Yi Home Camera Live View Not Working? Here's the Fix
A Yi Home Camera is a great way to keep an eye on your property, but it's only useful when you can access the live video feed. If you're stuck on a 'Connecting...' screen or getting a connection error in the Yi Home app, this guide will help you troubleshoot the problem and get your camera streaming again.
## The First Step: Check the Lights and Reboot
Before you get into complicated settings, let's start with the basics. These two simple checks solve the majority of Yi camera connection issues.
- Check the Camera's Status LED: The small light on the front of your Yi camera tells you its status.
- Solid Blue: The camera is connected and operating normally.
- Flashing Blue: The camera is trying to connect to your Wi-Fi.
- Solid Yellow/Orange: The camera is powered on and booting up.
- Flashing Yellow/Orange: There is an issue, often waiting for you to scan the QR code for setup or indicating a connection failure.
- Reboot Your System: A power cycle is the most effective troubleshooting step for any network device.
- Unplug the Micro USB power cable from your Yi camera.
- Unplug the power cable from your main internet router.
- Wait for about 30-60 seconds.
- Plug the router back in and wait for it to fully restart (all lights stable).
- Plug your Yi camera back in and wait for it to boot up. It should end with a solid blue light.
## Diagnosing Your Network Connection
If a reboot didn't work, the problem is almost certainly related to the network connection. Your camera needs a strong, stable link to your router to stream video.
### Wi-Fi Signal Strength and Stability
- Distance is Key: How far is your camera from your Wi-Fi router? The further away it is, the weaker the signal. Try moving the camera temporarily closer to the router to see if the live view starts working. If it does, you've found your problem.
- Interference: Wi-Fi signals can be blocked or disrupted by thick walls (especially concrete or brick), large metal appliances (like refrigerators), and even other electronic devices.
- Router Band: Yi cameras operate on the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band. If you have a dual-band router (with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks), ensure your camera is connected to the 2.4GHz network, as it provides better range and wall penetration.
### Internet Upload Speed
Your home internet speed is crucial. While download speed is important for watching Netflix, upload speed is what your camera uses to send its video feed to you.
- Run a Speed Test: Use a service like Speedtest.net on a phone or computer connected to your home Wi-tFi.
- Check the Upload Result: For a single Yi camera, you should have an upload speed of at least 1 Mbps, preferably 2 Mbps for better quality. If your upload speed is very low, your camera will struggle to send a stable stream.
## App and Final Resort Troubleshooting
- Update the Yi Home App: Go to your phone's app store and make sure you have the latest version of the Yi Home (or Kami Home) app. Bug fixes in new versions can often resolve streaming issues.
- Clear App Cache: In your phone's settings, find the Yi Home app and clear its cache. This can fix strange behaviour without you having to log in again.
- Re-pair the Camera: If all else fails, you may need to reset the camera and pair it again.
- Use a paperclip to press and hold the reset button on the camera until it gives an audio prompt.
- Follow the instructions in the app to add a new camera, which will involve showing the camera a QR code on your phone's screen.
By working through these steps, you can identify the weak link in the connection and get your Yi camera's live view working reliably again.