Now that touchscreens on the back of GoPros have become standard–at least, with the larger, non-Session models–it makes sense to wonder if they’ll work underwater.
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And the answer is no, GoPro touchscreens don’t work underwater.
For now, the touch-sensitive displays that we’ve become used to on all sorts of devices don’t work underwater. That’s true of the touchscreens on smartphones and cameras, including the screens on the back of GoPro cameras.
Current touchscreens use technology that is sensitive to a slight electrical charge, or what’s known as capacitance sensing. Patents have been granted for technology aiming to solve that limitation by using other methods of registering input on touchscreens, but right now it’s not technology that’s available in consumer devices.
If you’re using it at the water’s surface, part in and part out of the water, you’ll also find that a drop of water can also confuse the touchscreen, and you can get some wacky results. You’ll see this quickly if your smartphone gets some droplets on it. I often find that it can change the shooting mode or activate things like the auto exposure spot meter. So it’s worth keeping an eye on it, just in case you find it in the wrong mode when you go to shoot. When I’m shooting in wet conditions, I usually turn the screen lock on to prevent this problem.
Of course, your GoPro can work underwater—that’s one of the great selling points of GoPros, after all. And the touchscreen will continue to work normally as a digital viewfinder to display the live view, playback videos and photos, and access menu options. Being able to see what you’re shooting is especially useful underwater. You just won’t be able to interact with them with touch (or wifi, for that matter) to change settings. For that you’ll need to the use the buttons or get the screen mostly dry.
Worth noting, now that the newer models come in their own waterproof case without the need for an external housing, is that this limitation remains true for them as well.
For mode and menu changes, the buttons generally work well. But not every feature and setting can be set just with buttons alone, so it’s not always a perfect alternative. For example, you can’t control exposure control through the buttons.
Do GoPro Touchscreens Work in Rain?
Yes, GoPro touchscreens do work in the rain, although the responsiveness might not be as good as when it’s dry.
If the camera is not fully submerged, you should be able to get response out of the touchscreen. Drops of water, and even wet fingers, can still make it work, although you’ll probably find it’s not as reliably responsive as normal. And sometimes you can end up accessing features accidentally, such as the exposure point feature. But you should be able to get enough of a signal to get where you want in the menus.
Waterproof Depth Ratings for GoPro Cameras
Newer GoPro models have a waterproof body. Older models required an external waterproof housing. Here are the depth ratings for the cameras themselves.
GoPro Model | Waterproof Depth Rating (without external housing) |
---|---|
HERO11 Black | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO11 Black Mini | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO10 Black | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO10 Black Bones Edition | Not waterproof or water-resistant. |
HERO9 Black | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO8 Black | 33 feet / 10 meters |
MAX | 16 feet / 5 meters |
HERO7 Black | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO7 Silver | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO7 White | 33 feet / 10 meters |
Fusion | 16 feet / 5 meters |
HERO6 Black | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO (2018) | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO5 Black | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO5 Session | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO4 Session / HERO Session | 33 feet / 10 meters |
HERO+ LCD | 131 feet / 40 meters |
HERO+ | 131 feet / 40 meters |
HERO (2014) | 131 feet / 40 meters |
HERO4 Black | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
HERO4 Silver | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
HERO3+ Black | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
HERO3 Black | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
HERO3 Silver | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
HERO3 White | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
HD HERO 2 | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
HD HERO Original | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
SD HERO | Not waterproof. Requires external waterproof housing. |
To go deeper, you can put the camera inside a protective dive housing. These are the compatible protective housings for recent cameras.
GoPro Camera | Compatible Protective Housing | Depth Rating of Protective Housing |
---|---|---|
HERO11 Black | Protective Housing (for HERO11/10/9) | 196 feet / 60 meters |
HERO10 Black | Protective Housing (for HERO11/10/9) | 196 feet / 60 meters |
HERO10 Black Bare Bones | Not compatible with protective housing. | |
HERO9 Black | Protective Housing (for HERO11/10/9) | 196 feet / 60 meters |
HERO8 Black | Protective Housing (for HERO8)* | 196 feet / 60 meters |
HERO7 Black | Super Suit | 196 feet / 60 meters |
HERO7 Silver | Protective Housing (for HERO7 Silver/White) | 131 feet / 40 meters |
HERO7 White | Protective Housing (for HERO7 Silver/White) | 131 feet / 40 meters |
HERO6 Black | Super Suit | 196 feet / 60 meters |
HERO (2018) | Super Suit | 196 feet / 60 meters |
HERO5 Black | Super Suit | 196 feet / 60 meters |
HERO5 Session | Aftermarket Dive Housing | |
HERO Session | Aftermarket Dive Housing | |
HERO4 Session | Aftermarket Dive Housing | |
HERO4 Black | Aftermarket Dive Housing | |
HERO4 Silver | Aftermarket Dive Housing |
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.
- 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).
- 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