How to Troubleshoot and Fix Missed Recordings on Your Samsung Camera
A security camera that doesn't record when it's supposed to is a major reliability concern. If you've noticed that your Samsung camera has been missing important events—like a person walking up to your door or a car entering the driveway—it's crucial to address the problem immediately. This issue can undermine the very reason you have a security system in the first place.
Most of the time, missed recordings are not due to a faulty camera but are caused by misconfigured settings, storage problems, or connectivity issues. This troubleshooting guide will walk you through the most common causes and provide clear, step-by-step solutions to ensure your camera captures every important moment.
Identifying the Cause of Missed Recordings
To solve the problem, you first need to understand why your camera isn't recording. Let's explore the most likely culprits.
### 1. MicroSD Card Issues
This is one of the most frequent causes. Your camera relies on the microSD card to save footage.
- Card is Full: While most cameras use loop recording (overwriting the oldest footage), a setting may have been changed, or an error could prevent this, causing recordings to stop once the card is full.
- Card is Corrupted or Faulty: MicroSD cards have a limited lifespan, especially with the constant writing and rewriting required by a security camera. The card can develop bad sectors or fail entirely, preventing new videos from being saved correctly.
- Incompatible Card: Using a slow or low-quality SD card can lead to write errors, where the camera is unable to save the video stream fast enough, resulting in lost footage.
### 2. Incorrect Motion Detection Settings
Your camera uses software to decide when to record. If these settings are wrong, it won't trigger when it should.
- Motion Zones are Not Set Correctly: You may have defined specific zones for detection, but the event you want to be recorded is happening just outside of these areas.
- Sensitivity Level is Too Low: The motion sensitivity might be set so low that it doesn't register subtle or distant movements, like a person walking on the edge of your property.
- Schedules are Active: You might have a schedule set up that turns off motion detection or recording during certain hours of the day.
### 3. Network and Connectivity Problems
A stable connection is essential for the camera to function correctly, even when recording locally.
- Weak Wi-Fi Signal: If the camera's connection to your Wi-Fi is weak or intermittent, it can lose the command to start recording or fail to save the clip properly, even to the local SD card.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Recording Issues
Work through these solutions methodically to diagnose and resolve the problem.
### Step 1: Check and Manage Your MicroSD Card
Start with the physical storage.
- Check Storage Status: In your Samsung camera app (like SmartThings), find the camera's settings and look for a storage management section. It should tell you the status of the SD card and how much space is used.
- Reformat the Card: The most effective troubleshooting step is to reformat the microSD card. There is an option for this within the app. WARNING: This will erase all existing recordings on the card. Reformatting fixes any file system errors that may be preventing new recordings.
- Replace the Card: If reformatting doesn't help, or if the card is several years old, replace it. Be sure to purchase a high-endurance microSD card specifically designed for the constant use of security cameras or dashcams.
### Step 2: Review and Optimise Motion Detection Settings
Fine-tuning these settings is critical.
- Review Motion Zones: Go into the motion detection settings and look at your defined zones. Ensure they cover all the areas where you expect to capture events. If in doubt, reset them to cover the camera's entire field of view for testing purposes.
- Adjust Sensitivity: If you are missing events, increase the motion sensitivity level by one increment. Test it for a day. Avoid setting it to the maximum immediately, as this can cause too many false alerts.
- Check Schedules: Look for any scheduling or mode settings (e.g., Home, Away) that might be disabling motion recording at certain times.
### Step 3: Verify Your Network Connection
Ensure your camera has a strong and stable link to your network. In the device settings within the app, there is usually a section for Wi-Fi or network status that shows the signal strength. If it's weak (e.g., one or two bars), consider moving your Wi-Fi router closer to the camera or installing a Wi-Fi extender.
By carefully checking your storage, optimising your detection settings, and ensuring a solid network connection, you can resolve the vast majority of issues with missed recordings.