Cove Outdoor Camera FAQ's

This article is a general overview or list of commonly asked questions specific to our outdoor cameras. 

FAQ's

1. How long does the battery last? How long does it take to charge?
   • The average battery life of the cameras is 2 months on average, depending on usage. If the night vision or LED lights are on, the amount of time you spend viewing the camera feed and recordings may deplete that battery life. When the battery gets low, the indicator on the app will prompt you to change them. If the battery is completely dead, the app will report that the camera is offline and will suggest to you that the battery needs to be charged.
   • The battery needs to be charged before pairing. It takes roughly 8 hours for the battery to charge fully. If the indicator light is red, it means the battery is charging. If it is green, the battery is fully charged.
2. The camera's video quality is very blurry.
   • Check the camera to make sure there are no obstructions or residual moisture on the camera lens. Clean the lens with a microfiber cloth.
   • Check the video quality in your Cove app. When you pull up the camera's live feed, make sure at the bottom right, the resolution is either set to "HD" or "Auto." (If the camera is set to auto, set it to HD). This will cause the quality of the camera to increase, although the high-resolution video will require the camera to upload more data.
   • Check your upload and download speed on www.speedtest.net. The cameras require a .5mpbs (500kbps) upload and download speed per camera. Also, consider how many devices you have connected to the network. As more devices connect, it will increase the data congestion flowing to and from the devices connected. If you are willing,  have a few devices turned off for a few hours to see if that helps increase the quality when set to auto. If it does, you may need to consider contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to boost the speed of your network.
3. The camera image is upside down. How do I get it right side up?
   • Manually adjust it with the camera. Go to the camera and rotate the main camera to the desired angle. 
   • In the camera's settings, go to “Camera Settings,” and under “Image rotation,” toggle the slider to "On." If it was on before you got to this page, turn it off.
4. I'm not able to mount the camera.
   • If you are having difficulty mounting the camera, please try to follow the steps listed here. If any equipment is cracked or damaged, please contact us at 855-268-3669 immediately and we can investigate the matter.
5. Videos aren’t stored on the SD card.
   • Make sure the Micro SD card is securely fastened to the camera. The SD card must be inserted to correctly record the total. The SD card must be inserted so the face side (the side with the pins) is facing the lens. Please ensure the camera is powered down before inserting the SD card. Failure to do so could result in damage to the equipment. 
   • If your camera is recognizing the SD card, check your camera settings. In settings, there is an option to see what storage is in use or if the SD card needs to be formatted. If you don’t see these options, your SD card is not fastened correctly into the camera. Try the previous suggestion. If it does display the MicroSD card but shows the SD card needs to be formatted, click on the Format SD card.
6. Will not update the firmware
   • If the camera does not automatically update the firmware, you can manually update it in Settings (gear icon) -> Camera Settings -> Firmware version.
7. The status light on the device isn’t turning on.
   • There is a setting to turn the status light on and off. To check this, first go to settings (gear icon) -> camera settings -> Status Light. Make sure this setting is turned on and the slider is set to the right. From here, you can also turn on the night vision IR light.  (Please note that turning on any additional lights will cause the battery to deplete faster). 
8. We lost power. The power is now on but the camera won’t come back online.
   • Power cycle the camera by removing the camera from its mount and removing the battery pack from the device, wait 30 seconds, and re-install the battery pack. Please ensure the battery pack is inserted correctly.
   • Check your network connection and make sure other devices are able to connect to the same network.
9. Can I mount the outdoor camera indoors?
   • Although it is intended for outdoor use it won't damage the device being inside. Like the indoor camera, it will not be able to see out a window at night with night vision enabled.