How long does the average home security camera store footage and how long should you keep security recordings? Here’s what you need to know.
If you’re setting up your security cameras, whether, for your home or business, you will likely have an option to select how long you’d like to save the footage.
Alternatively, if your camera is a little older, you may have to record, manually erase the footage, and then set the camera back up.
Some cameras also delete the footage manually after a certain time period – it just depends on the brand and model of the camera.
But how long does the average home security camera store footage? The average home camera stores footage for anywhere from 14 to 31 days. You have the option to change this in most cases.
In This Article:
Setting up your security cameras
Before we get into the WHY behind the average save time of camera footage, first, let’s discuss general security camera setup.
When setting up your cameras, there are a few tips to follow for the best results:
- Set up cameras with a clear view – they don’t need to be hidden.
- Hide cables if possible – keep things neat and tidy.
- Prevent spiders, birds, and other insects from sitting or nesting on your cameras – you can use repellant spray.
- If possible, choose a battery-operated camera – keep things online 24/7.
- Regularly maintain your cameras to keep them in working order – ensure they work!
Most notably, regular maintenance of your security cameras is key.
Conducting regular maintenance includes removing any loose debris from the camera that could be obstructing vision, ensuring they are working, and that the camera is recording the perfect viewpoint (this could be moved by the wind ever so slightly).
If birds are nesting on your camera, you have a few options: use a deterrent gel, install shiny objects near your camera to repel them, or install bird spikes. However, bird spikes are usually a last-ditch attempt.
You can also check our blog post on how to keep birds away from security cameras for more advice.
How long do security cameras keep footage?
Modern-day security cameras use SD cards to store video content.
These SD cards can often hold upwards of 30 days of footage, but it’s recommended only to keep the last 30 days.
Some cameras will have a setting that enables you to delete older footage automatically.
Remember: just because you can record upwards of 30 days, chances are, you won’t actually need all of that footage.
14 to 30 days is the perfect amount of time to store footage
In the event of an incident, you’ll need to provide security camera footage. Besides, that’s why you bought security cameras, right?!
The 30-day rule provides plenty of time for you to download and submit your footage to the police. If an incident has occurred, you can keep the footage longer if required by the authorities. But, for general use, 14 days is often more than enough.
If you have a smart security camera with motion technology, then you’ll already be alerted to movement around your camera – you’ll know exactly what to expect when watching the security recordings.
The same applies to indoor cameras
It’s not uncommon for a house to set up outdoor and indoor cameras.
Often, these indoor cameras are not intended to record indoors. Sounds backward, right?
Well, these are used to record the outside – providing an extra set of eyes on the exterior of your property but with a little added protection.
A house with multiple cameras is best prepared should anything happen, providing footage of an incident.
Set these indoor cameras to record the same amount of footage (14 or 31 days), and they’ll sync up to your other cameras. There’s no use having one camera provide coverage for a month and another for multiple months.
A quick recap – what you need to know
The average home security camera stores footage for up to 31 days.
But you can set this to shorter or longer periods (depends on your personal preference).
For most cameras, you’ll need to choose a setting that deletes footage automatically. Otherwise, you’ll need to erase the old footage to make room for new security recordings. This just depends on the brand and model of your camera.
