Unifi Protect Camera Not Recording? A UK Troubleshooting Guide
A Unifi Protect camera that isn't recording can be a major headache, undermining the purpose of your CCTV system. Whether you're missing all footage or just specific motion events, the issue usually lies within the Unifi Protect controller settings. This guide will help you diagnose and fix the problem, ensuring your cameras are capturing everything they should be.
We will walk through the essential checks, from camera-level recording modes and motion zones to the health of your console's storage.
1. Check the Camera's Recording Mode
The most fundamental setting to check is the recording mode for the specific camera in question. Each camera can be configured independently, and it's easy to have one set incorrectly.
- Navigate to Camera Settings: Open your Unifi Protect dashboard (either via
unifi.ui.comor the local IP address). Click on the 'Devices' icon and select the camera that is not recording. - Select Recording Mode: In the camera's settings panel, find the 'Recording' tab. You will see three main options:
- Always: Records video 24/7.
- Detections: Only records when motion or a smart detection event occurs.
- Never: Disables all recording for this camera.
- Ensure Correct Setting: If you want motion-based recording, this must be set to 'Detections'. If it is set to 'Never', no recording will happen. If it is set to 'Always' but you are not seeing motion events flagged, there is a different issue.
2. Configure Motion and Smart Detection Zones
If your camera is set to record on 'Detections', the next step is to ensure those detections are properly configured. If the zones are not set up correctly, the camera won't know when to trigger a recording.
- Motion Zones: In the camera's settings, go to 'Motion Zones'. Ensure you have drawn a zone covering the area of interest. Check the 'Motion Sensitivity' slider; if it's too low, it may not pick up subtle movements.
- Smart Detections: Unifi Protect also offers AI Smart Detections for 'Person' and 'Vehicle'. If you have enabled these, the camera will only record when it identifies one of these object types. If you want to record a cat or a falling leaf, you also need a standard motion zone configured. Check the settings for Smart Detections to ensure they are enabled and the zones are correct.
3. Inspect Your Console's Storage
No available storage means no new recordings. It's vital to check the health and capacity of the hard drive in your Unifi Console (e.g., Cloud Key Gen2+, UNVR, UDM Pro).
- Access Console Settings: From the main dashboard, go to the 'Settings' of your console, not just the Protect application.
- Check Storage Health: Find the 'Storage' or 'Disk Management' section. This will show you the status of your hard disk drive (HDD). It should be listed as 'Healthy'. If it shows any errors, the drive may be failing and needs to be replaced.
- Review Capacity: The dashboard will also show you the storage usage. Unifi Protect should automatically manage storage by deleting the oldest recordings to make space. However, if the disk is completely full and this process fails, recording will stop. Note how much space is available.
4. Review Timelapses and Detections
Sometimes, the recordings exist but are just difficult to find.
- Scrub the Timeline: In the 'Playback' tab, carefully scrub through the timeline for the camera. Look for any blue (continuous) or orange (motion) markings that indicate a recording.
- Check the Detections Feed: Go to the 'Detections' tab in Unifi Protect. This provides a chronological list of all motion and smart detection events. If this feed is empty, it confirms that the system is not detecting any events, pointing back to a zone or sensitivity issue.
By methodically checking the camera's mode, detection zones, and console storage, you can solve the vast majority of recording issues within the Unifi Protect ecosystem.