Ezviz Camera Not Recording? Here's the Solution
It's concerning when you check your Ezviz camera's history and find that no video has been recorded. An Ezviz camera that only provides a live view is not providing full security. The good news is that recording problems are typically easy to fix, usually relating to the storage medium (SD card or Cloud) or the app's settings.
This guide will take you through a complete troubleshooting process to identify why your Ezviz camera isn't recording and get it working correctly.
Understanding Your Ezviz Storage Options
To record anything, your Ezviz camera needs a destination for the video files. You have two choices, and at least one must be active and correctly configured:
- MicroSD Card: A physical card you insert into the camera for local storage. This is the most common method.
- Ezviz CloudPlay: A paid subscription service that uploads and saves your motion-triggered recordings to Ezviz's secure servers.
If you don't have a working SD card or an active CloudPlay subscription, your camera has nowhere to save video.
Signs Your Camera Isn't Recording
- The "Video History" section in the Ezviz app is empty.
- You get a motion alert, but there is no associated video clip.
- The app displays errors like "SD card not detected" or "Please initialize the SD card."
- Live view works perfectly, but nothing is ever saved.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fix Ezviz Recording Issues
Let's begin by checking your storage, as this is the most frequent cause of problems.
1. Troubleshoot the MicroSD Card
Follow these steps in the Ezviz app.
- Select Your Camera and tap the gear icon in the top-right to go to Settings.
- Tap on Storage Status.
- Analyse the Status:
- No SD Card: If the app says no card is detected, power down the camera, and physically re-seat the SD card. Make sure it clicks into place. If it's still not seen, the card could be incompatible or damaged. Try a different, high-quality SD card from a reputable brand.
- Uninitialized: If you see this status, it's normal for a new card. The camera needs to format it. Tap on the SD card status and then tap Initialize. This will erase the card and prepare it for use with the camera. You must do this before it will record.
- Normal: If the status is normal but it's still not recording, check the capacity. If it's full, you need to enable the overwrite function. In the Storage Status menu, ensure the "Overwrite" or "Loop Recording" feature is toggled on.
2. Verify Your Ezviz CloudPlay Subscription
If you rely on cloud storage, check your subscription status.
- In the Ezviz app, tap on your profile icon or the "Me" tab.
- Find the Ezviz CloudPlay or "My Album" section.
- Confirm that your subscription is active and that the correct camera is linked to your plan. Subscriptions can expire, or you may have accidentally assigned it to a different camera.
3. Check Your Recording and Notification Settings
If your storage is working, you need to ensure the camera is instructed to record.
- Go back to the camera's Settings page.
- Tap on Alarm Notification.
- Enable Notifications: Make sure the main toggle for "Alarm Notification" is on.
- Set a Schedule: Within this menu, check the "Notification Schedule." If you want alerts and recordings 24/7, ensure no schedule is set or that the schedule covers all desired times.
- Set Motion Detection Area: Use the "Drawing Mode" to select the specific areas of the screen you want to trigger motion alerts and recordings. If the activity is happening outside of your selected zone, it will be ignored.
4. Set the Recording Schedule
Finally, tell the camera how to record.
- In the camera's Settings, go to Recording Schedule.
- Here you can choose between "All-day" for continuous 24/7 recording (this will use a lot of SD card space) or a schedule for motion-triggered recording.
- Ensure that the time slots are correctly configured for "Motion Detection Recording."
By methodically checking your storage, subscription, and app settings, you can quickly pinpoint and fix the reason your Ezviz camera is not recording.