How to Reset a GoPro HERO4 Black

If something’s gone wrong with your GoPro HERO4 Black, or if you’re selling it or lending it to a friend, you might want to reset your GoPro.

There are a few different types of reset on the HERO4 Black. Unlike newer GoPros, there’s no full factory reset. But there are some other more selective reset options available that are useful for more surgical troubleshooting. Here’s what they are and how to access them.

HERO4 Black Setup Mode

All of these are done through the HERO4 Black’s Setup mode. Since there’s no back touchscreen on this camera like there is on the Silver or many of the newer models, you’ll need to use a combination of the Mode/Power and Shutter buttons with the small front screen to access the change the settings.

To access the Setup menu, press the Power/Mode button on the front until it shows Setup on the small front screen (with the gear cogs icon). Then press the Shutter button on top to select.

How to the HERO4 Black to Default Settings

This is the most comprehensive reset option available on the HERO4 Black, although it leaves a number of settings untouched. Specifically, it doesn’t reset:

• date and time
• camera username and password for wireless connections

It also doesn’t roll back the firmware or delete anything from your memory card (you can remove the memory card if you like).

To do it:

1. In Setup mode (see above), press the Mode/Power button several times to scroll down to the Reset Cam option.
2. Press the Shutter button (on top) to select.
3. The first option will be highlighted. It’s the Reset Dflts option, which is the one you want for this.
4. Press the Shutter button to select.
5. In the confirmation screen, press the Mode/Power button to select Reset.
6. Press the Shutter button to select.

How to Reset a GoPro HERO4 Black’s Wireless Connections

If you’ve forgotten your camera’s username or password, there’s a straightforward way to reset them:

1. In Setup mode (see above), press the Mode/Power button several times to scroll down to the Reset Cam option.
2. Press the Shutter button (on top) to select.
3. The top option will be highlighted, but we want the next one down. Press the Power/Mode once to select Reset Wi-Fi so that it’s highlighted (i.e., has a black background).
4. Press the Shutter button to select.
5. In the confirmation screen, press the Mode/Power button to select Reset.
6. Press the Shutter button to select.

It will show a screen saying that it’s resetting the wi-fi connection information and then reboot the camera.

That will reset the camera name, and the password is reset automatically to goprohero (you can obviously change it to something to secure afterward).

There’s also a way to reset just the wireless connections info, such as the camera name and password. But you find that in a different place in the menu system. It’s under the Connect category rather than the Preferences like the others.

How to Format a Memory Card in the HERO4 Black

For the sake of completeness, I’ll mention this since GoPro has put it under the Reset menu category too. It’s for formatting the memory card. While it kind of makes logical sense to put the card formatting under the resetting category, it’s not necessarily the first place I’d look for it. I have a much more detailed post on using SD cards in the GoPro HERO4 Black, but here’s the short version for formatting your SD card in the HERO4 Black:

• In Setup mode (see above), press the Mode/Power button several times to scroll down to the trash can icon, which is the Delete screen.
  Press the Shutter button (on top) to select and follow the prompts to confirm.

How to Restart Your GoPro HERO4 Black

This doesn’t change any settings, but it can be a useful first step in troubleshooting if your HERO4 has frozen (something I’ve found happens far too often with GoPros of just about any model). If your GoPro isn’t responding, this is the first thing to try:

• Press and hold the Power/Mode button for 8 seconds. The Power/Mode button is the one on the front, also known as the power button. So long as there’s charge in the battery, this should restart (or reboot) the camera, but it doesn’t delete any settings.

If that doesn’t work, try taking the battery out and putting it back in.

A non-responsive GoPro is often caused by a problem with either the camera’s firmware or the microSD card. You can find more troubleshooting for this issue here.