 4 battery die so fast?
How long your GoPro Hero 4’s battery life lasts is dependent on several factors. Follow the tips given above to maximize it!
Also, read this article to learn more why does it die so fast.
Can GoPro Hero 4 record while charging?
No. When the GoPro Hero 4 camera is recording, its power won’t build up even if you have connected to a charger source or plugged in your device inside of the camera case while filming.
Click here to buy yourself the best charger.
Can I use GoPro Hero 4 without battery?
Yes. You can run the GoPro Hero 4 without battery, provided it’s connected to an external power source via the USB-C cable. However, if you stop providing AC power to your action camera for any reason, then be aware that this will turn it off immediately.
How To Extend Your GoPro Hero 4 Battery Life?
The GoPro Hero 4 is a lightweight and compact camera that’s perfect for capturing your amazing moments. We know that you’ll want to make sure you’re able to capture as many of these memories without worrying about the battery life, which lasts anywhere between 1-2 hours for GoPro Hero 4.
Therefore, to help you with this problem, you must follow the above-mentioned simple tips which will extend your camera’s run time. But, if it doesn’t work out or you don’t like being limited in terms of features, then consider carrying spare batteries so that they can be swapped when needed.
- 1160mAh lithium ion battery: High quality rechargeable battery for your HERO4 BLACK...
- Extra or Replacement Battery: Use it as a spare or replacement battery for your GoPro...
- See: AHBBP 401 Dual Battery Charger + Battery for your charging needs
I hope that these tips on how to prolong your GoPro Hero 4 action camera’s battery life prove helpful for you so that you don’t run out of juice unexpectedly.
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