Not Recording
Reolink Security Camera
Severity:What Does This Error Mean?
Reolink cameras do not record by default — recording must be enabled in the app. Go to the camera settings, enable Continuous or Motion Recording, and make sure an SD card or NVR is connected and formatted.
Affected Models
- Reolink Argus 3 Pro
- Reolink E1 Pro
- Reolink RLC-810A
- Reolink Duo 3 PoE
- Reolink TrackMix
Common Causes
- Recording schedule not configured in the app
- SD card not inserted, not detected, or not formatted
- SD card full with no overwrite enabled
- NVR hard drive full or not configured
- Camera in standby mode — only wakes for motion
How to Fix It
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Enable recording in the app.
Open the Reolink app, select the camera, and go to Settings > Recording. Enable Motion Recording or Continuous Recording and save the settings. Without this step, the camera captures no footage regardless of other settings.
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Check the SD card.
In Settings > Device Storage, confirm the SD card is detected and shows available space. If the card is not detected, remove and reinsert it. If it shows as unformatted, use the Format option in the app — Reolink cameras require FAT32 or exFAT.
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Enable overwrite when full.
In Storage settings, confirm Loop Recording (overwrite when full) is enabled. Without loop recording, the camera stops recording when the SD card is full.
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Check the recording schedule.
Reolink supports recording schedules — if the schedule only enables recording on certain days or hours, the camera will not record outside those windows. Set the schedule to 24/7 or adjust it to cover the periods you need.
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Check NVR storage for wired cameras.
For cameras connected to a Reolink NVR, log in to the NVR interface and check hard drive health and available space. A full or failed NVR drive stops all recording on connected cameras.