Do I Need a Subscription for My BirdSnap Smart Feeder to Work at All?
Quick Answer
No. Your BirdSnap feeder works as a camera without a subscription. Free features include in-app bird identification with no usage limits, live streaming, motion-triggered recording, notifications, and 3 days of cloud history. Optional membership adds longer cloud history and additional camera features.
What's Happening
In-app bird identification is free and unlimited. Membership is optional; compare the additional camera features and storage on the app page.
What You Get for Free
| Feature | Available for free? |
|---|---|
| Download and use the BirdSnap app | ✓ |
| Live streaming from your feeder | ✓ |
| Motion-triggered video recording | ✓ |
| Push notifications when birds arrive | ✓ |
| Cloud video storage — rolling 3-day window | ✓ |
| Memory card recording (with card inserted) | ✓ |
| Share your camera with family and friends | ✓ |
| Two-way audio (speak through the speaker) | ✓ |
| Night vision | ✓ |
| Motion detection sensitivity adjustment | ✓ |
| In-app bird identification, with no usage limits | ✓ |
What Requires a Subscription
| Feature | Requires subscription |
|---|---|
| Extended cloud storage (up to 15 days) | ✓ |
| Auto recording mode (up to 3 minutes per clip) | ✓ |
| Activity zone intelligent push alerts | ✓ |
Memory Card as a Free Storage Alternative
If you want more than 3 days of video history without subscribing, inserting a Class 10 memory card (up to 128 GB) gives you as much local recording history as the card can hold, free of charge. You can read the content of the memory card using a card reader on a computer. When the card fills up, the camera automatically overwrites the oldest recordings to keep recording continuously.
When to Contact Support
If features that should be available for free (live stream, notifications, recording) are not working after setup, the issue is most likely a WiFi or pairing problem rather than a subscription issue. Contact support with your camera's serial number and a description of what is not working.
- 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.
