Using without SD card

[dtabor]

Sorry I am new to the whole camera thing. I was going to get the cams and use with the SD card but now reading about the slots failing and potential fire hazard, there is no way Im taking that chance when Im out of state.

So that leaves using just the cloud recording. Since it only takes clips and then has a timeout, what is the best way to know whats going on at your house while you are away. Example, if we are out of state on vacation and an intruder triggers the camera and I get the notification, but we cant see their face but after the timeout they are no longer on camera again, what good is the recording?

Just wondering what the best practice is for using the camera without the card?

[Loki]

Hi @dtabor, welcome to the community.

Using the camera without an SD card and relying only on the cloud events with 5 minute timeout does have limitations. You may want to vote for this topic:

Paid Subscription For Cloud Storage

EDIT: Complete Motion Capture was launched on 11/19/19! This feature is under consideration but is definitely not something that we’d rush into. Currently, our cloud storage includes 12 second alert videos with a 5 minute cooldown period (using a microSD card for local storage bypasses these recording limitations). We can’t just adjust how long videos are stored to add length to stored videos because the pricing structure isn’t linear. Some people have requested that we add an optional subscrip…

Wyze is also developing an NAS solution called MaxDrive. When it initially ships it may require an SD card in the camera, but eventually it will not. Sorry, I don’t know the planned timing of the release. You can follow it here:

MaxDrive by Wyze (Cancelled)

EDIT: As some of you may have already heard, MaxDrive has been cancelled due to the partnership falling through. We are still planning to have NAS capability in the future but that feature will be delayed after this. We’re sorry about this and we’ll keep you updated as we make progress on a new solution. Hi, everyone! We’ve been receiving questions about MaxDrive and we’re getting closer to the launch time. We wanted to take the time to answer some of the questions you’ve had and talk about ho…

Those are, of course, in the future and don’t really help you now.

I think it’s important to keep perspective that there are well over a million units out there and very few SD card/slot issues reported. It’s been stated by Wyze that there is very little risk of actual fire since the cameras are made with flame retardant materials. Wyze will get this investigated very quickly so we can know if it’s a problem with a specific batch of card slots or the the cards themselves. In the mean time, personally, I’m continuing to use my cameras with SD cards installed.

[dtabor]

Thank you for the reply. Are you using only the cards from Wyze? I have seen posts that larger card DO work but are not supported or listed as compatible. Again, thinking the long term if we were out of town for a week.

When the cards are being used, can I jump on my phone and watch video from the cards or does it have to be done via a reader on a PC?

[Loki]

I am using a mix of Wyze, SanDisk and Samsung cards. Larger than 32GB cards are not officially supported but have been reported to (mostly) work. It is important that they be formatted FAT32, which is non-standard for >32GB cards.

With a card installed, you can review the video on the card right in the app by tapping the View Playback button. You can pinch-out on the timeline to zoom in the time scale. You can have the card record continuously or save only 1-minute segments that contain motion.

[jvrthp]

Almost all if not all cards have the error in the first 24 hours. Only 3 confirmed of which I am one. I would get a card through Wyze directly and then monitor for 24 hours. All the instances (3) have happened within 24 hours of install. I have several other cams with cards having absolutely no issues.