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Now that touchscreens on the back of GoPros has become standard–at least, with the larger, non-Session models–it makes sense to wonder if they’ll work underwater.
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) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| HERO9 Black | Protective Housing (for HERO9) | 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 | 131 feet / 40 meters |
| HERO7 White | Protective Housing | 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 |
Evey Blalock says
I have used my GoPro Hero4 Silver while snorkeling, kayaking, hiking in the rain and swimming in Hawaii for multiple trips. It was in the waterproof case with the touchback door at all times, because I wanted better sound. I was able to use the touchscreen at shallower depths, up to about 3 feet… both while snorkeling in the ocean (five different snorkeling trips) and in a controlled aquarium pool, as well as in several freshwater pond/river settings with waterfalls. While kayaking, the camera spent a lot of time in the water shooting sealife as it passed under us, and it was sometimes attached to the boat for rougher seas (and also while we huli’ed). Fortunately, I had trusted the sticker that came on the door stating it was waterproof up to 10’… and had not read all of the online comments about this door mainly being for rain situations and not for swimming, or I might have been nervous to try it. It has proven to be reliable, protective and waterproof when used as warranted… up to a depth of 10′. I also have not confusion the confusion you mention with the touchscreen when the camera is only partially submerged. Have you tested your results on multiple cameras? I think perhaps this is an issue with inconsistency in manufacturing and not a one-result-happens-to-all situation.
David says
The touch issue you mention at the end happens with all of the HERO5, HERO6, and HERO7 model touchscreens. They have a different design to the HERO4 Silver–their touchscreens are part of the waterproof case and fully exposed.