Merkury Camera Not Recording 24/7? A Simple Guide

Merkury Camera Not Recording 24/7? A Simple Guide

Merkury Innovations cameras, often managed through the Geeni smart home app, are popular for their affordability and ease of use. A common point of confusion for new users, however, is how the recording functionality works. Many assume the camera records continuously, 24/7, but that is often not the case. This guide will clarify how Merkury cameras record and what to do if you're having trouble saving footage.

## Understanding Merkury Camera Recording

The vast majority of battery-powered and even some powered indoor Merkury cameras are designed to be event-based recorders. This means they only record video when the camera's sensors detect motion. They do not, by default, offer continuous 24/7 recording to a local microSD card.

The primary reasons for this design are:

• Storage Efficiency: Recording 24/7 would fill up a microSD card extremely quickly. Event-based recording ensures that only important moments are captured, making it easier to find specific clips and use storage space efficiently.
• Bandwidth Conservation: Continuously uploading video would use a large amount of internet bandwidth.
• Heat Management: Constant operation can cause the small cameras to overheat.

## Troubleshooting: Why Isn't My Camera Recording?

If your camera isn't even recording the motion-triggered clips, let's troubleshoot the common causes.

### 1. Check Your MicroSD Card

A properly functioning microSD card is essential for local storage.

• Compatibility: Ensure you are using a Class 10 or higher microSD card. Slower cards may not be able to handle video recording, leading to errors.
• Installation: Make sure the card is inserted correctly into the camera's slot. It should click into place.
• Formatting: This is the most important step. The camera needs the card to be formatted in a specific way.
  1. Open the Geeni app and select your Merkury camera.
  2. Tap on 'Settings' (usually a pencil icon in the top right).
  3. Go to 'Storage Settings' or 'SD Card Settings'.
  4. You should see the card's capacity. If it says 'Not Inserted' or 'Error', try re-inserting it.
  5. Tap the 'Format SD Card' option. This will erase everything on the card and prepare it for use with the camera.

### 2. Enable Motion Detection

The camera will only record if it's told to look for motion.

1. In the Geeni app, go to your camera's 'Settings'.
2. Select 'Motion Detection Settings'.
3. Ensure the main 'Motion Detection' toggle is switched ON.
4. You can also adjust the 'Sensitivity Level' here. If it's set too 'Low', it may not be picking up movement. Try setting it to 'Medium' or 'High' to test.

### 3. Reviewing Your Footage

Once motion is detected and recorded, you can view it on the playback timeline.

• From the camera's live view screen, tap the 'Playback' button.
• You will see a timeline. This timeline will not be a solid block of video. Instead, you will see markers or coloured segments indicating the times when motion was recorded.
• You can drag the timeline to these markers to watch the clips.

## Is 24/7 Recording Possible at All?

For users who absolutely need continuous recording, the only option is typically through a paid cloud storage subscription. Some Merkury camera models are eligible for a CVR (Continuous Video Recording) plan via the Geeni app. This service continuously uploads footage to the cloud for you to review. You would need to check the subscription options within the app to see if this is available for your specific model.