Gaps in Your Security: How to Fix Missed Recordings on a Xiaomi Camera
The main purpose of a security camera is to reliably record events when they happen. If you've discovered that your Xiaomi camera is missing recordings—failing to capture motion that you know occurred—it can undermine your sense of security. This guide will help you troubleshoot the common causes for missed recordings and ensure your camera captures everything it's supposed to.
Why Is My Camera Not Recording Everything?
When there are gaps in your recording timeline, it's usually due to one of these five reasons:
- Incorrect Detection Settings: The motion detection sensitivity might be too low, or the camera might be monitoring the wrong part of the frame.
- Storage Issues: The microSD card could be full (and not set to overwrite), corrupted, or failing.
- Network Dropouts: A momentary loss of Wi-Fi connection can prevent the camera from successfully saving a triggered recording.
- Specific AI Filtering: Advanced features like 'Human Detection' may be enabled, causing the camera to intentionally ignore other types of motion.
- Incorrect Schedule: A recording schedule might be active, telling the camera not to monitor for motion during certain hours.
Step-by-Step Guide to Preventing Missed Recordings
Let's work through the settings and hardware to pinpoint and fix the problem.
1. Fine-Tune Your Detection Settings
This is the most common area for misconfiguration.
- Open the Mi Home app and select your camera.
- Tap the three dots in the top-right corner and go to 'Detection settings' or 'Home surveillance'.
- Motion Detection Sensitivity: If it's set to 'Low', the camera will only trigger for very significant movements. For testing purposes, set this to 'High'. You can adjust it later to find the right balance and avoid excessive notifications.
- Motion Detection Zone: Some models allow you to draw a specific zone within the camera's view to monitor. Ensure this zone covers the area of interest (e.g., a doorway or walkway). Any motion outside this box will be ignored.
- Human Detection: Check if you have an 'AI Human Detection' or similar feature enabled. If this is on, the camera will not record clips of pets, vehicles, or other general motion. Turn this off if you want to capture all activity.
2. Check Your Storage Health
A faulty or full SD card is another primary cause of missed recordings.
- In the camera's settings, navigate to 'Storage management'.
- Check the Status: Ensure the camera is recognising the SD card and that it's not reporting any errors.
- Enable Loop Recording: Make sure the 'Overwrite old videos' or 'Loop recording' option is turned ON. This is critical. Without it, recording will stop completely once the card's capacity is reached.
- Format the Card: If you suspect an issue, use the 'Format storage card' option. This will erase the card and fix any potential file corruption.
3. Review Your Network Stability
Even a brief Wi-Fi dropout can be enough to lose a recording.
- In the camera's settings, find the 'Network settings' menu and check the reported signal strength.
- If the signal is weak, the camera may struggle to stay connected. Try moving your camera closer to your Wi-Fi router, or consider using a Wi-Fi extender to improve the signal in that area.
4. Verify the Recording Schedule
Ensure you haven't accidentally told the camera to switch off during certain times.
- Go back to the 'Home surveillance' or 'Automation' settings.
- Check for any schedules that might be active. Make sure the camera is set to be 'On' and monitoring during the times you need it to be. You can set it to 24-hour monitoring if required.
By carefully checking and adjusting these settings, you can resolve the vast majority of issues related to missed recordings and restore confidence in your Xiaomi security system.