How to Charge a GoPro HERO10

There are several ways to charge the battery of your GoPro HERO10 Black. That’s just as well, considering how quickly it manages to gobble up the battery charge. The new 5.3K video modes, combined with the updated HyperSmooth and the new GP2 processor, have created a camera that gets very hot and also goes through battery power quickly.

GoPro has responded in two ways: by releasing a new high-performance battery, and by issuing a firmware update that includes an Extended Battery mode that reduces the video bitrate and resolution/framerate combination to less demanding settings.

But even with that, there are very finite limits to the battery life you’ll get out of the HERO10. ¹ If you’re new to GoPro cameras, particularly the latest models, you’re quickly going to become very familiar with battery charging. That’s because GoPros don’t have very impressive battery life. For all the good things about GoPro cameras, battery life is a weak area. So you’re going to have to proactively factor in charging the battery more than you might be used to with other cameras.

So here’s a rundown of the various options for charging the camera battery, as well as some recommendations on which is best to use, when.

Ways to Charge the HERO10 Battery

There are basically two main methods to charge GoPro HERO10 batteries:

• charge the battery in the camera
• remove the battery and use an external battery charger
  

With both methods, you can use a range of different power sources (more on that below).

Charge the Battery in the Camera

For this, you just leave the battery in the camera as normal, connect a USB charging cable to the camera, and connect the other end of the USB cable to the power source.

The advantages of this approach are that it’s simple, and the only accessory required is the USB cable that comes with the HERO10 Black.

The disadvantage is that you can’t be shooting with the camera and charging the battery at the same time. ²

1. Power the camera off
2. Connect the USB charging cable to your camera and to your power source
3. Wait for the red light to go out. If you don’t see the red light while it’s charging and only see charging bars on the front screen, you’ve probably still got the camera powered on. That slows the process because it’s still drawing power to run the camera.

GoPro Charging Cable

The camera comes with a USB charging cable. It has GoPro branding on it, but it’s basically a regular USB-C cable and conforms to USB-C standards. In other words, it’s not a propriety, special cable, and it’s easy to replace if you’ve misplaced it or would like a spare. ³

Unfortunately, though, not all USB cables are created equal, and there are some cables on the market that are substandard. You don’t need to fall into the trap of buying the most expensive cable available, but it’s also worth being a little picky and to take note of reviews, if they’re available. Most of the aftermarket cables I’ve bought have worked just fine, but occasionally I’ve found some of the cheapest cables can be a bit flaky.

The specs you’re looking for in your USB charging cable for a HERO10 are:

• USB-C connector (that goes into the camera)
• USB-C 3.0 (or USB-C 3.1)
• Supports 3A fast charging

The product description should address all of those points.

The next thing to look for is that the cable has the right connectors for your power source. That’s obviously going to vary depending on what type of source you’re using.

The most commonly used on wall and battery power sources is the standard USB Type-A connector. That’s the usual USB plug that you’ll have been used to seeing on devices for years. It’s usually a safe bet for most power sources.

Some newer USB power sources use a USB-C connector. Although, for now, that’s not as common.

Either way, check the connector that’s needed for your power source before buying the cable.

Power Sources for GoPro HERO10

The HERO10 doesn’t come with a power source as standard. There’s no AC charger in the box.

But there are many good options, and chances are you already have several basic options around the house that will work just fine.

All GoPros charge with the USB standard. What that means in practice is that there’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to a power source. You’ve probably already got a bunch of AC wall chargers you can use, or you can use a USB power pack battery, for example.

Here are some good options for power sources for charging a GoPro with the battery in the camera.

GoPro SuperCharger for HERO10

The GoPro SuperCharger is the premium option. There are cheaper options, but the advantage of the SuperCharger is it’s designed specifically for fast-charging GoPro cameras. It also comes with an assortment of international adapter plugs that you can switch out based on your travel destination.

It’s also sometimes listed as the SuperCharger for HERO9–it’s the same thing.

You can find them at: GoPro.com, Amazon, B&H Photo, or Adorama.

By itself, the SuperCharger can be used to connect directly to the camera (using the charger cable). It can also be used in tandem with the Dual Battery Charger, an external charger, for rapid charging and charging two spare batteries while you continue shooting with a third. Make sure to get the one specifically for HERO10/9 batteries; there are also versions for the MAX, Fusion, and HERO5/6/7/8, none of which will work with HERO10/9 batteries.

Other Wall Chargers for HERO10 Black

Not all wall chargers have the same power output. An AC charger that came with your new phone or tablet is probably a lot more powerful than the one that came with the Kindle you bought five years ago.

But they’re nearly all designed to intelligently provide only what the receiving device can accept.

Like the HERO9, the HERO10 can take up to 5V/2A, which allows for faster charging. Newer chargers can output that easily, although older chargers might offer less power than that and therefore will charge more slowly.

Things to watch when shopping for wall chargers for your GoPro HERO10:

• The cheapest wall chargers are usually low power, which will lead to slow charging.
• If there’s more than one output port on the charger, the power output will be divided between the ports when they’re in use. In other words, if you’re charging your phone and a GoPro at the same time, the total output will be split between them.

An example of a simple option:

If you’re planning on charging phones or tablets or even laptops at the same time, a more powerful option would be a good choice. I pack one like this one in my travel kit. It’s small and portable but allows me to charge multiple devices at once, including my GoPros.

Charge HERO10 via Computer USB

You can plug your HERO10 into a USB port on your computer. It works, but it’s not the best way to do it, mainly because most computer USB ports have relatively low power output, and therefore charging is slow.

If you’re plugging it into a laptop, make sure to have your laptop powered by AC. Many laptops throttle down the USB output charge when they’re running off battery power as a power-saving measure.

Charge HERO10 with a USB PowerBanks

Using a USB powerbank can be among the most convenient power sources to use for charging your HERO10, mainly because you can do it anywhere. It can be especially convenient to do when traveling between shoots.

What to look for: Not all powerbanks (or powerbricks) output enough power for rapid charging (5V/2A), but newer ones often do.

Other USB Power Sources to Charge HERO10

There are some other USB power sources available, although these are probably less useful in most circumstances:

• Car charger. They also used to be known as a cigarette lighter adapter. They’re often underpowered, but they can be useful in a pinch.
• Solar charger. Good as an off-the-grid option when camping or hiking, but obviously reliant on specialized gear and direct sunlight.
  

What Kind of Battery Does the HERO10 Take?

GoPro has two official batteries for the HERO10. There’s the standard battery, which is the one that comes with the camera. They’ve since announced a new high-capacity battery called the Enduro.

There are also non-official aftermarket batteries that can offer good value.

Standard Battery for GoPro HERO10

The standard battery for the GoPro HERO10 is model ADBAT-001.

It’s a 1720mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery. It’s the same battery used by the HERO9. Sometimes the marketing and packaging take a while to catch up with the new model, but if you see one for the HERO9, it will also work in the HERO10.

It’s the same battery used by the HERO10 Black, but it’s not the same as the battery for the HERO8 Black (they’re different physical sizes).

High-Capacity Battery for GoPro HERO10

In late-2021, GoPro released a new high-performance battery that they’re calling the Enduro. It has the same mAh rating as the standard battery–1720mAh–but GoPro claims it has better performance in cold conditions, faster charging, and longer shooting time.

It’s the same size and shape as the standard battery and has the same contact layout. That means that you can use the same external charger. (You can also charge it in the camera.)

At the time of writing, it has only just been released, and I haven’t yet had the chance to put it through its paces. But you can find it at GoPro.com. Its model number is ADBAT-011-WS.

Aftermarket Batteries for GoPro HERO10

Aftermarket batteries can be significantly cheaper. They can also come in more creative bundles, some with convenient double or triple external chargers.

Some aftermarket batteries are better than others, but overall I’ve had pretty good experiences with the many I’ve tried over the years.

GoPro often doesn’t give aftermarket accessory companies advance access to their cameras, so it can take a while for third-party manufacturers to catch up and release accessories for the new camera model. In this case, they haven’t had to redesign the standard battery, but much of the packaging and marketing material might still only refer to the HERO9.

What to look for: Make sure that the battery is specifically for the HERO9 or HERO10. Batteries designed for earlier GoPro models will not work in the HERO10.

External Battery Chargers for HERO10

The most efficient way to manage HERO10 battery life is to have spare batteries and use an external USB charger cradle. That allows you to continue shooting with one battery while charging spares.

GoPro makes a Dual Battery Charger that pairs well with the SuperCharger for fast charging.

You can also find good aftermarket versions in various configurations; they’re often sold with multiple spare batteries, so can be especially good value.

How Long Does it Take to Charge a GoPro HERO10?

How long it takes to fully charge your HERO10’s battery depends on whether it’s fully depleted, the battery’s overall health (ie. how old it is), and what method you use for charging.

The charging tends to be fastest at the beginning and slow down for the last 20 percent or so. So you can get enough power quite quickly to resume shooting, but it will take quite a bit longer to get the last 20 percent of power into the battery.

If you’re using a power source with a low current such as a computer’s USB port, it can take up to 4 hours to fully charge your HERO10’s standard battery.

If you’re using a standard AC wall charger, it shouldn’t take longer than 2 hours. It should be at about 80 percent after 1 hour.

The USB-C SuperCharger is faster still, but precisely how much improvement you see in practice varies by the specific models of camera or accessory; GoPro claims it can range from 20 percent to 70 percent faster.

Using the GoPro HERO10’s Extended Battery Mode

Firmware v.1.16 for the HERO10 added new Video Performance Modes. One of them is Extended Battery.

Basically, it reduces the video modes and drops down the video bitrate so that the real-time processing is less demanding. That, in turn, churns through slightly less battery power.

But in this case, Extended Battery mode refers to longer than the maximum video mode (which goes through the battery very quickly); it’s not really designed for long shoots. How well it performs when combined with the new Enduro battery remains to be seen–I’ll try to update here when I’ve had more of a chance to try it out.

International Travel Adapters for the HERO10

If you’re traveling overseas, you can use any of the usual international travel adapters. Some of the newer ones have integrated USB charging, like this one. Some of these support up to 2.1A output, but it varies by model. You can of course still use an adapter that doesn’t have built-in USB by plugging the USB wall adapter into the travel adapter.

Because GoPros use the USB standard there’s no need to get a voltage converter–you can just use a simpler adapter that works with the local power plug system.

Another option is the SuperCharger. It’s an official GoPro accessory that includes a dual USB-C output as well as clip-on adapters for several international plug types (US, UK, Europe, and Australia). These chargers aren’t inexpensive, and they make the most sense with the newer GoPro cameras like the HERO10 that can take advantage of the fast charging by using the charger’s higher output.

Things Worth Knowing About Charging a HERO10

WiFi. It’s a good idea to turn the wifi off before charging. Even with the camera powered off, the wifi function drains battery power, especially if there’s an active wireless connection to the Quik/GoPro mobile app.

Disconnect Power Accessories. To simplify matters, it’s often a good idea to disconnect any external accessories related to power.

Charging While Shooting. You can run your GoPro with external power. And while external power is connected, it’s generally charging the internal battery. But the charging function is disabled while you’re recording video. An exception is when the camera is connected to a computer’s USB port, in which case you won’t be able to record while it’s connected (but the power throughput is probably on the low end).

The Battery for the HERO10 and HERO9 is different from HERO8. I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: the HERO10 standard battery is the same as the one used by the HERO9, but it’s different from the battery used in every other GoPro camera.

1. There’s only one camera in the HERO10 lineup: the HERO10 Black. There are no Silver or White or Session editions with the HERO10. So when I refer here to the HERO10 here, I’m referring specifically to the HERO10 Black.[↩]
2. You can power a GoPro HERO10 Black with external power, but the charging function disables while the camera is recording video.[↩]
3. Oddly, GoPro doesn’t sell their official, branded USB cable as an official accessory. Not that it has any better performance than other cables. It just seems like a missed opportunity for GoPro to sell one with official imprimatur at a premium price point.[↩]

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