The 10 best GoPro tips and tricks for action-packed videos

GoPros are made for capturing photos and video right in the middle of the action – but simply mounting and shooting isn’t going to produce the most exciting videos. By learning the best GoPro tips and tricks, you can up your video game with smooth time-lapses or video automatically edited for you.

While some GoPro tricks are limited to the newest models, others are widely available on even cameras that are more than five years old. In an effort to rid the internet of boring videos, Pocket-lint has rounded up ten of the best GoPro tips and tricks for your next video.

11 Try a Time-Lapse or Time Warp

A time-lapse is really just a series of images taken at regular intervals. But, once stitched together, the result is a sped-up video. Time-lapses are great tools for turning a long process into a video that’s just a few minutes long. Time-lapses have movement, either by the camera or the scene in focus in the video, that’s spread across several minutes or even hours. GoPro calls stabilized time-lapses Time Warps, which are great for scenarios where the camera is moving, but GoPros also have a standard Time Lapse mode that should be used when the camera is stationary. While even a smartphone can record a time-lapse, recent GoPros also have a Real Time tool that lets you slow down that TimeWarp to normal speed. That means you can record an hour-long bike ride but slow down time when you take that really epic jump. Follow GoPro’s detailed Time Warp and Time Lapse tutorial to make anything from your next sunset to your next ski trip more action-packed.

10 After dark, use Night Photo or even the Night Lapse mode

If you want to take a time-lapse after dark, the setting you want is actually called a Night Lapse. With a Night Lapse, you can set up your GoPro to record the stars moving across the sky all night long – but head into your tent to sleep while the GoPro does all the work. You’ll want a tripod or mount oYou’llmmobile object so the camera stays in place all night. For really long lapses, a portable battery pack will keep the camera going longer. Along with Night Lapses, you can take a few stills as well. Before you camp out with your GoPro, dive into the nuances of using Night Lapse and Night Photo.

9 Shoot in slow motion

Sure, GoPros are made for action, but slow down the action and show off the intricacies of that move. Creating a slow-motion video from a GoPro is actually pretty easy to do inside the Quik app. But, to really get a great slow-mo, it’s vital to choose the correct frame rate inside the camera before shooting the video. A 60 fps frame rate can be slowed 2x, a 120 fps (Hero 10 Black and above) can slow down up to 5x, or slow a 240 fps video up to 8 times. Just don’t forget to change that frame rate back to 60 fps on videos that you don’t want to slow down, as the minimum resolution drops from 5.3K to 2.7K for 240fps on the Hero 10, 11 and 12. Once you’ve recorded in the correct frame rate, use the speed tool inside GoPro Quik to choose when and how to slow down or even add a freeze frame.

8 Find a unique perspective or even fake a drone shot with a selfie stick or light stand

One of the GoPro’s best assets is the small size that allows it to shoot nearly anywhere. Start thinking, “What unexpected place can I mount the GoPro?” and give your viewers a more unique perspective. Besides shooting from small spaces that a bulky camera couldn’t, GoPros are also ideal for capturing drone footage. The concept is simple – add the GoPro to the end of a long selfie stick, light stand, or monopod and hoist it in the air. Sure, you won’t get the 400-foot-high aerial views of a drone, but you can get some pretty neat footage in scenarios where it’s unsafe or illegal to fly a drone. If you want to look even higher than that selfie stick allows, pair the GoPro with a lens mod like the Max for a wider view.

7 Add a lens mod for a wider view

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While the GoPro’s built-in lens is pretty wide, try a lens mod for even more sweeping views. The Max Lens Mod, which is compatible with the Hero 10 and 11, takes the built-in lens and expands the field of view to 155 degrees while enhancing stabilization. Or the Max Lens Mod 2.0 for the Hero 12 Black, which boosts the FOV to a whopping 177 degrees. Other mods to consider are the light and mic options.

6 Auto upload, then auto edit with the Quik app

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Outside of factors like waterproofing and durability, one of the biggest reasons to shoot with a GoPro instead of a smartphone is that the camera will actually edit the videos for you. The most recent GoPro models will automatically upload video to the cloud while recharging, then send an auto-stitched highlight reel straight to your phone. Of course, the full videos are still there for custom edits, but the auto edit allows for sharing a quick glimpse without spending hours stitching together footage.

5 Lock the horizon, then go for a spin.

If you have the new GoPro Hero 12 Black and plan on any sort of tilt or spinning action, try the Horizon Lock. This new feature keeps the horizon in the same part of the frame. Whatever the camera is mounted on will still tilt, but the background will be kept in the same position by locking the horizon. This helps create a more cinematic look that’s less nausea-inducing. This feature is only on newer models, including the Hero 11 Black, Hero 11 Black Mini, and Hero 12 Black.

4 Go back in time with Hindsight

Timing is essential to capturing great action videos. If you’re always just a few seconds late hitting that shutter release button, your GoPro can actually record a buffer of 15 or even 30 seconds of video recorded before hitting that record button. This feature has to be enabled in the settings before starting the video and is available on the Hero 9 and later models.

3 Download experimental features from GoPro Labs

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Updating your GoPro’s firmware can actually uGoPro’some extra features through GoPro Labs. GoPro Labs is the home for different experimental GoPro features, such as syncing multiple cameras together or creating a wildlife camera trap. To download these experimental features, users need first to download GoPro Lab firmware, then can use different features by scanning the QR code for that specific experimental tool.

2 Use voice control and other hidden shortcuts

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GoPros are made for taking underwater or to the top of ski hills – but in those scenarios, the buttons or touchscreen aren’t always readily accessible. However, cameras as old as the Hero 8 have voice commands. Like talking to Alexa, Siri, or Google, voice commands allow you to start or stop a video without touching the camera at all. If the list of voice commands isn’t ideal, such as underwater, you can still swap presets without the touchscreen by pressing and holding the shutter and mode buttons at the same time.

1 Is it time for an upgrade?

If you want all of the most cutting-edge features, you’ll want to go for the latest and greatest GoPro, the Hero 12 Black. However, older flagship models are still sold for a discounted price, which means they’re well worth considering. For reference, The GoPro Hero 10 has an upgraded processor that offers a noticeable boost in speed and frame rates for better slow motion. These rates haven’t increased with the Hero 11 and 12, though there are more FOV options in these high frame rates with the newer cameras. If you have the Hero 9 or earlier, it could be time to consider an upgrade.

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GoPro Hero 12 Black

The GoPro Hero 12 Black has a few new tricks that previous generations don’t offer, including a Night Mode to shoot star trails. But it’s a minor upgrade for owners of the Hero 11. However, If your GoPro is over three years old, you’ll notice a significant performance boost.