Written byMariaUpdated on Nov 17, 2025
How to Recover Deleted/Lost Videos from GoPro on Mac?
Approved byGerhard Chou
📖 Summary: how to recover deleted videos from GoPro using a Mac? Don't worry, download the best Mac data recovery application - Donemax Data Recovery for Mac to help you easily and completely recover deleted or lost videos from a GoPro on a Mac. Simple steps and 100% safe.
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GoPro is one of the best action camera brands. If you want to recover deleted or lost videos from a GoPro on a Mac, you can try Mac data recovery software. There are thousands of Mac data recovery applications can help you recover lost videos from a GoPro camera or from the memory card. In this article, we will show you how to recover lost videos from GoPro with a powerful Mac data recovery software.
When you delete a video from your GoPro camera, the video is not lost forever. It is still stored on the memory card and can be recovered by data recovery software before it is completely overwritten by new videos. When you realize you lose important videos, don't use your GoPro any more. Just download a reliable data recovery application to help you get the lost video back.
Common Reasons for Data Loss on GoPro
Different issues would happen and cause losing files on GoPro. Here are the most common reasons for data loss on a GoPro, explained.
1. Corrupted Memory Card (The Most Common Culprit)
This is, by far, the leading cause of data loss. For example, the following issues may cause memory card corruption:
- Using a Non-Compliant or Low-Quality Card: GoPros are high-performance devices that require high-speed, high-endurance cards. Using a cheap, slow, or fake card can lead to write errors, corruption, and failed recordings.
- Removing the Card While the Camera is On or in Standby: The camera may still be writing data to the card, even after you stop recording. Yanking the card out can corrupt the file being written and potentially the entire card's file system.
- Letting the Battery Die During Recording: If the camera loses power while actively writing a file, that file will almost certainly be corrupted and unplayable.
- Physical Damage to the Card: Memory cards are delicate. Bending, dropping, or exposing them to water (beyond their rating) or static electricity can damage them.
- Failing Card: All memory cards have a finite lifespan based on write cycles. An old, heavily used card is more likely to fail.
2. User Error
Simple mistakes can lead to lost footage on GoPro. Users would operate the camera wrongly and cause data loss, for instance:
- Accidental Deletion: It's easy to hit the delete button by mistake, especially when navigating the touchscreen with wet fingers or gloves.
- Formatting the Card in-Camera: When you format the card in the GoPro, it erases everything. People often do this thinking it's just for a new session, not realizing it wipes all data.
- Not Stopping Recording Before Powering Off: As mentioned above, this can corrupt the last file.
Sometimes, users forget they switched modes (e.g., from Video to Time Lapse) and think their footage is missing.
3. Camera or Software Malfunction
Sometimes the issue is with the GoPro itself. Here are some common issues with GoPro camera or software.
- Firmware Bugs: A buggy firmware update can cause instability, leading to freezing during recording and file corruption.
- Camera Freeze or Crash: If the camera freezes and you have to pull the battery, any file being recorded at that time will be corrupted.
- Overheating: In rare cases, if the camera overheats and shuts down during recording, it can lead to data corruption.
4. File System and Computer Issues
The problem might not be with the GoPro, but with how you're accessing the files.
- Unsafe Ejection from Computer: Removing the memory card or USB cable from your computer without using the "Safely Remove Hardware" function can corrupt file system and data.
- Unsupported File Format: The GoPro creates common file types (MP4, JPEG), but using an outdated media player or operating system might not play them back correctly, making it seem like the file is lost.
- Damaged USB-C Cable/Port: A faulty cable can cause intermittent transfer errors, leading to partial file copies that appear corrupted.
Easy Steps to Recover Deleted or Lost Videos from GoPro on Mac
If you are a Mac user and want to find a solution to recover deleted/lost videos from a GoPro camera, you can try Mac data recovery application. In this article, we would like to introduce an easy-to-use yet powerful Mac data recovery application - Donemax Data Recovery for Mac. This software is able to help you easily and completely recover any deleted video or other file from the GoPro camera or memory card. Just follow the steps below to perform GoPro data recovery on Mac.
Step 1. Install Donemax Data Recovery for Mac.
Download and install Donemax Data Recovery for Mac on your Mac computer. It supports to recover deleted/lost videos from all GoPro cameras.
Step 2. Select the GoPro to start data recovery.
Connect the GoPro memory card to your Mac via a card reader, then run the data recovery software and select the memory card to start data recovery.
Step 3. Scan the GoPro to find deleted/lost videos.
Now, just click on Scan button. Donemax Data Recovery for Mac will deeply scan the GoPro memory card and find all lost videos and other files.
Step 4. Recover lost videos after scanning.
Once the scan is completed, you can locate and preview all recoverable videos. Then select the wanted ones and save them to your Mac. Don't recover the videos back to the same memory card directly, it would damage the videos.
Donemax Data Recovery for Mac offers advanced data recovery technology to ensure finding every recoverable video file in your GoPro. It not only can recover deleted videos from GoPro, but it also can recover lost videos from the formatted GoPro memory card or from a damaged GoPro camera. It even can help you recover lost videos after you reset the GoPro to factory settings.
In some cases, your Mac may asks you to format the GoPro memory card. Whether you format the GoPro memory card or not, Donemax Data Recovery for Mac is able to help you unformat GoPro on Mac and completely recover all your videos. Before you get all lost videos back, don't write to the memory card in case that the lost videos would be overwritten by new data. Just immediately run Donemax Data Recovery for Mac to scan the memory card and then you can quickly get all your lost videos back.
How to Prevent Data Loss on GoPro in the future?
To protect your data and prevent data loss on GoPro in the future, you can take the following suggestions:
- Invest in a Great Memory Card: This is rule #1. Buy a high-endurance, high-speed card from a reputable brand and retailer.
- Format the Card in the Camera Regularly: But only after you have backed up your footage! Formatting in-camera (Settings > Reset > Format SD Card) keeps the card optimized for the GoPro and clears out any minor errors.
- Safely Power Down: Always turn the camera off properly before removing the battery or memory card.
- Keep Firmware Updated: Check for updates through the GoPro Quik app periodically.
- Transfer Files Properly: Use a card reader (often faster and more reliable than a USB cable) and always "Safely Eject" the drive from your computer.
- Back Up Immediately: Get into the habit of transferring and backing up your footage to a computer or external hard drive as soon as possible after your shoot.
Conclusion
GoPro is widely used for photographing and video recording. If there are unforeseen issues or human errors happened, the pictures or videos on the camera might be lost. If you don't have backup for the missing files, you can still try to recover the data from the camera memory card with a reliable data recovery software on Mac. For example, Donemax Data Recovery for Mac will help you get back the lost files effectively in such cases.
Also, it's essential to protect your data in daily life. Before using the GoPro, choose a high-quality memory card is the first step. Then operate the camera properly to avoid unplug without shutting down or ejection. After the photographing or recording work, immediately transfer the files from the GoPro to computer or another device as a backup.
Donemax Data Recovery for Mac
Donemax Data Recovery for Mac is one of the best Mac data recovery software. It is easy-to-use and can help in recovering deleted, formatted, inaccessible or lost data from Mac HDD/SSD, external disk, USB drive, SD card, camera or other storage devices.
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Contributing Writer
Maria
Maria is one of the senior writers & editors of Donemax who lives and works in Sydney, Australia. She loves PC, Mac and Internet Technology. She has 6 years of writing articles about data recovery on PC/Mac, disk cloning solution, data eraser and computer OS optimization, etc. She is also interested in testing various software and digital products.
Editor in chief
Gerhard Chou
In order to effectively solve the problems for our customers, every article and troubleshooting solution published on our website has been strictly tested and practiced. Our editors love researching and using computers and testing software, and are willing to help computer users with their problems