Is Your Yale Camera Failing to Record? Here’s How to Fix It
There’s nothing more frustrating than discovering your security camera hasn’t been recording when you need the footage most. If you're seeing a "Recording Failed" error on your Yale camera or simply finding no new videos, don't worry. This guide will walk you through the most common causes and solutions to get your Yale camera recording reliably again.
This guide applies to Yale smart home cameras that use an SD card for local storage.
## First Steps: Checking the Obvious
Let's start with the basics. These simple steps can often resolve the issue without needing to dive into complex settings.
- Power Cycle Your Camera: The classic "turn it off and on again" works wonders. Unplug your Yale camera from the power source, wait for at least 60 seconds, and then plug it back in. This allows the camera to reboot fully and can clear temporary glitches.
- Check Your Wi-Fi Connection: While recording is local to the SD card, a poor or intermittent Wi-Fi connection can sometimes interfere with the camera's overall operation and ability to communicate status updates to the app. Ensure your camera has a strong and stable Wi-Fi signal.
## Diving into SD Card Troubleshooting
In most cases, issues with recording on Yale cameras are directly related to the microSD card.
### 1. Check SD Card Compatibility
Not all SD cards are created equal. Security cameras require cards that can withstand constant writing and rewriting.
- Use a Reputable Brand: Always use a high-quality, high-endurance microSD card from a trusted brand like SanDisk, Samsung, or Kingston.
- Correct Class and Capacity: Ensure the card is at least a Class 10/U1 rated card. Check your specific Yale camera model's documentation for the maximum supported SD card capacity (e.g., 128GB or 256GB). Using a card that is too large can cause issues.
### 2. Reformat the SD Card
An SD card can become corrupted over time, leading to recording failures. Formatting the card wipes it clean and can resolve these underlying errors.
Important: Formatting will erase all existing footage on the card. Make sure you have backed up any important clips before proceeding.
- Open the Yale app on your smartphone.
- Navigate to your camera's settings.
- Find the "Storage" or "SD Card" section.
- Select the option to "Format" or "Reformat Storage".
You should always format the SD card using the Yale app itself, not your computer. This ensures the camera uses the correct file system and block size for optimal performance.
### 3. Inspect and Reseat the SD Card
A poor physical connection can also be the culprit.
- Power off the camera completely.
- Carefully eject the microSD card from its slot.
- Inspect the card for any physical damage or dirt on the gold contacts.
- Firmly re-insert the card back into the camera until it clicks into place.
- Power the camera back on and check if it now recognises the card and begins recording.
If the camera still doesn't recognise the card, it might be faulty. Try testing the card in another device (like a computer) or try a different, known-good SD card in your Yale camera to isolate the problem.
## Check Your Camera’s Settings
Sometimes, the issue isn't a fault but a simple misconfiguration in the app.
- Recording Mode: Go into your camera's settings in the Yale app and verify that it is set to record. You may have options for "Motion-Only Recording" or "Continuous Recording". Ensure the desired mode is active.
- Motion Detection Sensitivity: If you have it set to record on motion, but the sensitivity is too low, it may not be triggering recordings. Check the motion detection settings and consider increasing the sensitivity level.
- Recording Schedule: Some cameras allow you to set a schedule for when recording is active. Double-check that you don't have a schedule enabled that is preventing the camera from recording at certain times.
## Update Firmware
Finally, ensure your Yale camera's firmware is up to date. Manufacturers release firmware updates to fix bugs and improve performance, and a known recording issue may have been resolved in a recent patch. You can check for firmware updates within the camera's settings section of the Yale app.