When I first started testing memory cards in my GoPro Hero 7 Black, the first thing I noticed was the camera got very hot and record times were getting cut short. Usually about 20-30 minutes. I would get no prompt, no message, nothing, recordings would just stop.
It seemed when just sitting my cool room, the max record time I could get with a GoPro Hero 7 Black at 4k60 was about 30 minutes.
I first thought there was maybe a record limit on the new GoPro with certain codecs or frame rates, since I never had any issues with my any of my other GoPro cameras.
I switched out cards to an old off brand micro sd card that I knew would probably cause heat problems and lo and behold, high temperature warning.
Now it seems like I sometimes get the temperature warning, sometimes I don’t. Regardless, I could only record for about 25 minutes and if I’m lucky, 35 minutes in an air-conditioned room before the camera would stop.
To confirm my theory that the heat was causing the Hero 7 Black to stop my recordings prematurely (since I wasn’t always getting the temperature warning), I put my camera in the freezer and let it record. Sure enough, it recorded until the battery died.
How To Keep You GoPro Hero 7 From Overheating
I’ve messed with the settings to see if I can get the camera to run cooler and have discovered a few tips that can help you prevent your GoPro Hero 7 Black from overheating.
First off, GoPro recommends using your camera in an environment with good air circulation. I imagine if I’m biking across Japan in the summer sun when it’s 95 degrees outside, I doubt this will help and I anticipate my camera shutting down after 20 minutes, but since Summer is over, I’ll have to wait until next year to test this.
If you have issues with your GoPro Hero 7 overheating there are a few other tricks that seem to help.
- Limit your frame rate or resolution when the camera is in an environment where it can potentially overheat. Going from 4k60 to 4k30 helps a lot. (Turning off Image stabilization doesn’t seem to help.)
- Try a different memory card – Some older memory cards can run a lot hotter than new memory cards. My new Sandisk Ultra and Extreme cards seem like they allow the camera to run a lot longer than some off brand cards or older Sandisk Ultra cards. See my guide to find the best memory cards for the GoPro Hero 7.
- If you’re indoors, try pointing a fan at your GoPro or try to use it in an environment that gets a little bit more air flow, like under an AC.
- Keep your GoPro out of direct sunlight.
GoPro Hero 7 Heat Issues Final Thoughts
Based on hours of testing and experiments, it would seem heat is responsible for the short record times in the GoPro Hero 7. While sometimes you get high temperature warnings, this is not always the case and more often than not, the camera will just stop recording.
It’s a shame that the one GoPro that has the heat issue is the Hero 7 Black. Having the camera be white or silver seems like it would help performance in direct sunlight, especially considering the Black is the one that overheats the most.
It does seem having the latest micro SD memory cards or memory cards that run cooler does seem to help, and if you continue to have issues with heat, you could try to swap out your micro sd card for the latest cards from Sandisk. The most recent releases from Sandisk are the Sandisk Extreme A2 cards which run very well in the camera.
| **This website contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission on purchases made through these links. Some of the links used in these articles will direct you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. |
I came here with my issues with GoPro 4 Black .
It records around ~ 40 min in 4K 24 fps. With new sd card and an extra battery pack attached.
So I can tell you is a “Gopro” thing.
Same here. I use it indoors (on the dash and in the cockpit of a small airplane) where the airflow is bad and on the dash it even gets direct sunlight. At 2.7k / 60 fps it always stops recording after 35-40 minutes. 4k I did not even dare to try…
It seems that even though these cameras can record at higher than HD resolution, for extended periods indoors (especially in warm environments) it’s only capable at 1080p. Or one can stick to 4k timewarp, but that’s not the same as a normal speed video.
Might give a try next time with 2.7k / 30 fps.
****SOLUTION****
After having overheating issues every since purchasing my Hero 7 Black I have finally found the solution.
Just a quick explanation of my issue. I never had any issues recording at 4K 60FPS on battery for long periods. I only had the issue when I needed to record for longer than what the battery would last and I had the charging cable connected. At best I would get an hour out of it before it shut down due to overheating.
I had searched the forums with no results and had GoPro replace the cameras with no results. Then the Hero 8 came out and it will not allow you to use the camera while charging. You have to take the battery out.
It suddenly hit me. If this is the case with the Hero 8 then could this be the case with the Hero 7. So testing began and success. The camera ran for 7H:28 Min which was when the SD Card was full. Tested again today and Success.
Problem Solved! Hope this helps others out.
So you can record for a long time if you tether the camera to power and take the battery out? Batteries do generate a lot of heat so this does make sense.
I’ll experiment with some of this.
Yes sir. I tested both of my Hero 7’s with 256Gb SD’s and they both went for over 7 hours until the SD Card was full before stopping. Let me know if you can confirm my results.
Will do. This could be a great solution for people. Velcro a little battery bank next to where the GoPro is mounted.
Yes on my Motorcycle I actually just run the USB-C Cable from the Charger to the GoPro and as long as I have power to the Outlet no issues.