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How to Reset a GoPro HERO5 Black

There are a few different types of reset on the HERO5 Black. There's a factory reset that wipes everything, but there are also some other more selective reset options that might be useful for solving specific problems.

GoPro HERO5 Black Factory Reset

By David Coleman | @havecamerawilltraveldc
Last updated about 1 week ago // Categories: Tips
Tags: GoPro HERO5 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.

If something’s gone wrong with your GoPro HERO5 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 HERO5 Black. There’s a factory reset. That’s the nuclear option that wipes everything and restores it to the settings it comes out of the box with. But there are also some other more selective reset options that might be useful for solving specific problems.

So here’s a rundown of how to reset a GoPro HERO5 Black.

How to Do a Factory Reset on the HERO5 Black

This is the nuclear option that clears everything. Before you do this, know that it’s going to wipe all of your settings and custom presets. It will clear all the wireless connections and deregister your HERO5 Black from your GoPro PLUS account. It will not delete anything off your SD card (but you can remove it if you like–it doesn’t need to be in the camera to perform a factory reset), and it doesn’t roll back the camera’s firmware.

  • On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring down the Settings Menu.
  • Choose Preferences
  • Scroll all the way to the bottom to the Reset section and choose Factory Reset.
  • Tap Reset

The camera will then be back to square one.

How to Restore Presets to Defaults on the HERO5 Black

This is basically a gentler variation on the factory reset. It wipes many settings back to their defaults but leaves some settings untouched:

  • date and time
  • camera name and password for wireless connections
  • the language you’ve set
  • video format

To do it:

  • On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring down the Settings Menu.
  • Choose Preferences
  • Scroll all the way to the bottom to the Reset section and choose Camera Defaults.
  • Tap Reset

How to Reset a GoPro HERO5 Black’s Wireless Connections

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.

You can reset all of the HERO5 Black’s wireless connections by:

  • On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring down the Settings Menu.
  • Choose Connect.
  • Scroll down to the Camera Information section and choose Reset Connections.
  • Tap Reset.

You’ll obviously need to know the new camera name and password that has been automatically assigned during the reset. To find that:

  1. On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring down the Settings Menu.
  2. Choose Connect.
  3. Scroll down to the Camera Information section and choose Name & Password.

How to Format a Memory Card in the HERO5 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 HERO5 Black, but here’s the short version for formatting your SD card in the HERO5 Black:

  1. On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring down the Settings Menu.
  2. Choose Preferences.
  3. Scroll all the way to the bottom to the Reset section and choose Format SD Card.
  4. Tap Delete.

How to Restart Your GoPro HERO5 Black

This doesn’t change any settings, but it can be a useful first step in troubleshooting if your HERO5 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:

  1. Press and hold the Mode button for 8 seconds. The Mode button is the one on the side, 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.

By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on February 19, 2021

Categories: Tips
Tags: GoPro HERO5 Black

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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.

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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.

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