How to Fix a Tapo Camera That Has Stopped Recording
When your Tapo security camera stops recording, it loses its primary purpose. Whether you're using a microSD card for local storage or a Tapo Care cloud subscription, the fix usually involves checking your settings or the card itself.
This guide will walk you through the essential troubleshooting steps to get your Tapo camera recording again, ensuring you don't miss any important moments.
### Step 1: Troubleshoot the MicroSD Card
If you are using local storage, the microSD card is the most common point of failure.
- Check the Card's Status: Open the Tapo app, select your camera, and go to its settings (the cog icon). Tap on "microSD Card". The app should show the card's status. If it says "Not initialized", "Error", or is not recognised, there's a problem.
- Format the MicroSD Card: The most important troubleshooting step is to format the card within the Tapo app. In the "microSD Card" settings, tap the "Format" button. This will erase all data but will configure the card with the correct file system for the camera. This should be done even with a brand new card.
- Ensure Loop Recording is On: In the same menu, make sure "Loop Recording" is toggled on. This allows the camera to automatically overwrite the oldest recordings when the card becomes full. If this is off, recording will stop as soon as the card's capacity is reached.
- Use the Right Kind of Card: For any security camera, you must use a high-quality, high-endurance microSD card. A standard card from an old phone is not designed for the 24/7 writing process of a camera and will likely fail. Look for cards from reputable brands that are specifically made for video monitoring.
## Step 2: Verify Your In-App Recording Settings
Sometimes, the camera is working fine, but the settings have been accidentally changed.
- Examine the Recording Schedule: In the camera's settings, find the "Recording Schedule". This screen allows you to set up a grid for when the camera should record.
- Continuous Recording: For 24/7 recording, the schedule should be all blue.
- Motion Detection: For recording only when motion is detected, the schedule should be all orange.
- Make sure you have a schedule set up, otherwise, the camera won't know when to record.
- Check Motion Detection Settings: If you're recording based on motion, these settings are crucial.
- Go to "Detection & Alerts".
- Ensure "Motion Detection" is toggled on.
- Set appropriate "Activity Zones" to define where the camera should look for motion.
- Increase the "Sensitivity" if you feel the camera is not picking up events.
### Step 3: For Tapo Care Cloud Storage Users
If you are subscribed to Tapo Care, the troubleshooting process is different.
- Check Your Subscription: Log in to your TP-Link ID account and navigate to the Tapo Care subscription section. Confirm that your plan is active and has not expired.
- Assign the Camera: If you have multiple cameras, ensure your Tapo Care plan is correctly assigned to the camera that is not recording.
- Rich Notifications: Ensure that "Rich Notifications" are enabled in the app's notification settings if you want to see snapshots with your motion alerts.
By methodically working through these steps, from the physical hardware (the SD card) to the software settings within the Tapo app, you can quickly identify and fix the reason your camera has stopped recording.