Is Your Wyze Cam Not Recording Continuously?
One of the most valued features of Wyze cameras is the ability to record footage 24/7 directly to a local microSD card. This gives you a complete timeline of events, not just the short clips saved to the cloud. If you've inserted an SD card but your camera is still only saving brief event videos, or not recording at all, this troubleshooting guide will help you diagnose and solve the problem.
Understanding Wyze Recording Methods
It's important to know the difference between Wyze's two main recording types:
- Cloud Event Clips: These are short, 12-second videos (for the free plan) that are triggered by motion or sound. They are stored on Wyze's cloud servers and are accessible via the 'Events' tab in the app. This works without an SD card.
- Continuous Local Recording: This records everything, 24/7, directly onto the microSD card installed in your camera. You access this footage by tapping the 'View Playback' button from the camera's live stream. This requires a functional microSD card.
If you're expecting a complete, round-the-clock recording history but can't find it, the issue almost certainly lies with the microSD card or your settings.
Common Symptoms of Recording Failure
- The 'View Playback' button is greyed out or missing from the live stream view.
- The playback timeline is empty, showing no recorded footage.
- In the camera's settings, the app reports 'No microSD card detected'.
- The camera only saves 12-second event clips, not continuous footage.
- Recording stops and starts intermittently.
How to Fix Wyze Continuous Recording Issues
Follow these steps in order to get your 24/7 recording up and running.
Step 1: Verify Your Settings in the Wyze App
First, let's ensure you have the correct options enabled.
- Open the Wyze app and select the camera in question.
- Tap the Settings gear icon in the top right.
- Navigate to Advanced Settings.
- Tap on Local Storage.
- Check that Local recording to microSD card is toggled ON.
- Underneath this, make sure the Continuous option is selected, not 'Events only'.
If these settings were already correct, the problem lies with the microSD card itself.
Step 2: Check Your MicroSD Card's Compatibility
Wyze cameras can be particular about the microSD cards they work with.
- Card Type: You must use a Class 10 microSD card. Check for the 'C' symbol with the number 10 inside it on the card itself.
- Brand: It is highly recommended to use high-endurance cards from reputable brands like SanDisk, Samsung, or Kingston. Cheaper, unbranded cards are prone to failure.
- Capacity: Supported capacity varies by camera model, but most newer Wyze Cams support cards up to 256GB.
Step 3: Reformat the MicroSD Card
Often, the card's formatting is the source of the problem. The safest first step is to format the card using the Wyze app itself.
- Go to your camera's Settings > Advanced Settings > Local Storage.
- Tap Format. This will erase everything on the card.
- Wait for the process to complete. The camera will usually restart.
If the in-app format fails, you should format the card using a computer.
- For cards 32GB or smaller: Use a computer with an SD card reader to format the card to the FAT32 file system.
- For cards larger than 32GB: You must format the card to the exFAT file system.
After formatting on a computer, safely eject the card, re-insert it into your powered-off Wyze Cam, and then power it back on.
Step 4: Test or Replace the MicroSD Card
If you have followed all the steps above and continuous recording is still not working, your microSD card has likely failed or become corrupted. SD cards have a limited lifespan, and the constant writing and rewriting of 24/7 recording can wear them out.
Try using a different, known-good microSD card in the camera. If the new card works, then you have confirmed that the original card was the issue and it needs to be replaced.