How to Fix a Canary Camera That Has Stopped Recording
Your Canary camera is designed to be a vigilant guardian of your home, but its value is diminished if it fails to record crucial events. Receiving a motion alert only to find no associated video clip can be alarming. This guide provides a professional, empathetic walkthrough to diagnose and resolve recording failures, written in British English with a helpful, second-person tone.
## Step 1: Check Your Canary's Mode and Settings
The most common reason for a Canary camera not recording is incorrect settings within the app. The camera behaves differently depending on its current mode.
### Understand Canary Modes
- Away Mode: The camera is fully active, detects motion, and records video clips.
- Home Mode: You can customise this mode. By default, it may be set to not record video to protect your privacy when you are home.
- Private Mode: The camera and microphone are completely shut off. It will not record or stream video.
### How to Check and Change Your Mode
- Open the Canary App: On the main dashboard, you will see the current mode (e.g., 'Watching', 'Private').
- Ensure Recording is Active: For recording to occur, your system must be in 'Away' mode, or in 'Home' mode with 'Record video' explicitly enabled.
- Customise Home Mode: To enable recording in Home mode, go to 'Settings' (the gear icon), tap 'Modes', select 'Home', and ensure the 'Record video' option is toggled on for your camera.
### Verify Motion Notifications
- In the same 'Modes' settings menu, ensure that 'Motion notifications' are also turned on. If notifications are off, you might not be alerted to events, even if they are recorded.
## Step 2: Verify Your Membership and Account Status
Canary's recording features are heavily dependent on your subscription level. A change in your membership status is a primary cause of recording failure.
- Log In to Your Account: Visit the Canary website (my.canary.is) and log in to your account.
- Check Membership Status: Navigate to your account or subscription settings.
- Confirm 'Premium Service': Ensure your 'Premium Service' (membership) is active. If it has expired or there was a payment issue, your camera will revert to the free 'Basic Service', which does not include the saving of full-length video clips. You must have an active premium membership for proper recording and video history.
## Step 3: Troubleshoot Your Network Connection
A stable Wi-Fi connection is essential for your Canary camera to upload recorded clips to the cloud.
### Check Wi-Fi Signal
- A weak or intermittent Wi-Fi signal can cause video uploads to fail, resulting in a notification but no playable clip.
- Improve the Signal: Try moving your Wi-Fi router closer to your Canary device. If that's not possible, consider using a Wi-Fi extender to boost the signal in the area where your camera is located.
### Reboot Your Network and Camera
This classic troubleshooting step can resolve many underlying connectivity issues.
- Power Down: Unplug your Wi-Fi router and your Canary camera.
- Wait: Leave them unplugged for at least 60 seconds.
- Power Up Sequentially:
- First, plug your router back in and wait for it to fully connect to the internet.
- Then, plug your Canary camera back in and wait for it to boot up (this can take a few minutes).
## Step 4: Investigate Device-Specific Issues
If the settings and network are correct, the problem may be with the device itself.
### Check for Firmware Updates
Canary automatically pushes firmware updates to your devices, but a failed update can sometimes cause issues. A reboot (as described above) will often force the device to re-check for an update.
### Consider a Factory Reset
As a last resort, a factory reset will return your Canary to its original settings. You will need to set it up again from scratch.
Important: This will erase all custom settings.
- Reset Procedure: The exact method can vary by model. For the Canary Pro, you typically touch and hold the top of the device until the light ring flashes red and it reboots. For the Canary View, you will need to find the reset button on the back. Please consult Canary's official support documentation for your specific model before proceeding.
If you have walked through all these steps and your camera is still not recording, it is time to contact Canary's official customer support for more in-depth technical assistance.