Reolink Storage Full? How to Manage Your Camera's Recordings
A "Storage Full" notification on your Reolink camera system can be a cause for concern. It often means your camera has stopped recording new footage, potentially leaving your property unmonitored. Understanding how to effectively manage your camera's storage is key to ensuring continuous surveillance. This guide will walk you through the common causes of storage issues and how to resolve them for both local (microSD card) and cloud storage.
## Why Storage Management is Crucial
Reolink cameras store video footage either on a physical microSD card inserted into the camera or NVR, or remotely on the Reolink Cloud. When this space runs out, and if not configured correctly, the camera may stop saving new events. Proactive management ensures you never miss a critical moment.
## Troubleshooting Full Storage on a MicroSD Card
This is the most common scenario for Reolink users. Here’s how to tackle it.
### Step 1: Enable the "Overwrite" Function
By default, some Reolink cameras may have the overwrite function turned off. This means once the SD card is full, recording stops. Enabling it is the single most important step.
- Open the Reolink App or PC Client and go to your camera's Device Settings.
- Navigate to the Recording or Storage settings menu.
- Find the Overwrite or Loop Recording option and make sure it is toggled On.
- This will allow the camera to automatically delete the oldest video files to make room for new ones, ensuring continuous recording.
### Step 2: Format the MicroSD Card
If you are still having issues, or if the card is not behaving as expected, formatting it can resolve underlying file system errors.
- Go to the Storage settings in the Reolink app.
- Select the microSD card and tap the Format option.
- Important: Formatting will permanently erase all existing footage from the card. Make sure you have saved any important clips before proceeding.
### Step 3: Optimise Recording Settings
You can significantly increase your storage capacity by adjusting what and how your camera records.
- Use Motion Detection: Instead of recording 24/7, set your camera to only record when it detects motion. This drastically reduces the amount of storage space used.
- Adjust Video Quality: Lowering the camera's bitrate in the Encode settings will create smaller video files. While this reduces video quality slightly, it can dramatically increase how many days of footage you can store.
- Configure Motion Zones: Set up specific zones to monitor for motion, preventing irrelevant events like trees swaying in the wind from triggering a recording and using up space.
## Managing Reolink Cloud Storage
If you subscribe to the Reolink Cloud plan, your storage is managed differently.
- Check Your Plan Limits: Be aware of your plan's storage capacity (e.g., 30 days of history, 10GB of space). Recordings may be automatically deleted after a certain period.
- Download Important Clips: If there is a clip you need to keep permanently, download it from the cloud to your phone or computer. Do not rely on the cloud for indefinite archival of specific events.
By regularly checking your settings and understanding how features like "Overwrite" work, you can ensure your Reolink camera system is always ready to capture what matters most.