If your GoPro’s battery doesn’t seem to be lasting as long as it used to, the first thing to check is the battery’s health.
By “battery health,” I don’t mean the charge percentage you see on the main screen. That number just tells you how much juice is left for the day.
The Battery Health check assesses the physical condition of the lithium-ion cells. It tells you if the battery is aging and losing its ability to hold a full charge.
Note: This guide applies to the HERO13, 12, 11, 10, and 9 Black. It does not apply to “Mini” models (which have non-removable batteries) or older cameras like the HERO8.
How to check Battery Health (all recent models)
GoPro has standardized this menu across all recent cameras. With a charged battery inserted, turn the camera on and follow these steps:
- Swipe down to access the Dashboard.
- Swipe left to find Preferences.
- Go to
Preferences > About > Battery Info.
You will see two specific fields:
1. Battery Health
This indicates the lifespan of the battery cells.
- Excellent: The battery is functioning at full capacity.
- Good / Fair: The battery has seen significant use and has lost some capacity. It will drain faster than a new battery.
- Poor / Replace: The battery is degraded. It may cause the camera to shut down unexpectedly, especially in high-performance modes (4K/5.3K).
2. Battery Type
This field checks for authenticity and compatibility.
- Compatible / Official: You are using a genuine GoPro battery.
- N/A or Warning: You are using a third-party aftermarket battery.
Which replacement battery do you need?
If your health check says “Replace,” you need to be careful. Not all batteries fit all cameras.
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Which is why I’ve put together a comprehensive GoPro Battery Compatibility Chart separately.
For HERO13 Black: The “Enduro HB-Series”
The HERO13 uses a completely new battery form factor. It has a higher capacity (1900mAh) and different contact points.
- Required Battery: GoPro Enduro for HERO13 (Model HBBB-001)
- Compatibility: It does NOT fit older cameras (12/11/10/9). Conversely, older batteries do NOT fit the HERO13.
For HERO9, 10, 11 & 12: The “Enduro” (White Top)
These four cameras share the same physical battery slot. However, there are two types of batteries available for them:
- Standard Battery (Blue Top): The older technology. It struggles in cold weather and overheats faster.
- Enduro Battery (White Top): The newer technology. It lasts longer, charges faster, and performs significantly better in extreme temperatures.
Recommendation: If you own a HERO10, 11, or 12, I recommend that you only buy the Enduro (White Top) battery. The high-performance video modes on these cameras draw so much power that the older “Blue Top” batteries often cause early shutdowns.
Why does battery health decline?
Lithium-ion batteries do not have the memory effect of old nickel-cadmium batteries, so you don’t need to fully discharge them before recharging.
However, they have a limited number of cycles (usually around 300–500 full charges) before their chemical structure degrades. Heat is the enemy of lithium-ion. Since action cameras inherently run hot, GoPro batteries often degrade faster than phone batteries.
A note on recycling
When your battery health reads “Poor,” do not throw the battery in the regular trash. Lithium-ion batteries are fire hazards in landfills.
Please drop them off at a designated battery recycling center (often found at hardware stores like Home Depot or electronics stores like Best Buy).
Battery charts by brand
Cameras: Canon · Contax · Fujifilm · Leica · Mamiya · Minolta · Nikon · OM System and Olympus · Panasonic Lumix · Pentax · Ricoh · Sigma · Sony · Yashica
Good article.
But I do wonder why the Hero 11 Mini doesn’t have a replaceable battery. For a model that is obviously designed for greater mobility, that would be a key function. I think it’s totally stupid.
I waited almost a month for this cam until I found out from support that “integrated battery” really means integrated and not just available and already built in.
The most mobile GoPro is now the only one whose battery cannot be replaced. They’ve hit a wall, haven’t they? Whoever thought this up combs his hair with a hammer ;).
It definitely makes it less appealing and less versatile. It’s a pain not to be able to switch out a battery quickly and get on with shooting again–you have to wait until the battery charges again before using the camera. And once the battery stops holding its charge as effectively, which it inevitably will, there’s probably no way around just replacing the whole camera (I’ve not heard anything about a serviced battery replacement program along the lines that Apple has (or had) for iPhones, but my guess is it’s not cost-effective for these). The integrated battery approach they’ve used before with the Session line of small cube cameras and some of their lower-end models in the past.