Troubleshooting Canary Cloud Storage Issues
Your Canary device's ability to record and store video clips in the cloud is its most important security feature. When you find that your timeline is empty, videos are missing, or you're receiving errors about storage, it can be alarming. These problems usually stem from connectivity or account-related issues that are straightforward to resolve.
This guide will help you diagnose and fix the most common cloud storage problems, ensuring your Canary is reliably capturing and saving important events.
## Symptoms of a Cloud Storage Problem
When your device is unable to save clips to the cloud, you'll notice one or more of the following signs.
- Empty Timeline: You open the Canary app, and your timeline shows "No Events," even though you know activity has occurred.
- Missing Video Clips: You receive a motion notification, but when you go to view the video, it's not there, or you see a "Video Unavailable" error.
- Gaps in Recording: Your timeline shows some events but has obvious gaps where other events should have been recorded.
- Buffering or Playback Errors: Recorded clips take a very long time to load or fail to play back smoothly, constantly buffering.
- Subscription Errors: The app displays a message prompting you to upgrade or renew your subscription, even though you believe it's active.
## Why Isn't My Canary Saving to the Cloud?
The link between your Canary device and the cloud has several points where it can fail. Here are the most common culprits.
- Poor Wi-Fi Connection: This is the leading cause. If your Canary has a weak or unstable connection to your router, it cannot reliably upload video files. The live stream might work, but the larger video files fail to transfer.
- Slow Internet Upload Speed: Your home internet's upload speed is critical for cloud cameras. If it's too slow or congested, uploads will fail.
- Expired or Inactive Subscription: Canary devices require an active Canary Premium Service subscription to store videos. If your subscription has lapsed, recording will stop.
- Canary Service Outage: Occasionally, the problem may be on Canary's end, with their servers being down for maintenance or experiencing an unexpected outage.
- Device is in 'Private' Mode: If your device's mode is set to "Private," it will not record video or audio, so nothing will be sent to the cloud.
## How to Fix Canary Cloud Storage Problems
Let's work through these solutions to get your video history back.
### 1. Check Your Canary's Connectivity
First, ensure the device itself is online and has a good connection.
- Check the Light: Look at the light on the bottom of your Canary. A solid white light means it's online and monitoring. If the light is off or a different colour, it indicates a connectivity issue.
- Reboot Your Canary: Unplug the device from the power source. Wait for 60 seconds, then plug it back in. Allow a few minutes for it to reconnect to your network.
- Reboot Your Router: Unplug your internet router and modem. Wait a minute, then plug them back in. This simple step resolves a surprising number of internet-related problems.
### 2. Verify Your Subscription Status
Make sure your account is active and in good standing.
- Open the Canary App: Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner to open the menu.
- Navigate to Your Plan: Select 'Manage My Plan' or 'Account Settings'.
- Confirm Subscription: Check that your Premium Service subscription is listed as "Active" and check the renewal date. If it has expired, you will need to renew it to restore cloud recording.
### 3. Check Your Home/Away Mode Settings
Ensure the device is set to record when you expect it to.
- In the Canary app, check the current mode of your location (Home, Away, or Night).
- Tap 'View and Edit Modes' to see what the camera is set to do in each mode. For example, in 'Home' mode, you might have recording turned off for privacy. Make sure the 'Record Video' option is enabled for the modes where you want to capture events.
### 4. Check for Service Outages
If everything on your end seems correct, the issue might be external.
- Visit the Canary Status Page: Canary runs an official status page at status.canary.is. Visit this website to see if they are reporting any active incidents or maintenance that could be affecting video uploads and playback.
- Check Social Media: Canary's official Twitter or Facebook accounts are also good places to check for service status updates.
By systematically checking your device's connection, your account status, and your settings, you can solve the vast majority of cloud storage issues and ensure your Canary is always ready to record.