Enabling 24/7 Continuous Recording on Your Tapo Camera
Tapo cameras provide a fantastic and affordable way to monitor your home, but to get the most out of them, you'll want to set up 24/7 continuous recording. This ensures that you capture everything that happens, not just the clips triggered by motion detection. This guide will walk you through the setup process and troubleshoot common problems.
What You Need for 24/7 Recording
The key to continuous recording on Tapo cameras is local storage. Unlike some other brands that rely on cloud subscriptions for this feature, Tapo enables it through a physical card.
- A Compatible microSD Card: This is mandatory. Without a microSD card, your camera can only be used for live viewing and motion-alert clips (if you have a Tapo Care subscription).
- The Tapo App: All configuration is done through the app on your smartphone.
Why Isn't My Tapo Camera Recording 24/7?
If you're only getting short clips or no recordings at all, it's likely due to one of these reasons:
- No microSD Card: The camera has nowhere to save the continuous footage.
- Incorrect Recording Schedule: The camera is set to 'Detection Recording' instead of 'Continuous Recording'.
- microSD Card Issue: The card may be faulty, full (and loop recording is off), or not formatted correctly.
How to Set Up and Fix Tapo 24/7 Recording
Follow these steps to get your camera recording around the clock.
### 1. Choose and Install the Right microSD Card
The quality of your microSD card is very important for reliable recording.
- Card Type: Use a Class 10 or UHS-1 (U1) card. These have the necessary write speeds for video.
- Capacity: Tapo cameras support various capacities depending on the model (e.g., up to 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB). Check your camera's specifications. A 128GB card will typically store several days of continuous footage.
- High Endurance: For best results, use a 'High Endurance' card specifically designed for security cameras and dashcams.
- Installation: Power off your camera, insert the microSD card into the slot until it clicks, and then power it back on.
### 2. Format the microSD Card in the Tapo App
Once installed, the card must be initialised by the camera.
- Open the Tapo app and select your camera.
- Go to Camera Settings (the gear icon at the top right).
- Tap on microSD Card.
- The app should show the card's status. Tap the Format button. This will erase everything on the card and prepare it for use with the camera.
### 3. Set the Recording Schedule
This is where you tell the camera to record continuously.
- In Camera Settings, go to Recording Schedule.
- You will see a timetable grid for the week. Tap Edit at the top.
- Select Continuous Recording (usually coloured blue).
- Drag your finger across the entire grid to select all hours of every day.
- Tap the Save checkmark. The entire grid should now be blue, indicating that continuous recording is active 24/7.
### 4. Enable Loop Recording
This is a crucial setting that prevents your camera from stopping when the card is full.
- Go back to the microSD Card settings menu.
- Ensure the Loop Recording toggle is switched ON.
- When enabled, the camera will automatically delete the oldest footage to make space for new recordings, creating an uninterrupted loop.
### Troubleshooting
- 'microSD Card Not Detected': Power off the camera, re-insert the card firmly, and restart. If it still fails, the card may be faulty or incompatible. Try testing the card in a computer.
- Gaps in Timeline: If you see gaps in the playback timeline, it could indicate that the camera lost power or Wi-Fi connection during that time. It can also be a sign of a failing microSD card that is struggling to write the data continuously.
By following these steps, you can easily configure your Tapo camera for reliable 24/7 recording, giving you a complete video history of your home.