My Camera Sends Motion Notifications But There Are No Videos Recorded — Why?
Quick Answer
If you are receiving motion alerts but no videos are appearing in your Library, the camera is detecting motion and triggering correctly — the problem is that the video failed to upload to the cloud afterward. This is almost always caused by a weak WiFi signal, insufficient bandwidth, or full cloud storage. It is not a recording failure.
What's Happening
The BirdSnap camera uses two systems that run independently: the PIR motion sensor (which triggers the notification) and the video upload pipeline (which gets the clip into your cloud Library). A notification fires the moment motion is detected — before the clip has even finished recording, let alone uploading. If the upload then fails, the notification arrives but no video ever appears.
Most Common Causes
1. Weak or unstable WiFi signal. The camera recorded the clip but could not upload it reliably. The camera retries twice, and if both attempts fail, the clip is lost. This is the most frequent cause.
2. Cloud storage is full or at the daily limit. Free accounts include 3 days of rolling cloud storage (≤0.5 GB). If the storage is full, new clips may not be saved. A subscription expands this to 15 days.
3. Network bandwidth is congested. If many devices are using your WiFi heavily at the same time (streaming video, large downloads), the camera's upload may time out.
4. The camera went offline between detection and upload. A brief power interruption or WiFi drop between the trigger and the upload will result in a lost clip.
5. Recording duration is set very short. If the recording duration is set to 10 seconds and the upload fails within that window, the clip may not appear. This is related to the upload issue above, not a duration problem on its own.
Step-by-Step: Fixing Missing Videos
Step 1 — Check the camera's signal strength. Open the BirdSnap app and look at the WiFi or signal indicator in your camera's settings. Weak signal is the most likely culprit. Move the feeder closer to the router if possible, or add a WiFi extender.
Step 2 — Switch recording resolution to SD. Go to Camera Settings → Video Settings → Recording Resolution → SD. Smaller file sizes upload more reliably on weaker connections.
Step 3 — Check your cloud storage status. In the BirdSnap app, go to your profile or subscription settings and check how much cloud storage has been used. If it is near capacity, older videos need to roll off or you need to upgrade to a subscription plan.
Step 4 — Restart the router. Unplug the router for 30 seconds and reconnect. A fresh router connection can improve upload reliability immediately.
Step 5 — Restart the camera. Long-press the power button to turn it off and on again. This clears any temporary upload queue errors.
Checking Cloud Storage Usage
| Plan | Cloud storage window | Max storage |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Last 3 days | ≤0.5 GB |
| Subscription | Last 15 days | Expanded |
When to Contact Support
If you consistently receive notifications but never see videos — even after improving signal strength and switching to SD — contact the support team. This may indicate a firmware issue with the upload queue.
- Email: support@birdsnap.com
- Phone: +1 573-514-4826
- Live chat: Available at BirdSnap.com
- In-app chat: Tap the chat icon in the BirdSnap app
- Facebook Messenger: Message us via our official Facebook page
Our support team is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time.
