Aqara Camera Storage Explained

Continuous recording answers what happened throughout a period, but it writes far more data and needs permanent power. Event recording conserves storage and makes review faster, but it depends on detection, pre-roll and the event window capturing the important action. Live view alone creates no evidence unless somebody records it.

Write the required retention in days, the views that need continuous coverage, who can review footage and whether evidence must remain available if the camera is removed. Then identify the maximum tolerable gaps during internet, Wi-Fi, recorder or power failure.

Do not calculate retention from card capacity alone. Resolution, codec, frame rate, scene movement, audio and recording mode change the data rate. Use the camera's real storage estimate after installation and verify it over several days.

E1, G100, G2H Pro, G3 and G350 accept microSD media, subject to each model's supported capacity and format. Current E1, G100, G2H Pro and G350 documentation lists support up to 512 GB. G5 Pro instead uses encrypted built-in eMMC storage and does not take a microSD card.

Local storage can continue when the internet fails if the camera remains powered and its firmware supports offline recording. App playback from outside the home will not work without a network path, and some app views may still depend on account services even when the files exist locally.

Use high-endurance media intended for repeated video writes, format it in the camera and monitor health or recording status. A card is a consumable component. Schedule a playback check instead of assuming that a full-looking timeline proves every file is readable.

NAS support does not always mean the camera writes its live stream directly to any network share. G2H Pro and E1 require a microSD card before their NAS function becomes available. G350 documentation describes recording locally and transferring or backing up to NAS. The precise timing and file structure should be tested with the target NAS.

RTSP is a live audio-video stream. G5 Pro, G100 and G350 support RTSP according to their current product documentation. Software such as Frigate, Blue Iris or another network video recorder can ingest that stream and apply its own retention, alerts and access controls.

An RTSP recorder moves responsibility to the owner: storage sizing, account security, updates, time synchronisation, backups and recovery all need design. A Home Assistant dashboard showing the stream is not a recording system unless a recorder is configured behind it.

HomeKit Secure Video records supported camera activity into iCloud with end-to-end encryption. Apple states that the home hub analyses video for people, pets, cars and other supported events and that the last 10 days of activity can be viewed in the Home app. The video does not count against the iCloud storage quota.

An iCloud+ subscription and Apple home hub are required. Apple's current plan limits allow one camera on 50 GB, up to five on 200 GB and unlimited cameras on 2 TB or larger plans. The camera must explicitly support HomeKit Secure Video; ordinary Apple Home live view is not enough.

HomeKit Secure Video is event history, not a replacement for 24/7 microSD or NVR recording. Resolution and PTZ control can also be limited by Apple's camera implementation. Keep local recording enabled where the model supports it and the risk warrants continuous coverage.

Aqara HomeGuardian provides cloud recording and plan-specific camera features through Aqara Home. Current cameras may include a limited free event history or trial, while longer retention and selected AI search, summary or detection functions require a subscription. The offer can change by model, account region and plan.

Cloud footage is off the camera, which can preserve evidence if local media is removed. It also depends on upstream internet, Aqara account access and successful upload. A camera that loses Wi-Fi before an event cannot upload that event merely because a subscription exists.

Review the plan inside the correct Aqara Home region before promising retention. Record renewal ownership and ensure more than one authorised household member can access important footage without sharing the administrator password.

During an internet outage, local microSD or eMMC recording can continue if the camera and local network remain powered. Cloud upload, remote notification and remote playback stop or queue according to the model and service. HomeKit Secure Video cannot deliver new clips to iCloud without an upload path.

During a Wi-Fi or Ethernet failure, the camera may still record to its own media but cannot reach a NAS, RTSP recorder or home hub. During a camera power failure, every storage path that depends on the live camera stops. A UPS for the router and recorder does not help if the camera supply is not protected as well.

Test four conditions separately: internet disconnected, access point restarted, recorder stopped and camera power removed. Confirm the recording gap and recovery behaviour rather than treating 'offline' as one failure.

Create separate household users instead of sharing one account. Limit camera administration and recorded-video access to people who need it. Change default RTSP or NAS credentials and isolate cameras and recorders from untrusted local devices.

Use privacy masks and physical privacy modes where appropriate, but understand where the masking occurs. A mask applied only in one platform may not affect a separate RTSP stream. Confirm the result in every recorder and household app.

Set retention deliberately. Keeping months of indoor video without a defined purpose increases exposure and review burden. Delete test recordings and old exports from phones, downloads and messaging apps as well as from the primary storage system.

For a low-risk indoor view, event recording to local media plus optional Apple or Aqara cloud history may be enough. For an entrance or perimeter view, continuous local recording and an off-camera copy provide better evidence. A local NVR suits owners prepared to maintain it; HomeKit Secure Video suits Apple households that want managed encrypted event history.

Select a camera that supports the required path natively. Do not buy a model on the assumption that NAS, RTSP, cloud retention or HomeKit recording will be added later. Record the card type, account, plan, NAS share, recorder address and retention during handover.