GoPro Tips & Tricks HomepageGoPro Tips & Tricks

David Coleman Photography

  • Reviews & Tips
  • GoPro
  • Lightroom
  • Places
  • Photos
  • Comparison Reviews
  • GoPro Models
    • HERO9 Black
    • MAX
    • HERO8 Black
    • HERO7 Black
    • HERO7 Silver
    • HERO7 White
    • HERO (2018)
    • Fusion
    • HERO6 Black
    • HERO5 Black
    • HERO5 Session
    • HERO Session
    • HERO (2014)
    • HERO+ LCD
    • HERO4 Black
    • HERO4 Silver
    • HERO4 Session
    • HERO3+ Black
    • HERO3 Silver
  • GoPro Accessories
    • Memory Cards
    • Batteries & Charging
    • Housings & Cases
    • Filters
    • Mounts & Grips
    • Sound
    • Stabilizers
  • GoPro Tips & Tricks
    • Troubleshooting
    • Protune
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Timelapse
    • Apps

How to Set the Date and Time on a GoPro

GoPros have a couple of different ways of setting the date and time, each with its advantages.

gopro date time set menu 1068x601 - How to Set the Date and Time on a GoPro

By David Coleman | @havecamerawilltraveldc
Last updated about 5 months ago // Categories: Tips
Tags: GoPro HERO3 Black, GoPro HERO3 Silver, GoPro HERO3+ Black, GoPro HERO4 Black, GoPro HERO4 Session, GoPro HERO4 Silver, GoPro HERO5 Black, GoPro HERO5 Session, GoPro HERO6 Black, GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, GoPro HERO7 White, GoPro HERO8 Black, GoPro HERO9 Black

Deal: GoPro HERO9 Black Bundle

GoPro is running a deal on the new HERO9 Black, their newest and best camera. It's a bundle that includes the HERO9 Black, a 1-year subscription to GoPro, a Magnetic Swivel Clip, a spare battery, a Floating Hand Grip, and a 32GB SD card. It's all for $399.98.

Okay, so setting the time on a GoPro is a pretty basic function. It might have been one of the first things you did when you unboxed it. And while there’s no real magic to it, it’s not immediately self-evident that there are two methods to setting the time on a GoPro–at least on some of the cameras. Each has its own advantages.

You can, of course, shoot without setting the GoPro’s time and date. It’ll work just fine. But there are a lot of situations where it can be a very useful step. If you’re shooting with multiple cameras, whether GoPros or some mix of others, it’ll allow you sync the photos or video footage into a coherent chronological order. And it’s essential if you’re stitching video footage together to create VR footage.

So here’s a quick rundown of the two methods for setting the date and time on a GoPro.

##cMethod 1: Manually

The first method to setting the time on a GoPro is the old-fashioned way of setting it manually in the camera. While the precise location of the set date and time option varies between GoPro models, it’s under the setup menu.

On models with a built-in back screen, like the HERO4 Silver and HERO5 Black, you can use that.

On models with a small front screen, you can also use that. You change the time with the regular buttons on the camera, much the same way you’d set an alarm clock.

Setting the time manually is a little tedious, but it’s also probably not something you’ll have to do all that often.

Doing it manually has advantages in some situations. For instance, because I tend to travel with several cameras and hop across timezones, I like to have all my cameras set to UTC. That makes it easier when I get back to properly sequence the photos and is also easier when geocoding. If you use the automatic option for setting the time, it’ll use local time and you don’t have the option of adding an offset.

Method 2: Automatically by GoPro App

The quickest and most accurate is by using the GoPro mobile app. This obviously only works on models that have wifi capabilities, which includes most of the recent models.

This option gets the current time and timezone from your phone, so it’s more precise, but you don’t have the option of overriding the timezone. The time comes from your phone’s time.

You can find it under: Settings > Setup > Set Date and Time

It’s at the bottom of the Setup section, just before the deleting and formatting options.gopro capture set date time 678x381 - How to Set the Date and Time on a GoPro

There are no options below that–once you hit that menu item it will synchronize the camera’s clock to your phone’s clock.

Date Format

On the newer models like the GoPro HERO5 Black, you can also set the date format, with these options:

  • MM.DD.YY
  • DD.MM.YY
  • YY.MM.DD

Time Slip

As with most cameras, the time on GoPros gradually slips. Over the course of a few weeks, you might find that your camera’s clock has slipped off by a few seconds or more. It’s only a minor annoyance and easily fixed, but you might find yourself resetting the clock from time to time.

More GoPro Tips & Tricks:

  • 20160529120504266 300x200 - Do GoPro Touchscreens Work Underwater?
    Do GoPro Touchscreens Work Underwater?
  • Svalbard with a GoPro HERO5 Black
    Does GoPro Wifi Work Underwater?
  • GoPro MAC Address Code 300x200 - How to Find a GoPro's MAC Network Address
    How to Find a GoPro's MAC Network Address
  • GoPro HERO7 Lock Screen
    How to Lock the Screen on a GoPro HERO7
  • GoPro Power Button HERO7
    How Do You Turn on a GoPro Without Recording?
By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on October 9, 2020

Categories: Tips
Tags: GoPro HERO3 Black, GoPro HERO3 Silver, GoPro HERO3+ Black, GoPro HERO4 Black, GoPro HERO4 Session, GoPro HERO4 Silver, GoPro HERO5 Black, GoPro HERO5 Session, GoPro HERO6 Black, GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, GoPro HERO7 White, GoPro HERO8 Black, GoPro HERO9 Black

I may earn a commission for purchases using links on this page. Learn more.

GoPro News & Deals

New Smart Remote GoPro will be announcing the new Smart Remote for the HERO9 Black on December 17, 2020. The HERO9 Black isn’t compatible with the previous version of the Smart Remote.

HERO8 Black firmware v2.0 now available. Enables webcam mode; enables Display Mod compatibility; expands HyperSmooth 2.0 High and Boost availability to more video settings; general bug fixes. Update through the mobile app or manually.

GoPro Launches New Live Streaming Service for GoPro PLUS. GoPro has launched their own live-streaming platform for PLUS subscribers. It’s a pretty bare-bones offering for now, with livestreams shared with a dedicated URL. This is alongside their efforts to make the HERO8 Black useful as a webcam when connected to a computer (via USB plug-in-play, not requiring the Media Mod accessory with HDMI out). New firmware adds that functionality for Mac users, and the Windows version is in Beta.

New GoPro Zeus Mini Video Light. GoPro has released released a new video LED light designed to complement their GoPro cameras. It’s tiny, waterproof, and has a built-in magnetic swiveling clip. It’s waterproof down to 33 feet (10 meters), has four levels of brightness, and includes a diffuser to cool the color temperature to 5000K. GoPro claims that the built-in battery lasts up to 6 hours (presumably at the lowest brightness setting, although they don’t specify). It’s available now and priced at $69.99.

DJI Osmo Action firmware update adds live streaming. DJI has released a firmware update for the Osmo Action (v. 01.08.00.10) that adds live streaming support, so you can upload directly to platforms like Facebook and YouTube (it goes through the DJI Mimo mobile app). They’ve also improved the in-camera video stabilization. You can find the new firmware here.

New Underwater Housing for GoPro HERO8 Black from Isotta. Isotta, an Italian brand specializing in underwater housings, has announced a new high-quality underwater housing for the HERO8 Black. It’s an aluminum housing depth-rated to 650 feet (200 meters), has a one-handed open/close switch, double o-rings, and can be used with filters. There’s also a dual-handled tray to go along with it. And like all their housings, it’s in their distinctive red. Priced at $450, it’s only for those who need a highly specialized piece of underwater kit. It’s available for preorder from underwater specialists Backscatter.

Light Mod Now Shipping The Light Mod, one of the three new GoPro accessories, is now shipping. It’s a standalone light that is waterproof, rechargeable and compatible with all GoPro mounts. It was originally announced along with the HERO8 Black, but it hasn’t been available until now. It’s priced at $49.99, and you can find them at GoPro.com.

GoPro MAX Now Shipping. The new 360° camera, the MAX, is now shipping.

GoPro HERO8 Black and Max Unveiled. The new GoPro cameras and accessories have been unveiled. I have a rundown of the highlights of the HERO8 Black here.

DJI Osmo Action vs GoPro HERO7 Black. I’ve posted my detailed hands-on comparison of the Osmo Action and the HERO7 Black. There’s a lot similar between the models, but once you start digging down into the details there are differences that can help in choosing between them. And each has strengths the other doesn’t have. You can find my review here.

GoPro HyperSmooth vs DJI RockSteady. The new DJI Osmo Action also has built-in electronic stabilization to smooth out video. They’re calling it RockSteady (GoPro has HyperSmooth). I’ve been out testing them side-by-side. You can see the results here.

GoPro Deals page. I’ve put together a dedicated page on GoPro deals. So if you’re looking for cheap GoPro deals, check it out.

DJI Osmo action 4K Camera. Best known for their camera drones, DJI has released a new 4K action cam that’s taking direct aim at the GoPro HERO7 Black. It shoots up to 4K60 video and 12MP stills, includes electronic stabilization, has high-dynamic range video at 4K30, voice commands, a touchscreen on the back and another smaller live view screen on the front, and is waterproof down to 36 feet (11 meters). It’s priced at $349, and they’re now available at B&H Photo.

Comments

  1. Mohammad Afroz says

    April 20, 2020 at 6:04 pm

    My company has bought GoPro Hero 8 black camera. As per our client requirements, time and date on the video/photo taken (date/time stamp feature). Is there any way it can be done. Please let me know.

    Reply
    • David says

      April 21, 2020 at 8:06 am

      No, there’s no way to apply a visual timestamp in the camera. GoPros don’t have that feature. You can do it after the fact by processing the images in software that can take the time/date metadata and add it as a text layer on top of the image. On Windows, I recall Irfanview can do it (and it’s free—this guide seems like a good start). You can also do it in Lightroom or many other image editing apps.

      Reply
  2. John says

    July 27, 2019 at 2:48 pm

    I thought that the clock in GoPro cameras with internal GPS could automatically synchronize with the satellite clocks. I have older Sony cameras with internal GPS and the clock can automatically synchronize with the satellites. This ability is easier and more accurate than adjusting the clock manually.

    Reply
    • David says

      July 27, 2019 at 3:38 pm

      I couldn’t agree more that it would be a logical, simpler, and very accurate way to do it–and that’s how other devices do it, including things like GPS watches–but GoPros don’t update the time and date from the GPS connection. So you can enable GPS, but it won’t update the camera’s system time and date. The method using the phone app is accurate because it pulls the time and date from the phone, which in turn is pulling it from its cell connection.

      Reply
  3. Mark Gilchrist says

    August 31, 2018 at 7:57 pm

    I keep resetting my GoPro Hero 3+ time and date, and it keeps resetting itself back to Jan. 1, 2013. Frustrating. Does this happen at battery changes? Which I do daily? Thanks — great forum!

    Reply
    • David says

      September 4, 2018 at 4:54 pm

      It shouldn’t reset with each battery change–the newer models don’t, but unfortunately I don’t have a 3+ on hand to test specifically with that model (and it’s been a while since I used it).

      Reply
      • Karlo says

        September 20, 2018 at 2:54 am

        It does same thing to me, I have spare battery, every time I change it it changes time and date to 01.01.2013. kinda lazy to update it every time.

        Reply
  4. Cachi says

    April 14, 2018 at 7:52 pm

    I have a Black Hero 4 and although the date and time were set correctly, all my videos and photos have the wrong date, by a lot! These videos and photos were taken in February 2018 yet the files all have dates of January 2015! Something happened and I don’t understand how. I changed the date and time and then set it again to the correct values and took a video. The ne file displays the correct year, month and time so WTF?

    Reply
    • David says

      April 16, 2018 at 8:16 am

      I haven’t run into that issue when the clock has been successfully set. Out of the box they often have an old date, but that obviously shouldn’t be what’s used if the date and time has been set properly. So I’m not sure, sorry. If you want to correct the ones that have already been recorded, there are tools that allow you to change the EXIF date. Exiftool is the most powerful, but by itself it’s a command line tool so not very user friendly. There are some GUI interfaces that can go on top of it. Apps like Lightroom and PhotoMechanic can also alter the capture time, although it can get complicated because different apps can refer to different date metadata fields and I haven’t tested those apps specifically on changing the shoot date of GoPro videos. But if you already have one of those apps–or something similar–they’re worth a try.

      Reply
  5. Max says

    January 4, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    Hi, I have a gopro 3 black and I need to get the time from the phone. I try to do it with the gopro app but i don’t find the command from this last app level.
    I don’t find the settings you mentioned in the app settings.
    Any help ?

    Reply
  6. Alan Seymour says

    January 2, 2018 at 4:37 pm

    How can one sync GoPro time with time on your PC?

    Reply
  7. nahuel says

    September 6, 2017 at 2:50 pm

    When you receive time automatically from the capture app does the time slip as well? If so, how often do you have to readjust it or how often does it make sure that its times are correct?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • David says

      September 6, 2017 at 4:49 pm

      Yes, it does, but I haven’t done any tests to see how often calibration is required. I habitually do it with all my cameras as part of my routine before heading off on photography trips.

      Reply

Questions & Comments Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

I’m a professional travel & location photographer based in Washington DC and traveling all over. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between.

I’ve owned and used every GoPro since the HD HERO and particularly like finding new and different ways to use them to capture photos, video, and time-lapse.

You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com.

Search My Images

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here:

If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.

Get in Touch

Member

© 2009–2021 David Coleman · Have Camera Will Travel LLC · all rights reserved


Photos by David Coleman. Please contact me for licensing images.
All images are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.


Privacy & Disclosure · Cookie Declaration · Disclaimer · Terms of Service · Copyright · Contact


GoPro, HERO, Session, Karma and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc.


XML Sitemap