What to Do When Your Geeni Camera Stops Working
A Geeni smart camera that has suddenly stopped working or appears 'Offline' in the app can be a major inconvenience, leaving your home unmonitored. Fortunately, most of the time, the issue is related to power or network connectivity and can be resolved with some basic troubleshooting. This guide will walk you through the steps to diagnose the problem and get your Geeni camera back online.
By following these steps in a logical order, you can avoid unnecessary frustration and quickly find the root cause of the problem.
## Initial Checks: Power and Network
Before diving into resets and app settings, let's start with the most common and simplest culprits.
- Check the Power Source: Ensure the camera is plugged into a working power outlet. Check that the USB cable is securely connected to both the camera and the power adapter. If possible, try a different power outlet to rule out a faulty socket.
- Inspect the Status Light: Look at the small LED indicator light on the front of the camera. Is it on, off, or flashing? A solid light usually means it's connected, a flashing light means it's trying to connect, and no light at all points to a power issue.
- Verify Your Internet Connection: Is your home Wi-Fi working? Check if other devices like your smartphone or laptop can connect to the internet. If your internet is down, the camera will be offline.
- Check the Wi-Fi Band: Remember that Geeni cameras, like most smart devices, connect exclusively to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band. They will not work on a 5 GHz band.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide
If the initial checks don't solve the problem, proceed with these steps.
### 1. Power Cycle the Camera and Your Router
A simple restart is often the most effective fix for electronic devices. It clears temporary glitches and re-establishes connections.
- Unplug the Geeni Camera: Disconnect the camera from its power source.
- Unplug Your Router: While the camera is unplugged, disconnect your Wi-Fi router from power as well.
- Wait: Leave both devices unplugged for at least 60 seconds. This allows them to fully power down.
- Plug Everything Back In: Plug your router back in first and wait for it to fully restart (usually 2-3 minutes, when all its lights are stable). Once the router is back online, plug your Geeni camera back in. Give the camera a few minutes to boot up and attempt to reconnect to the network.
### 2. Check the Geeni App
Sometimes the issue might be with the app or the Geeni cloud service itself.
- Restart the App: Close the Geeni app completely on your smartphone (remove it from your recent apps list) and then relaunch it.
- Check for App Updates: Go to the App Store or Google Play Store and see if there is an update available for the Geeni app.
- Check Service Status: While less common, there might be a temporary outage with Geeni's servers. You can check community forums or social media to see if other users are reporting similar issues.
### 3. Factory Reset the Camera (Last Resort)
If your camera is still offline after trying all the above steps, a factory reset will return it to its original settings, requiring you to set it up again from scratch.
- Locate the Reset Button: Most Geeni cameras have a small, recessed button, often labelled 'Reset'. You will need a paperclip or a SIM card tool to press it.
- Press and Hold: With the camera plugged in and powered on, press and hold the reset button for 5-10 seconds.
- Wait for Confirmation: The camera will usually make a sound or the status LED will begin to flash rapidly to indicate that it has been reset and is now in pairing mode.
- Re-add the Camera: Open the Geeni app and follow the "Add Device" instructions to set up your camera again, just like you did when it was new. You will need to re-enter your Wi-Fi password.
Following these steps will resolve the vast majority of issues causing a Geeni camera to stop working. If a factory reset does not fix the problem, it may indicate a hardware failure with the device itself.