Trying to Get 24/7 Recording From Your Skybell? Here's What You Need to Know
If you've installed a Skybell video doorbell, you might be wondering how to enable 24/7 continuous recording to capture everything that happens at your front door. It's a common question, but it's important to understand how Skybell devices are designed to function.
This guide will clarify Skybell's recording capabilities, explain why it doesn't offer 24/7 recording, and provide troubleshooting steps to ensure its motion-based recording is working perfectly, so you never miss an important event.
Understanding Skybell's Recording Feature
A key point to understand is that Skybell video doorbells do not support 24/7 continuous recording. They are designed as "event-based" cameras. This means the device only records video clips when a specific event occurs:
- Button Press: Someone rings the doorbell.
- Motion Detection: The device's sensor detects movement in its field of view.
This approach helps to conserve cloud storage space and ensures you are only notified of meaningful activity, rather than having to sift through hours of empty footage.
Troubleshooting: What to Do When Your Skybell Isn't Recording Events
If your Skybell isn't even recording motion events or doorbell presses, then there's a problem that needs fixing. Here’s a checklist to diagnose and solve the issue.
1. Check Your Cloud Recording Subscription
The most common reason for a Skybell not recording is the lack of an active subscription plan. Without a cloud storage plan, your Skybell can typically only provide a live video stream and send notifications.
- Log in to your Skybell account or the account of your service provider (e.g., Alarm.com, Honeywell).
- Navigate to your subscription or billing details.
- Confirm that you have a plan that includes video clip storage and that it is active and up to date.
2. Verify Your Wi-Fi Connection
Your Skybell needs a stable internet connection to upload recorded clips to the cloud.
- Check the device status in your Skybell app. Does it show as "Online"?
- If it's offline, you may need to troubleshoot your home Wi-Fi network. Try restarting your router and the Skybell itself.
- Ensure your router is not too far from the doorbell, as a weak signal can prevent video uploads.
3. Enable and Calibrate Motion Settings
If doorbell presses are recorded but motion is not, your motion sensor settings are the likely culprit.
- Open the Skybell app and select your device.
- Go into the Settings menu.
- Find Motion Settings.
- Make sure that Motion Detection is toggled On.
- Try adjusting the Sensitivity. If it's set to "Low", it may not be picking up distant or subtle movements. Try setting it to "Medium" or "High" to test.
4. Ensure Firmware is Up to Date
Skybell occasionally pushes firmware updates to devices to improve performance and fix bugs. While this process is usually automatic, a failed update could cause issues.
- You can typically check the firmware version in the "Device Information" section of your Skybell app.
- Rebooting the device by turning its power off at the circuit breaker for a minute and then back on can sometimes trigger a pending firmware update.
While you can't get 24/7 recording from a Skybell, you can ensure that its event-based recording is working flawlessly. By verifying your subscription, Wi-Fi connection, and motion settings, you can be confident that your doorbell will capture all the important moments it was designed for.