How to Reset a GoPro HERO7 Black

There are a few different types of reset on the HERO7 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 HERO7 Black Reset Menu
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Filed Under: GoPro Tips & Tricks

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If something’s gone wrong with your GoPro HERO7 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 HERO7 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 HERO7 Black.

How to Do a Factory Reset on the HERO7 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 HERO7 Black from your GoPro PLUS account. It will not delete anything off your SD card (but you can remove it if you like), and it doesn’t roll back the camera’s firmware.

  1. On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring up the Dashboard menu.
  2. Scroll to the bottom to Preferences > Reset > Factory Reset

The camera will then be back to square one.

How to Restore Presets to Defaults on the HERO7 Black

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

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

To do it:

  1. On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring up the Dashboard menu.
  2. Scroll down to Preferences > Reset > Reset Defaults

How to Reset a GoPro HERO7 Black’s Wireless Connections

You can reset all of the HERO7 Black’s wireless connections by:

  1. On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring up the Dashboard menu.
  2. Scroll down to Preferences > Connections > Reset Connections

How to Reset the Camera Tips

The camera tips are the little help suggestions that pop up when you’re accessing some features and settings. They can be helpful at first, but once you’ve gotten to know your way around the camera they can become an annoyance. So you can turn them off (something I’ve written about here). But if you want to turn them back on for some reason, here’s how you do it:

  1. On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring up the Dashboard menu.
  2. Scroll down to Preferences > Reset > Reset Camera Tips

How to Format a Memory Card in the HERO7 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 HERO7 Black, but here’s the short version for formatting:

  1. On the camera’s back screen, swipe down to bring up the Dashboard menu.
  2. Go to Preferences > Reset > Format SD Card

How to Restart Your GoPro HERO7 Black

This doesn’t change any settings, but it can be a useful first step in troubleshooting if your HERO7 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 10 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.

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.

Price & Availability of GoPro HERO7 Black

Check the current price and availability of the GoPro HERO7 Black at:

GoPro HERO7 Black Action Camera
  • HyperSmooth: Get gimbal‑like stabilization—without the gimbal. HERO7 Black corrects for camera shake...
  • TimeWarp: Capture super stabilized time lapse videos while you move about a scene. Increase the speed up...

Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2023-09-27 at 23:50. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

New Model: GoPro HERO12 Black

Released in September 2023, the HERO12 Black is GoPro's newest model.

GoPro HERO12 Black
  • 5.3K60 / 4K120 / 2.7K240 Video
  • 27MP Photos
  • Waterproof to 33ft/10m
  • HyperSmooth 6.0 Stabilization
  • Shoot 5.3K60 & 4K120 video at up to 120Mbps bitrate
  • HDR video up to 5.3K30
  • Horizon Lock keeps level even during movement
  • Take 27MP photos (5568 x 4872 pixels)
  • 1/1.9" CMOS sensor
  • Waterproof to 33ft / 10m, so you can take it swimming, paddling, surfing, or snorkeling without a separate housing
  • Built-in mount point
  • HyperSmooth 6.0 In-camera Video Stabilization creates smooth video without a gimbal
  • Shoot up to 8x slow motion
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David Coleman / Photographer

David Coleman

I'm a freelance travel photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. My images have appeared in numerous publications, and you can check out some of my travel photography here. I've been shooting with GoPros for years, starting with the HD HERO, and have owned and used every model since. More »

2 thoughts on “How to Reset a GoPro HERO7 Black”

  1. My GoPro won’t turn on. When I take the battery out then reinstall it and press the power button, I only get a red light flash once. But it doesn’t come on.

    Reply
    • I typically see that behavior when the battery is drained or faulty. It shouldn’t be the memory card, but it can’t hurt to remove that to simplify troubleshooting.

      Some things worth trying:

      • Take the battery out and connect the camera to external power via USB. Power the camera on. If it works normally, it suggests an issue with the battery.
      • Charging the battery for 20 mins or so before power on. The battery might not be charging for some reason. It could be a fault with the battery or the charger/cable.
      • If you have a spare battery on hand, it’s worth trying that.

      I assume you’ve tried to restart the camera by holding the Mode button for 10 seconds?

      If none of those solves it, it’s probably time to contact GoPro support directly.

      Reply

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