Understanding Video Storage on August Devices
If you're an August Doorbell Cam owner and you're looking for a way to save your video recordings locally to an SD card or a home network drive, you may be struggling to find the option. This guide will clarify how August handles video storage and explain why you can't save footage locally directly from the device.
The Core Issue: Cloud-First Design
The fundamental reason you can't save video locally is that August cameras are designed to be cloud-based devices. All video footage recorded by the August Doorbell Cam is encrypted and sent directly to August's secure cloud servers. There is no internal storage or SD card slot on the device itself to accommodate local recording.
This design choice has several implications:
- Security: If a burglar were to steal or damage your doorbell, your video evidence would still be safe in the cloud.
- Accessibility: You can access your recorded clips from anywhere in the world through the August app on your smartphone.
- Subscription Model: This architecture is linked to August's subscription model. Access to stored video history is a premium feature that requires an ongoing subscription plan.
How Video Recording Works with August
Let's break down the process and your options for saving footage.
### 1. A Subscription is Required for Recording
To have any video history at all, you must have an active August video recording subscription. Without a subscription, your August Doorbell Cam can function as a live-streaming device—you can see who is at your door in real-time—but no events will be recorded or saved.
### 2. Viewing Your Recorded History
With an active subscription, all motion-activated or doorbell-press recordings will appear in your activity feed within the August app. You can scroll through this timeline to view past events. The length of this history (e.g., 15 or 30 days) depends on the specific subscription plan you have chosen.
### 3. The Solution: Downloading Clips to Your Phone
While you cannot save the entire video stream locally, you can save individual clips of importance. This is the official method for creating a local copy of an event.
- Open the August App and navigate to your activity feed.
- Find the specific recorded event you wish to save.
- Open the video clip.
- Look for a 'Download' or 'Share' icon (this may look like a box with an arrow pointing up or down).
- Tapping this icon will save the video file directly to your smartphone's local storage (e.g., into your Photos or Files app).
Once the clip is downloaded to your phone, you can then share it via email, messaging apps, or transfer it to a computer or hard drive for permanent archiving.
### Summary of August Storage
- Direct Local Storage (SD Card/NVR): Not supported by design.
- Cloud Storage: The primary and only method of recording. Requires a paid subscription.
- Saving a Local Copy: Possible by downloading individual clips from the cloud to your phone through the August app.
While this may not be the solution for those seeking continuous, subscription-free local recording, understanding this cloud-centric approach is key to using your August device effectively.