Can You Fast Forward & Rewind Eufy Recordings?

Have you ever needed to quickly review footage from your Eufy security camera, only to find yourself scrubbing through dozens of videos? It seems like an endless process to go through the dozens of short clips Eufy tends to record, but don’t worry, as this is easy to solve. 

I’ve compiled this quick guide to help you speed up this tedious process. While fast-forwarding is already supported on most Eufy cameras, I’ve added pro tips to help you make the most of your security system.

Can I Fast Forward and Rewind Eufy Camera Recordings

Yes, you can fast-forward Eufy camera recordings on the playback screen. Some models go up to 16x, while others go up to 8x or 4x. There is no rewind option, so you cannot play videos in reverse. But you can use the timeline to scrub long videos. 

Now, I’ll break down the playback controls you can use in the eufySecurity app, along with some third-party apps and other tricks you can use to get around Eufy’s limitations.  

Detailed Breakdown of Fast Forward & Rewind on Eufy Cameras

1) How Eufy Cameras Store and Playback Recordings

Unlike many other home security cameras that rely on cloud storage, Eufy cameras save all video recordings locally on the device itself. There are two main local storage options for Eufy cameras:

• microSD Card: Several Eufy cameras have a slot for inserting a microSD card directly into the camera device. This allows all footage to be saved onto the memory card. Cards up to 256GB are usually supported, depending on the camera model.
• HomeBase: Eufy’s HomeBase is a dedicated base station that connects wirelessly to security cameras. It has internal storage space to store recordings from multiple cameras. The newest Home Base 3 also allows external hard drive expansion, up to 16 TB. 

Saving footage locally rather than uploading it to the cloud gives you more control and privacy. It also means playback functionality relies on the camera and base station hardware along with the eufySecurity mobile app’s software capabilities.

Since they’re stored in the original resolution and quality, you’ll get a smooth playback experience, and it’s easier to fast-forward or rewind as needed. 

Eufy does offer a cloud subscription as well, which stores the past 30 days of video recordings for easy review. But this footage has to be downloaded and transcoded on the fly, so it tends to be jittery and slower compared to the locally stored recordings. 

Now if you’re frequently monitoring your recorded videos and can afford more local storage, I’d recommend that. Better privacy, faster playback, and it’s also easier to transfer them elsewhere for archiving and enhancement (as I’ll discuss later).

2) Playback Controls in the eufySecurity App

The eufySecurity mobile app for iOS and Android provides a range of playback controls you can use to easily navigate through stored security camera footage:

• Play/Pause: Standard controls to play stored recordings or pause mid-playback.
• Timeline: You can see a visual timeline of recordings that can be dragged to skip to any timeframe. Motion events are marked in yellow. 
• Fast Forward: You can control playback speed up to 16x normal speed (depending on the model).
• Event Scrubbing: You can jump between motion event markers shown on the timeline.
• Zoom: You can zoom in/out on playback footage for closer detail up to 8x on 4K video and 2x or 4x on other resolutions.
• Download: Some of the cameras let you save footage clips and segments to your mobile device’s local storage.

There is no native ‘rewind’ feature in Eufy cameras yet. By this, I mean that videos cannot be played back in reverse. 

However, you can jump back and play the video again to check the details. 

If you really need true rewind (reverse playback) or other video manipulation, there are still a few tricks you can use, which I’ll cover in step 7. 

Live View Does Not Rewind

Another important thing to remember is that rewinding is generally not supported while watching the Eufy camera’s live stream. This is a major feature request, and it may be implemented in the future, so we can all cross our fingers for that. 

The timeline and navigation controls in the eufySecurity app only become available when accessing stored recordings under the Playback tab.

3) Differences in Eufy Camera Models and Features

Now while I discussed the general features, playback controls, and UI of Eufy cameras, this does vary a lot between models. Especially the newer ones. 

Between the battery-powered wireless models, the wired cameras, video doorbells, the SoloCams, etc., you won’t get the same capabilities on all of Eufy’s vast range. Here are some of the main differences: 

• Video Resolution: Some only have 1080p or 2K, while the high-end ones will have 4K recording. This affects how much you can zoom in. 
• Continuous Recording: This is only supported on some wired models since battery life prevents any wireless ones from recording 24/7. Accordingly, the playback screen is different when viewing a long recording. 
• Fast Forward Speed: The newest cameras usually have 16x speed-up, but the older ones have just 8x or even 4x. 
• Processor: Since the latest models have advanced AI chips, they also process video recordings faster, so you get smooth playback and fast forwarding. 

So if you’ve got one of the older models, you may not be able to take advantage of all the features. Still, you should be able to fast-forward videos. 

4) Use Continuous Recording Mode on Supported Cameras

To get the most out of Eufy cameras and to use fast forward more effectively, you should use continuous recording mode. But this is only supported on a few models like the IndoorCam and SoloCam series. Most wireless Eufy devices don’t have this option. 

Without continuous recording, the camera only saves short event-triggered video clips whenever motion is detected. This results in dozens of short clips over time. And if you’re looking for something specific, it might take too long to look through each clip. 

But with continuous recording, you can record videos with a complete timeline, and you can ‘scrub’ through the video quickly to find out what happened. The scrubbing does not work consistently on all models, though. 

You can enable continuous recording in the eufySecurity app by going to Camera Settings. You can choose to record 24/7 or based on a schedule (like the hours when you’re not home). You’ll need a good amount of local storage on your HomeBase or a high-capacity microSD card.

5) Viewing Videos on Cloud Subscription vs Local Storage

You can choose to store and back up your Eufy camera’s recordings to the Eufy Cloud service via a paid subscription plan. However, cloud and local playback work differently.

With local storage, playback is dependent only on the camera hardware and eufySecurity app capabilities as footage remains on the device. This is generally smoother. 

Here’s what happens when you use Eufy’s Cloud subscription plan: 

• The video is transcoded to reduce bandwidth usage, lowering quality. 
• Playback relies on your internet speed as well as the Eufy cloud service, so buffering can occur. 
• Fast forwarding can be flaky or may not be available if your connection is unstable. 
• Using third-party apps for editing or manipulation becomes difficult. 

So the main advantage that cloud storage gives you is easy remote access; view your camera recordings quickly even if you’re on vacation on the other side of the world. But the playback won’t be as fast or smooth. 

6) Using Third-Party Apps for Better Playback

Since Eufy cameras store their videos locally, you can download them or transfer them to another device for viewing. This process varies slightly depending on your HomeBase and camera model. 

On most models, you can select each video and download them one by one. The latest models, like eufyCam 3, also let you export all videos from the HomeBase to a local USB flash drive, which is called archiving in the app settings. 

Once you’ve exported a video as MP4/MOV or any compatible video format, it’s easy to use a variety of third-party apps to edit the footage as necessary. 

For example, you can use VLC Media Player (compatible with most devices) to fast-forward or rewind the video at a variety of speeds and even play it back in slow motion. You could create a time-lapse of a 24-hour recording that condenses it into just a few minutes. 

Pro tip: If you have a large number of short video clips to check, then export them all, and use a video merging app to join them all together in sequence. Then, you can easily fast-forward and scrub your way through the merged video to find what you’re looking for (a lost cat maybe?). 

You could crop and zoom in on specific parts as much as needed to find out details that may not have been visible earlier. And unlike eufySecurity, you can reverse playback the video too. The editing options are endless. 

Plus, with modern tech, you can use AI upscaling software to increase the video resolution, smoothen the framerate, and enhance the video’s lighting and exposure. So, even if the original video is a bit dark or unclear, you might still be able to salvage something usable.

Granted, all this is a bit of an extra step that takes more time and effort. But it’s still a valuable option to have, as it gives you greater flexibility and lets you hone in on security details with precision. 

RTSP Support

Some Eufy cameras also support RTSP and NAS. Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) allows you to stream video from your camera directly to a network media player, such as VLC or QuickTime. 

Now this is another advanced method, but if you’re tech-savvy enough to set it up, it can work very well. You can monitor your camera’s live feed on another service, without using the Eufy app. 

This removes the limitations imposed by Eufy, so you can fast-forward, rewind, and scrub, based on the video player you’re using. You can also record all the footage on your NAS drive. All this gives you much more control and flexibility while still being a secure and private option. 

Important Notes About Playback Controls on Eufy Cameras

Optimize Local Storage Settings

To ensure smooth fast forwarding, you need good read/write speeds on your local storage. Here are some tips:

• If using microSD cards, go for the fastest variants that have read/write speeds of over 60 MB/s, so it’s easy for the camera to playback 2K and 4K videos. 
• On a HomeBase, install an SSD instead of an HDD. You’ll get less space, but it’ll be fast enough to quickly read through the data, so fast-forwarding and scrubbing will be smoother too. 
• If using a NAS, connect your HomeBase via ethernet instead of WiFi for maximum transfer speeds to network storage.
• Periodically format the storage to clear any corrupted data and maintain optimal speeds. You should back up any important recordings first. 

This goes hand-in-hand with the next tip, which is your WiFi network.

Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal Strength for Better Playback

A slow or unstable WiFi network can lead to choppy playback, long buffering, and you might even skip frames while fast-forwarding. So, if you face any issues like these, it’s time to upgrade the home network: 

1. Place your camera close to your router and HomeBase: You should try to place your Eufy cameras, WiFi router, and HomeBase in a way that they’re all close to each other. This makes it easy for them to ‘talk’ to each other, as all 3 are involved. 
2. Reduce interference: Other electronic devices, such as cordless phones, microwaves, and Bluetooth speakers, can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. Try to keep your Eufy camera away from these devices to minimize interference and ensure a clearer connection.
3. Buy a new router or WiFi extenders: If you have an old router, it might be time to buy a new one with WiFi 6, more antennas, and the latest technology. Otherwise, you can also consider WiFi extenders if you have a wide home layout and there’s not enough coverage in some corners. 

Use the Eufy Security Web Portal for Playback

Along with the eufySecurity mobile app, you can also access your camera’s recordings through Eufy’s web portal. This lets you watch the footage on a larger screen, like a laptop or even a smart TV. It can be easier to go through long recordings or pick out smaller details this way. 

Regularly Update Your Camera’s Firmware

Eufy routinely releases firmware updates for their cameras, which can include improvements to playback performance, bug fixes, and new features. Make sure to keep your camera’s firmware up to date by regularly checking for updates in the eufySecurity app or on their website. 

Also, remember to keep the app updated too, by checking your respective app store whenever you face any issues. 

FAQs

Conclusion

I hope this guide helped you master Eufy’s playback controls for easier security monitoring. While fast-forwarding is pretty easy now, there are plenty of other things you can do to help scrub through a lot of videos. And if you need to rewind, it’s best to use third-party apps.  

Eufy’s app and UI are always improving, so hopefully, we’ll see more ways to speed up the monitoring process. Let me know below if you have any other tricks to share!