A Full Guide on How to Reset GoPro to Factory Settings without Data Loss
by Anna Sherry Updated on 2021-09-14 / Update for Data Recovery
If your GoPro device is acting up and the basic solutions have failed to fix the issue for you, you might want to reset GoPro to factory settings. Factory resetting your device resets all the settings on your device to the factory defaults. Any customizations or tweaks that you have made to your device will be lost.
The reason it fixes most issues is because it clears the bad tweaks from your device as well. This way, you get rid of all of your incorrectly configured settings and get a fresh chance to re-configure everything properly on your GoPro.
The following guide lists methods to reset GoPro Hero Session to factory settings for all types of GoPros, including the HERO, Fusion, and Session cameras.
- Part 1. When You Need to Reset GoPro to Factory Settings?
- Part 2. How Do I Reset My GoPro to Factory Settings?
- Part 3. How to Recover Your Lost Photos and Videos after Resetting GoPro to Factory Settings?
How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from SD Card Mac
Part 1. When You Need to Reset GoPro to Factory Settings?
There are many occasions when you might want to factory reset your GoPro device. Maybe the device has got an issue and it does not work the way it is supposed to. Or maybe you accidentally changed a setting that you cannot reverse now.
You may also want to reset your GoPro if you are going to sell it to someone. That way you can remove your details from the device and the new buyer can set it up for themselves.
Part 2. How Do I Reset My GoPro to Factory Settings?
Here comes the actual task to reset GoPro Hero 3 to factory settings or any other GoPro model for that matter. The steps for each model vary and so you will need to follow the instructions that are for your specific model. Steps for a model that is not yours will not work on your device.
Here are the instructions on factory resetting most GoPro series devices including the HERO, Fusion, and MAX cameras:
| GoPro Series | Camera Defaults | Factory Reset |
|---|---|---|
| MAX | 1. Swipe down from the main screen 2. Select Preferences > Reset > Reset Defaults. |
1. Open Dashboard by swiping down. 2. Select Preferences > Reset > Factory Reset. |
| HERO8 Black | 1. Launch Dashboard by swiping down. 2. Select Preferences > Reset > Reset Presets. |
1. Swipe down and access the Dashboard. 2. Choose Preferences > Reset > Factory Reset. |
| HERO7 Black/Silver/White | 1. Swipe downwards on the main interface. 2. Choose Preferences > Reset > Reset Defaults > Confirm Reset. |
1. Swipe down from the main screen. 2. Choose Preferences > Reset > Factory Reset > Confirm Reset. |
| HERO (2018) | 1. Swipe downwards on the main screen. 2. Select Preferences > Camera Defaults > Reset. |
1. Swipe down from the main interface. 2. Choose Preferences > Factory Reset > Reset. |
| HERO6 Black | 1. Swipe down from the main screen. 2. Select Preferences > Camera Defaults > Reset. |
1. Swipe down from the main interface. 2. Choose Preferences > Factory Reset > Reset. |
| Fusion | N/A | 1. Press the Mode button. 2. Repeatedly press the Mode button and press the Shutter button. 3. Press Shutter button five times. 4. Press the Mode button and select Reset. 5. Select Reset using the Shutter button. 6. Highlight Reset using the Mode button. 7. Press the Shutter button. |
| HERO5 Black | 1. Swipe downwards from the main interface. 2. Select Preferences > Camera Defaults > Reset. |
1. Swipe down from the main screen. 2. Select Preferences > Factory Reset > Reset. |
| HERO4 Black/Silver | N/A | 1. Press the Mode button and select Setup Gear icon. 2. Press the Shutter button to select it. 3. Highlight Reset Cam using the Mode button. 4. Use the Shutter button to choose it. 5. Highlight Reset using the Mode button. 6. Use the Shutter button to select it. |
| HERO3+ Black/Silver | N/A | 1. Press and hold down the Shutter button. 2. Press the Power button while holding down Shutter button. |
| HERO3 Black/Silver/White | N/A | 1. Hold down the Shutter button. 2. Press the P button while the Shutter button is being held down. |
| HERO (2014), HERO+, HERO+LCD | Do a manual update. | Do a manual update. |
Part 3. How to Recover Your Lost Photos and Videos after Resetting GoPro to Factory Settings?
If you have lost your precious photos and videos after factory resetting your GoPro, there is no built-in way on the device to restore your lost files. You will need to use a third-party software to be able to recover your files.
One of these software is Tenorshare 4DDiG for Windows Data Recovery that lets you recover a number of file types from your GoPro as well as any other devices. It has helped thousands of users recover their files on their machines and you can use it too to have your photos and videos recovered from your GoPro.
- Retrieve formatted photos, videos, music, documents and other 550+ files.
- Recover files even after they have been deleted or formatted from your device
- High success rate
- Three-step easy procedure to recover files
- Support data recovery on all types of GoPros, including the HERO, Fusion, and Session cameras.
The following shows how to use the software to recover files from your GoPro:
Step 1 After you download and install Tenorshare 4DDiG, launch the program and connect your GoPro SD card to computer. 4DDiG will detect the card instantly so that you can select it and click Scan to proceed.
Step 2 It should take a while for 4DDiG to scan out all lost files from your GoPro SD card. You can preview the files before data recovery.
Step 3 Choose the folder to save your recovered files in.
Summary
Your lost files should now be recovered from your GoPro. If you are facing any issues with your GoPro, our guide above on how to reset GoPro Hero to factory settings should help you reset your device. That way it will fix any misconfigurations and allow you to use your device without any issues.