How to Find the Serial Number of a GoPro HERO9

From time to time, you might need to find the serial number of your GoPro HERO9. Here’s a guide to four methods for finding it.

GoPro HERO9 Black Serial Number Back Screen
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Filed Under: GoPro Tips & Tricks

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From time to time, you might need to find the serial number of your GoPro HERO9 Black.

It’s not something that tends to come up often, but you might need it if you’re manually updating your camera’s firmware or reaching out to GoPro support.

You’ll also need it to add a device to your GoPro Subscription account.

Screenshot of Add a Device popup when adding a HERO9 to GoPro Subscription.
When adding a HERO9 to your GoPro Subscription, you’ll see this popup asking for the serial number. The illustration it offers has one of the methods.

There are at least four methods you can choose from to find the serial number of a HERO9 Black. Here’s a quick guide.

On the HERO9’s Menu System

If your HERO9 can power on, this is probably the quickest and easiest method.

The camera’s serial number is included in the menu system on the back screen. You can find it under:

Preferences > About > Camera Info > Serial Number
GoPro HERO9 Black Serial Number Back Screen

Hard-Printed On the Camera Body

If your camera won’t power on, the HERO9 serial number is also printed on the camera body itself. But it’s not in an obvious place or even easy to read. The text is tiny and sometimes hard to tell the difference between numerals such as 6 and 8.

Open the HERO9’s side door and remove the battery.

Inside the battery compartment, there are two printed labels–one on each of the two largest compartment walls. The one you want is on the back wall (i.e., opposite side from the SD card).

You’ll need to get some light in there. You might need a flashlight or the light from your phone.

The serial number is just above the QR code. It starts with a C and is followed by 13 digits.

It looks like this:

GoPro HERO9 Black Serial Number in Battery Compartment

On the SD Card

This method is useful if you want to copy and paste the serial number or if the number printed on the camera is too hard to read clearly.

The camera’s serial number is also saved in a file on the SD card.

When the HERO9 formats the SD card to make it ready for use, it creates a couple of folders and a few files. One of those files records the camera’s key information, including the serial number.

In the top-level MISC folder, look for a file called version.txt. (There’s another MISC folder under the DCIM folder–not that one.)

GoPro HERO9 Black version.txt file location

It’s a plain text file and will open in a wide variety of apps. Double-clicking on it should automatically open it in an appropriate app.

The last field is camera serial number.

In Image EXIF Information

The camera’s serial number is also embedded in the EXIF metadata of photos taken with the HERO9. Look for an EXIF field called BodySerialNumber or CameraSerialNumber–I’ve seen it rendered as both with the same HERO9 image.

To access that, you’ll need software that can read image EXIF metadata. Some examples are:

There are plenty of other options for viewing EXIF metadata, including many imaging apps (some free, like XNViewMP, XNView, or GIMP), browser plugins, and free online services that can read and display the EXIF metadata of an image you upload. Not all of them will display the camera serial number field, but if one doesn’t work, there are plenty of other alternatives.

This screenshot is taken from the Preview app on Mac.

Tip: If you’re shooting with the HERO9’s RAW image option enabled, it’s best to use the JPG version of the image with these EXIF readers. The RAW (.gpr) files are much less widely compatible.

  1. Select the photo in Lightroom’s Library panel. Then make sure that the EXIF fields are chose in the drop-down at the top of the Metadata panel on the right side of the screen. The serial number won’t show up in just the regular Default display of metadata fields.[]
  2. in XNViewMP, use the ExifTools tab of image properties. The serial number field doesn’t show up in the regular EXIF tab.[]

The Latest Model: GoPro HERO11 Black

Released in the fall of 2022, the HERO11 is GoPro's current model. Well, actually two models.

First, there's the flagship Black that has all the bells and whistles and sets the standard for action cameras.

GoPro HERO11 Black
  • Shoot 5.3K60 & 4K120 video at up to 120Mbps bitrate
  • Take 27MP photos
  • Waterproof to 33ft / 10m without a separate housing
  • Built-in mount point
  • HyperSmooth 5.0 In-camera Video Stabilization creates smooth video without a gimbal
  • Shoot up to 8x slow motion

A couple of months later, they released Black Mini. It's smaller and shares many of the flagship models capabilities, but it's also stripped-down in important ways. For instance, it doesn't have a touchscreen, its battery isn't removable, and it shoots video only (so no photo mode).

GoPro HERO11 Black Mini
  • Shoot 5.3K60 & 4K120 video at up to 120Mbps bitrate
  • Compact form factor
  • Waterproof to 33ft / 10m without a separate housing
  • 2x built-in mount point
  • HyperSmooth 5.0 in-camera video stabilization
  • Shoot up to 8x slow motion @ 2.7K
  • Built-in battery
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 »

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