Xiaomi cameras keep going offline?

Is Xiaomi Worth It? The Honest Comparison

If you're comparing Xiaomi Mi Home cameras to wired security systems, you're probably frustrated with one key issue: they keep going offline. Xiaomi offers affordable cameras, but affordability comes with real limitations that affect your security.

Why People Look for Xiaomi Alternatives

The most common frustrations that send people searching for a better option:

• Constant offline issues - Wi-Fi dependency means cameras frequently disconnect, especially at night when signal weakens. Users report gaps in coverage when they need it most.
• Privacy concerns - Video footage routes through mainland China cloud servers. Your home security data is subject to different privacy governance than UK law requires.
• App dependency - Everything goes through Mi Home. If the app crashes, the service goes down, or Xiaomi makes changes, you lose access to your cameras.
• Cloud subscription costs - Free cloud storage is gone. Xiaomi now charges for cloud video retention, and without it, you lose video history.
• Regional restrictions - Some Xiaomi models are region-locked, causing compatibility issues in the UK.

Should I Get Xiaomi? The Honest Answer

Xiaomi cameras are cheap. That's their strength and their weakness. The price reflects the limitations: Wi-Fi dependency, cloud reliance, and overseas data processing.

Xiaomi is fine if you want to check on your home occasionally from the app. But if you're asking "is Xiaomi reliable for actual security?" - that's a different question. When your camera goes offline at 2am because the Wi-Fi signal dropped, you have zero protection and no record of what happened.

The scOS Alternative

Here's what we believe: security cameras shouldn't require your constant attention. They should just work.

Most security systems are designed backwards. They record everything, send you hundreds of alerts, and expect you to figure out what matters. That's not security. That's a second job.

scOS focuses on what actually matters—detecting suspicious activity. Our AI doesn't alert you when a cat walks past or a leaf blows across the driveway. It watches for the things that matter: someone lingering where they shouldn't, a vehicle casing your property, movement at 3am when everyone's asleep.

We only alert you when it matters—just like a person would. Imagine having someone watching your cameras 24/7, someone smart enough to know the difference between your neighbour walking their dog and a stranger testing your gate. That's what scOS does. A full-time security guard costs £41,000 a year. scOS starts at £19 a month.

It's designed to be left alone. No daily check-ins. No app notifications to clear. No settings to tweak. You set it up once, and it protects your property while you live your life. The best security system is one you forget exists—until you need it.

All features included. AI detection. Cloud storage with local fallback. Professional monitoring options. Remote access. Everything. No tiers. No upsells. No "premium features" locked behind another subscription.

Works with any wired camera brand. We don't lock you into proprietary hardware. Hikvision, Dahua, Axis, Reolink—if it's a wired PoE camera, it works with scOS. Your choice of hardware. Our intelligence.