How Do You Turn on a GoPro Without Recording?

If your GoPro begins recording as soon as you turn it on, you’re probably starting it in QuikCapture mode. Here’s how to turn on your GoPro without the recording beginning immediately.

GoPro Power Button HERO7
Last Updated:
Filed Under: GoPro Tips & Tricks

This post may include affiliate links. Read more.

This is a question that has come up surprisingly often. And while the answer is pretty straightforward, it’s only obvious if you know there’s more than one way to power on a GoPro.

That’s because many GoPros actually have two ways to turn the camera on. One simply powers the camera on. The other turns the camera and immediately begins shooting. It uses a feature called QuikCapture (and no, that’s not a typo–it’s how GoPro spells it).

So if you’re asking this question, it’s almost certainly because you’re turning the camera on with the shutter button (otherwise known as the large button with the red circle on top). If you have QuikCapture enabled, that’s how you start up in QuikCapture mode. You have some control over which shooting mode it starts in as well as being able to turn the feature off; I have more details on that here.

But if you want to just turn the GoPro on without recording, use the other power button. Where that is varies by the GoPro model.

On the newer, larger-style GoPros with the integrated waterproof housing, it’s a gray button on the side.

GoPro Power Button HERO7

On the smaller Session-style GoPros, it’s a small black button on the bottom of the back of the camera.

GoPro Power Button Session

On the HERO4/3 models, it’s the large button on the front.

GoPro Power Button HERO4/3

Those are the main power buttons, and they’ll turn the camera on without starting the recording immediately.

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 »