How to Enable GPS Data on Your GoPro

Check that your GoPro has GPS

Most modern GoPro cameras have a built-in GPS receiver, with one notable exception:

• HERO5 Black through HERO11 Black - GPS built in.
• HERO13 Black - GPS built in (it returned after skipping a generation).
• Mission 1 series - GPS built in on the new Mission 1, Mission 1 Pro, and Mission 1 Pro ILS cameras.
• MAX - GPS built in.
• HERO12 Black - no GPS hardware. It cannot record GPS telemetry at all.
• HERO / Session-style minis and older models - most compact and pre-HERO5 models don't include GPS.

Turn the GPS setting on

GPS is a camera-level preference, not a per-video setting. On most models it ships enabled, but it's worth confirming - it gets switched off by power-saving presets and firmware resets.

1. Power on the camera and swipe down on the rear touch screen to open the dashboard.
2. Tap Preferences (the wrench / settings menu).
3. Find Regional and tap GPS.
4. Set it to On.

On older non-touch models (like the HERO5 Session lineage) the equivalent toggle lives in the settings menu navigated with the physical buttons, or via the GoPro Quik app when connected to the camera.

Get a satellite lock before recording

This is the step most people miss. With GPS on, the camera still needs a clear view of the sky to lock onto satellites - and telemetry recorded before the lock is acquired is missing or unusable.

• Go outside with a clear view of the sky. GPS doesn't lock indoors, and struggles in tight tree cover, canyons, or between tall buildings.
• Power the camera on a few minutes before your run. A cold start can take a minute or two; give it time.
• Watch the GPS icon in the status bar. When it turns solid, the camera has a lock. If it's greyed out or blinking, it's still searching.
• Only start recording after the lock. Clips started mid-search often have partial or missing GPS tracks.

Keep the telemetry intact

GPS telemetry lives in a special metadata track inside the original video file. Editing, trimming, re-encoding, or exporting the clip through most apps strips that track out.

• Use the original MP4 or .360 files straight off the SD card or from a direct camera transfer.
• Avoid clips exported from editing apps, re-compressed by messaging or cloud services, or downloaded from social platforms - the telemetry is almost always gone.