Many people use Kasa cameras to enhance home security. These cameras start recording as soon as they detect motion and store recorded clips in the cloud or on an SD Card.
What may bother some users is that sometimes their Kasa camera won’t record to the SD Card, preventing access to recorded videos. Something most people don’t know is that this issue occurs due to several reasons, such as:
- Your camera not being online
- Issues in device settings
- Incompatible or defective SD Card
- Outdated firmware
- Poor internet connection and more
There may, however, be some essential troubleshooting tips to solve the problem. Continue reading to learn more.
Why Kasa Camera Is Not Recording To The SD Card
If your camera isn’t recording to the SD Card it could be because of issues with the device settings or it is not online. Other reasons for the problem include outdated firmware, a poor internet connection, or using an incompatible or defective SD Card.
Let us walk you through all possible causes for the Kasa Camera not recording to the SD Card problem:
- Kasa camera is offline: Your camera will not record to an SD Card if it is not online or connected to your network.
- Motion detection is disabled: The SD Card will not work if you haven’t enabled recording and motion detection under the camera settings.
- Incompatible or defective SD Card: Kasa Cameras depend on SD cards for local recording and storage. If it is incompatible or defective, you won’t be able to access recorded clips or videos.
- Obsolete firmware: On your Kasa camera software is a set of data or instructions helping it record footage. If the firmware is not up-to-date, your SD Card will not record.
- Poor Internet connection: the Kasa camera should connect to a stable Internet connection. If not, it won’t be able to store videos created with the motion recording feature locally.
- Corrupted power source: No recordings will be available once the charge levels are low or your camera’s batteries get worn out.
- Damaged camera: Any problem with the camera itself prevents the SD Card from recording.
9 Ways to Fix Kasa Camera Not Recording to the SD Card
As we mentioned above, the Kasa camera may not be recording to the SD Card for a variety of reasons. However, the best part is that these issues are pretty easy to solve, as listed below:
- Check If Your Camera Is Online
The first thing you want to do is ensure your Kasa camera is online and accessible on the Kasa App. You can confirm this by checking the camera's live view or accessing the camera on the Kasa App. Another helpful tip would be to manually check the Kasa camera LED indicator light.
Watch out for these different LED colors:
- Blinking red: The camera is connecting to the WiFi
- Solid green: The Kasa camera is linked to cloud servers
- Blinking green: The camera is connected to the WiFi
- Blinking amber: The Kasa camera is factory resetting
- Alternating green and amber: The camera is ready to configure
- Solid amber: The camera is rebooting
You should easily access the live feed once the camera is online.
- Enable the Recording Motion Feature
The motion detection and recording features must be on for the Kasa camera to record. It is this functionality that makes the camera start recording clips every time it detects motion. While this function is always enabled by default on the Kasa App settings, you might find it off sometimes. Always check your settings!
To enable the recording motion feature, here’s what you need to do.
- Access the Kasa App on your phone or tablet and click on the camera you want to edit.
- After tapping on that, you’ll see the settings option. Go ahead and click on that.
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- Now scroll downward on your screen till you find “Privacy and Sensitivity”. Tap on that icon to open the setting.
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- Next, select “Record Video and Audio” to turn on the recording motion feature.
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Once you have the feature back on, the Kasa camera should be able to record and store the clips on your SD Card.
However, if the issue persists, you might want to increase your camera's motion sensitivity. Take care to make sure that the sensitivity level is located towards the right half of the bar. It helps not to skid the slider up too high to prevent getting too many pointless motion alerts.
- Check the SD Card
If your SD card is incompatible with the Kasa camera, it could prevent it from recording. Therefore, you may need to change the SD card. Kasa cameras support SD cards with 8 – 256 GB storage capacity.
Additionally, see that you insert the SD Card correctly; otherwise, the Kasa camera won’t be able to read it. To insert the SD Card, here’s what you need to do:
- Locate the SD Card slot on the side of the camera, then insert the micro SD Card into the spot.
- Ensure the golden part is facing away from the camera.
- After inserting the SD Card, press gently until you hear a click.
If the SD Card is still not recording despite correct installation, it may be dirty and need cleaning. In this case, consider removing the card and cleaning the golden part using a soft cloth. Put the card back in once it is clean, and be sure to power cycle your camera to confirm if the issue is gone.
- Update Firmware
It is always a great idea to try a simple firmware update. It is true that many problems with your camera result from obsolete software. These include the camera not operating optimally and your camera failing to record or save videos to the SD Card. A quick software update will solve any minor error or software bug within the camera.
To see if your Kasa Cam requires a software update, here’s what you need to do.
- Open the Kasa App.
- Look for device settings, scroll down, and select “Firmware Update.”
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- The camera will update and restart if there is new software. Once the camera is back online, confirm if the issue still exists.
- Fix Your Internet Connection
Kasa cameras use the internet to send notifications when it detects motion and to upload the recorded clips to the cloud and SD Card. If the internet is unavailable or slow, the device cannot connect, and the footage won’t upload.
In case you are still experiencing network issues and your camera is connected to the WiFi, the issue could be the router, and resetting it can fix the problem. To do this:
- Press the power button for 10 -15 seconds till the camera goes off.
- Use the power button to power it back on.
- Check the Power Source
You already know some Kasa camera models run on batteries like the KC300S2, while others use a power adapter. So, if the battery power is down, your camera will not record videos or audio, and you will also experience uploading issues. Here’s what you do:
- We recommend changing the batteries to new ones to avoid such problems.
- For the Kasa camera models that use power adapters, check if there’s an issue with the adapter or the outlet.
- You can also try to plug it into another power outlet and ensure there are no cable leaks.
- Check Your Camera for Damage
If your Kasa camera has no connectivity issue and is adequately powered, the issue might be with the camera itself. Check if the lens is intact and the camera’s optical path has no obstructions. If there’s a problem with the lens or the optical path is obstructed, it might be why your camera is not recording and uploading the clips to your storage.
- Factory Reset the Kasa Cam
If you’ve tried all the above fixes but your Kasa camera is still not recording to SD Card, the last resort would be resetting the camera. This will restore all the device’s default factory settings, resolve minor issues, and remove software bugs affecting its functionality.
You can do this from the camera. Here’s how:
- Find the reset button at the bottom or back of the camera.
- Press the button for 10 – 15 seconds till the camera’s LED blinks.
- Once the camera is reset, reconnect the Kasa camera to your WiFi and follow the on-screen prompts to set your Kasa camera up again.
- The Final Viable Option
This choice is optional. Kasa offers cloud storage services with many plans available. We do recommend renewing your cloud subscription if your camera is still not recording or storing footage on the SD Card. Kasa cameras use cloud storage to store clip recordings, video history, and activity notifications.
Additionally, for Kasa camera models without SD Card slots, you must renew your cloud subscription if it expires to continue watching recorded videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Your Kasa Camera Not Recording Activity?
How Do You Use Kasa Camera With SD Card?
What SD Card Does Kasa Camera Use?
What Happens When the Kasa SD Card Is Full?
Bottom Line
That’s all we have regarding Kasa Camera not recording to the SD Card. You can fix the issue by enabling the recording motion feature on your camera, checking the SD Card to ensure it is in good condition, and updating your firmware. Other solutions include fixing the internet connection, avoiding corrupted power sources, and checking your camera for damage.
But if the problem persists after trying all the previous methods, you can take your device to an expert. You can also contact TP-Link customer support on their website for more help.
