5 things to know about GoPro Plus, the free-to-try backup service
Curious how the company's backup service works? Read this.
One of the loudest complaints about using a GoPro for the average person is the inability to easily back up and edit photos and videos captured with the tiny camera.
Along with its new lineup of cameras and the Karma drone, GoPro also recently announced GoPro Plus. Every GoPro users is eligible to receive up to 60 days of free GoPro Plus service to test and try it out. Let's take a look at the finer details of the service, starting with cost.
1. The monthly subscription gives you more than just storage
The length of free trial depends on how you signed up for the service. Those who sign up on the GoPro site, or through the Android version of the app will get 60 days free. GoPro states iOS users who sign up through the App Store are limited to 30 days of free service due to "Apple's restrictions." In other words, sign up online if you're an iOS user.
After your free trial expires, GoPro Plus costs $4.99 a month. In exchange for your hard-earned money, GoPro Plus gets you 35 hours of video, 62,500 photos or "a combination of the two." According to this support page, those limits translate into 250GB of storage.
In addition to the backup service, Plus subscribers also get the following benefits:
- Access to a large soundtrack library that makes editing easy
- 20 percent off on mounts and accessories
- Access to exclusive apparel
- Premium support
In order to take advantage of the 20 percent discount, you will need to order through GoPro's online store.
2. You don't need Plus to edit using GoPro's Quik app
I purposely left out one of the benefits of Plus GoPro lists on its website, because a Plus account isn't required to use it. The Quik mobile or desktop apps, which auto-edits photos and videos, is free -- even for people without a GoPro camera.
Before starting my free trial, I set up the Quik app and added my Facebook account and granted it access to my iOS camera roll. Within a few days, it was suggesting videos it had created without any work on my part.
3. There are apps for all devices
Using GoPro Plus with the Quik app does allow you to view your backed up video and photos on any device. I've tested it on Android, iOS, Mac, and in a browser and had zero issues viewing the content backed up from a test GoPro Hero5 Black camera.
You can download the proper app for your device by following the links below:
4. Auto-uploading, maybe
You have a few different options when it comes to uploading videos and photos to your GoPro Plus account. The easiest is to set up auto-backup on your GoPro Hero5 Black or Hero5 Session camera. When that's set, the GoPro will upload the footage when it detects your home Wi-Fi network, and your camera is fully charged.
However, for those who own an older model GoPro, you can use the Quik app on your computer or upload within a web browser.
5. Videos aren't stored in 4K
There is a big caveat to relying on GoPro's backup service to store your creations: Your videos will be stored at 1080p, and photos are limited to 12 megapixels. That means if you recorded a 4K video on the Hero5 Black, and upload it to GoPro Plus, the video you download and edit on another device will be in 108op. For some, it's a trade-off that's worth it. For others, downgrading video is a deal breaker.