A Guide to Identifying Aqara Camera Hardware Failure
Aqara cameras are generally reliable smart home devices, but like all electronics, they can be susceptible to hardware faults. When your camera stops working, it's important to determine whether it's a simple software glitch you can fix, or a more serious hardware failure that requires a replacement. This guide will help you make that distinction.
## Step 1: The Power and Boot-Up Test
Before anything else, you must eliminate the possibility of a power supply issue. This is the most common reason for a camera appearing 'dead'.
- Change the Power Source: Use a different USB power adapter and a different USB cable. A faulty cable is a very frequent point of failure. Ensure the power adapter meets the specifications required by your camera model (usually found on the device itself).
- Test the Outlet: Confirm the wall outlet is working by plugging in another device.
- Observe the Boot-Up Sequence: When you plug in a healthy Aqara camera, its status LED should light up (e.g., turn yellow) and you may hear a voice prompt. If you plug the camera in with a known-good power source and there are absolutely no lights and no sounds, this is a strong initial sign of a hardware failure.
## Step 2: Analyse the Video Feed (If Possible)
If the camera powers on but the image is faulty, this can be a clear sign of a specific hardware problem.
- Discolouration (Pink/Purple Hue): A common failure mode for image sensors is to develop a strong pink or purple tint across the entire image. This is caused by the failure of the camera's IR filter and is not correctable through software.
- Distortion or Black Screen: If the image is completely black, covered in static lines, or heavily distorted, even after a reboot, the image sensor or a related processing component has likely failed.
## Step 3: The Factory Reset Test
A factory reset is the ultimate test to see if a problem is caused by corrupted software or a hardware fault. A reset will wipe the camera's settings and force it back to its original state.
- Keep the camera plugged in.
- Locate the reset button. On most Aqara cameras (like the G2H Pro), it's a small button that you may need a paperclip or SIM tool to press.
- Press and hold the reset button for at least 10 seconds.
- The camera should give an audible confirmation that it is resetting, and the LED light will change its pattern (e.g., start flashing yellow).
- Now, try to add the camera to the Aqara Home app again.
If the camera does not respond to the factory reset, or if it resets but consistently fails the setup process on a known-good 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, this strongly indicates a hardware failure (e.g., a faulty Wi-Fi module).
## Step 4: Check Physical Mechanisms
For cameras with moving parts, like the Aqara Camera Hub G3, check their physical function.
- Pan & Tilt Failure: If the camera powers on but the pan and tilt functions do not work at all, or if they produce a grinding sound, the internal motors have likely failed.
If your troubleshooting leads you to conclude that a hardware failure is the cause, the next step is to check your warranty and contact Aqara customer support for assistance.