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 Lock the Screen on a GoPro HERO7

If you find that you're accidentally touching the back screen and changing shooting modes when shooting with the HERO7 cameras, here's how to lock the screen to prevent accidental changes.

GoPro HERO7 Lock Screen

By David Coleman | @havecamerawilltraveldc
Last updated about 4 weeks ago // Categories: Tips
Tags: GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, GoPro HERO7 White

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.

Having touch screens on the back of GoPros is a relatively new addition. The HERO4 Silver was the first model with a built-in screen. Before that, you could add it as an accessory that clipped on the back.

But because of the way GoPros are often used–in a more rough-and-tumble way than your average traditional camera–it’s very easy to bump the back screen and accidentally change shooting modes or settings. It’s something I run into a lot, and it’s a pain when it happens. But there’s an easy fix: lock the back screen.

You can do it on all the GoPros with built-in back screens, although different models do it in slightly different ways. Here I’m focusing on the HERO7 cameras. And it applies to all three cameras in the HERO7 lineup: Black, Silver, and White.

Enable/Disable Screen Lock

On the HERO7 models, the lock switch is part of the top settings menu, and you can reach it with a single swipe.1 To access it, swipe down on the back screen to show the settings menu.

You’ll see a row of icons for some shortcut functions. On the far right is a padlock.

GoPro HERO7 Lock Screen

Simply tap on that to toggle whether it’s on or off. Blue is on. Gray is off. That’s it—you’re done.

GoPro HERO7 Lock Screen

You’ll get a brief display on the screen that says that the screen is locked.

GoPro HERO7 Lock Screen

So now you can use the screen as a live view to show what the lens sees, but there’s no longer any risk of accidentally switching shooting modes or changing options.

Unlock the Screen Temporarily

While the screen is locked, you can still unlock it temporarily if you want to change something. Just swipe down on the screen and tap on the blue icon in the middle. You’ll have to be quick–it only displays for about a second.

GoPro HERO7 Lock Screen - How to Unlock Temporarily

Once you’ve unlocked it this way, it’s a very temporary unlock–if you don’t touch the screen again, it will automatically re-engage the lock after about 7 or 8 seconds or so.

Changing Shooting Modes When the Screen is Locked

The new method of swiping from the main screen to change shooting modes that were introduced with the HERO7 cameras is a nice improvement for quickly switching modes. But obviously, that’s not going to work if the screen is locked. But there’s another quick way to switch shooting modes: use the power/mode button on the side of the camera. Each short press will cycle to the next shooting mode. Just don’t hold the button down–that turns it into the power button.

Things Worth Knowing

Locking the screen on GoPros is purely a feature of convenience, not security. There’s no passcode or thumbprint. So it’s not a way to prevent others from using the camera in the way that locking the screen on a laptop is. It’s just designed to prevent accidental bumps and touches on the touchscreen.


  1. It’s also part of the top menu with the HERO6 Black and HERO5 Black, but the menu system has been tweaked for the HERO7 models, so the screen looks slightly different. ↩

More GoPro Tips & Tricks:

  • superview vs wide fov 300x200 - What is GoPro SuperView?
    What is GoPro SuperView?
  • GoPro HERO5 Batteries and Chargers
    Batteries and Chargers for the HERO7 Black, HERO6 Black, HERO5 Black, and HERO (2018)
  • Running a GoPro HERO6 Black Without Internal Battery
    Can You Run a GoPro HERO9, HERO8, HERO7, or HERO6 with External Power but Without an Internal Battery?
  • Svalbard with a GoPro HERO5 Black
    JPG vs RAW on the GoPro HERO9, HERO8, HERO7, HERO6, & HERO5 Black
  • GoPro Batteries and Chargers
    How to Charge GoPro Cameras & Batteries
  • gopro hero7 black video resolutions 300x200 - Video Modes of the GoPro HERO7 Black
    Video Modes of the GoPro HERO7 Black
  • How to Connect GoPro Remote to HERO7 Black
    How to Connect a Remote to the GoPro HERO7 Black
  • GoPro HERO7 Black vs HERO6 Black
    GoPro HERO7 Black vs HERO6 Black
By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on January 28, 2021

Categories: Tips
Tags: GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, GoPro HERO7 White

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. Betty Hufford says

    August 24, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    screen on go pro hero 7 silver is locked. Tried sliding from top to bottom. Does not work. I bought this for my granddaughter birthday and I have found this is very hard to use. Kept saying no sd card when there was, managed to fix that. Charged camera then it kept saying sim card full when no pictures or videos were taken. Now screen is locked and cannot do anything. Please help. Told her it would be working tomorrow

    Reply
  2. Mario says

    August 17, 2019 at 1:49 am

    Why my 7 is overheating and will indicate “overheating” and then automatically stop recording even just less than 30 minutes of recording?

    Reply
    • David says

      August 19, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      There are several things that can make the risk of overheating worse. Things you can try include dropping the framerate/resolution of the video shooting. Shoot shorter clips. Make sure that there’s airflow around the camera, particularly around the lens port, rather than using a housing like he Super Suit that traps in air. And don’t use the mobile GoPro app–or rather, don’t leave it connected while shooting. If it’s still overheating too quickly after all those things, another thing to check is the memory card–some cards, particularly lesser-known brand cards, have a tendency to exacerbate heating.

      Reply
  3. Joseph Comine says

    May 14, 2019 at 10:05 pm

    Can you tell us how to stop the 7 from freezing up due to the touch screen not being able to handle water hitting it, even in the lock mode?
    This is a huge problem for underwater video and I’m surprised no one has addressed it.

    Reply
    • David says

      May 16, 2019 at 12:13 pm

      I’ve not run into that problem. I’ve used my HERO7 Blacks in and the around the water quite a lot, and just got back from a trip to the South Pacific where I was using them diving and snorkeling, but haven’t run into the issue of the camera locking up when water comes into contact with the screen. It might be worth contacting GoPro support directly to ask about a the possibility of a replacement–it shouldn’t be doing that, and you should obviously be able to use the camera underwater.

      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