Has Your Canary Camera Missed an Important Recording?
Your Canary camera is designed to be a watchful eye on your home, providing peace of mind by recording important events. So, it's understandably concerning when you discover a gap in your timeline or realize an event you expected to be recorded is missing. Whether it's a delivery person dropping off a package or a pet's funny moment, every recording can be important. This guide will help you diagnose and fix the reasons why your Canary camera might be missing recordings.
Key Reasons for Missed Recordings on Canary
Most recording issues on Canary devices can be traced back to one of four areas: the camera's mode, its subscription status, its network connection, or its motion detection settings.
- Incorrect Mode: Your Canary has three main modes: Away, Home, and Night. If the camera is set to 'Private' in a specific mode (most commonly 'Home' mode), it will not record video or audio.
- Canary Premium Service: Many of Canary's core recording features, including full-length video clips and 30-day history, rely on an active Premium Service subscription. If your subscription has lapsed, recording functionality will be severely limited.
- Poor Connectivity: A weak or unstable Wi-Fi connection can prevent the camera from successfully uploading recorded clips to Canary's cloud servers.
- Motion Detection Settings: The motion sensitivity might be set too low, or a 'mask' might be unintentionally blocking the area where motion is occurring.
How to Troubleshoot and Fix Your Canary Camera
Let's get your camera back to recording everything it should. Follow these troubleshooting steps.
1. Check Your Canary's Current Mode
This is the most common reason for missed recordings when you are at home.
- Open the Canary app.
- On the main dashboard, check the current mode (e.g., 'Home', 'Away').
- Navigate to your Location's settings (tap the gear icon).
- Tap on 'Modes'.
- Select the mode you are having issues with (e.g., 'Home').
- Ensure that 'Record motion' is selected and that the camera is NOT set to 'Private'. When a Canary is in private mode, the camera and microphone are completely off.
2. Verify Your Subscription Status
Ensure your premium features are active.
- In the Canary app, navigate to the settings menu and look for 'Account' or 'Subscription' details.
- Confirm that your Canary Premium Service is active. If it has expired, you will need to renew it to restore full recording capabilities. Without a subscription, recordings are limited to short clips and a 24-hour history.
3. Inspect Network Connection and Device Health
A healthy connection is critical for cloud recording.
- In the Canary app, go to your camera's settings and select 'Device health'.
- Check the Wi-Fi signal strength. If it is poor or weak, your camera may struggle to upload video files.
- To improve the signal, try moving your Wi-Fi router closer to the Canary, or consider using a Wi-Fi extender.
- You can also try power cycling your Canary and your router. Unplug both devices from power for 60 seconds before plugging them back in.
4. Adjust Motion Detection Settings
Fine-tuning these settings can make a big difference.
- Go to your camera's settings and find 'Motion sensitivity'. If you feel the camera is missing events, try increasing the sensitivity slider slightly.
- Check the 'Masking' feature. If you have created masks to block out certain areas, ensure they are not accidentally covering a critical zone you want to monitor.
By systematically reviewing your camera's mode, subscription, connection, and motion settings, you can resolve the vast majority of issues related to missed recordings and restore your confidence in your Canary security system.