Are You Missing Features on Your Kasa Camera?
Kasa smart home products by TP-Link are known for being user-friendly and affordable. However, you might have noticed that certain features you expected, such as 24/7 continuous recording or the ability to view your camera feed in a web browser, appear to be missing. This can be confusing, especially if you've used other camera systems before.
This guide clarifies which features are available on Kasa cameras, which require a subscription plan, and which are not supported at all. Understanding these differences will help you get the most out of your device and determine if you need to adjust your setup or subscription.
Common "Missing" Features and Why
Here are some of the features users often look for but can't find, and the reasons behind their absence.
- No 24/7 Recording Option: You can only see options for motion-activated clips, not continuous recording.
- No Web Portal/Browser Access: You search for a website to log in and view your cameras but find it doesn't exist.
- Cloud Storage is Unavailable: Your motion-triggered clips are not being saved online for you to review later.
- No Rich Notifications: Your phone's notifications only show text, not a preview image of the motion event.
- AI Detection is Missing: You cannot find settings for specific detection types like "Person," "Pet," or "Baby Crying."
- Local Storage Not Working: You have inserted a microSD card, but the camera isn't recording to it.
Understanding Kasa's Feature Set
The availability of many Kasa features depends on three key factors: your specific camera model, whether you have a microSD card installed, and whether you subscribe to a Kasa Care plan.
1. Feature: Web Portal Access
Status: Not Available
This is a simple one: Kasa does not offer a web portal. All camera viewing, management, and playback must be done through the official Kasa Smart mobile app on an iOS or Android device. This is a design choice by TP-Link to keep the system streamlined and mobile-focused.
2. Feature: 24/7 Continuous Recording
Status: Requires a microSD Card AND a Kasa Care Subscription
This is one of the most common points of confusion. To enable 24/7 recording on a compatible Kasa camera, you need both of the following:
- A microSD Card: You must purchase a compatible microSD card (check your camera's specifications for maximum supported capacity) and install it directly into the camera. This provides the physical storage for the continuous footage.
- A Kasa Care Subscription: Even with an SD card installed, the 24/7 recording feature is a premium service that must be unlocked by subscribing to a paid Kasa Care plan.
Without both of these, your camera will be limited to recording short, motion-activated clips either to the SD card (if installed) or to the cloud (if you have a plan).
3. Feature: Cloud Video Storage and History
Status: Requires a Kasa Care Subscription
The free Kasa service provides live streaming and notifications, but it does not include a cloud-based video history. If you want the camera to automatically record and save motion-triggered clips to the cloud for you to review later, you must subscribe to a Kasa Care plan. These plans offer rolling storage, typically for 30 days.
4. Feature: AI Detection and Rich Notifications
Status: Requires a Kasa Care Subscription
More advanced software features are reserved for paying subscribers. These include:
- AI Detection: The ability to differentiate between general motion and specific types like a person, a pet, or a baby's cry. This helps to make your notifications much more meaningful.
- Rich Notifications: Instead of just a text alert ("Motion Detected on Front Door"), a rich notification includes a snapshot image in the alert itself, so you can see what happened at a glance.
5. Feature: Local Storage (microSD Card)
Status: Requires a microSD Card
If you prefer not to pay for a subscription, you can still save video clips by using local storage. Most Kasa cameras have a microSD card slot. By inserting a card, you can configure the camera to save motion-triggered recordings directly to it. You can then access these recordings through the Kasa app's playback feature. Ensure the card is formatted correctly within the Kasa app after you insert it.
By understanding that certain key features are intentionally locked behind a Kasa Care subscription or require specific hardware like an SD card, you can better align your expectations with your camera's capabilities.