Eufy Camera Problems: 18 Known Issues (Explained & Solved)

Discovering issues with your Eufy Security Camera can be nerve-wracking. Just one problem may render your primary home surveillance device almost unusable. 

It may not seem like the problem is a quick fix, especially if there’s a code or error message that you don’t understand. However, these messages aren’t a dealbreaker. 

Most can be fixed within a few minutes by yourself just through a couple of quick tweaks. So, that’s why we have a troubleshooting guide that walks you through all the potential issues you may face. So, what might you face when owning a Eufy Security Camera? 

1. Eufy “Decrypting From Local Storage” message: What Does It Mean?

One of the biggest debates around any home security device is data encryption for privacy reasons. Home security devices encrypt the data to prevent hackers or criminals from accessing potentially incriminating data. 

Eufy was one of the view security platforms that didn’t encrypt saved videos immediately for many years. However, ANKER rectified this recently, which updated software in January 2023 to encrypt all data upon archiving. 

Eufy users can’t deactivate this feature. If you did want to check if it is active on your device, you can check by doing the following: 

• Open the Eufy app. 
• Open the Control Center and select Video Encryption. 
• Select Local Storage Encryption and look at the On-Setting. 

When accessing this section of the menu, a message says that all data stored on devices is encrypted when stored locally or via the HomeBase. It is not possible to turn off this option.

2. Eufy Camera Playback Not Working

If your Eufy Security Camera is not letting you playback saved camera footage, the software has likely developed a bug or glitch. 

You can quickly fix it by checking and looking for an update to the firmware. Updates often happen automatically but can be triggered manually if necessary. To do this, simply: 

• Open the Eufy app and select the required device 
• Tap the gear button and open Settings
• Head to the General tab and choose About Device 
• Open System Version and select Update if a new update is around 

Generally, this will fix any playback issues developed recently in Eufy product coding. 

3. Eufy Not Showing Events

Eufy security cameras have an events section summarizing any critical moments picked up over 24 hours on your camera. 

Sometimes, you might discover that you must fix it, which happens primarily for two reasons – either the camera has gone offline, or someone deactivated the motion detection feature. 

Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to rectify both of these issues. 

How to switch on Motion Detection 

You must create an activity zone to ensure motion detection features work. Once you have done this, anything in that area will look for motion. To get this running, you need to: 

• Open Camera Settings and available Motion Detection 
• Click on the Activity Zone tab and click on the Add symbol
• Rotate your device to a landscape orientation and create a viewing window with your fingers. This window will be the area monitored for motion.
• Once you are happy with the section, click the Confirm button to save it and activate the zone.

How to reconnect cameras to Wi-Fi

The best way to reset your camera device to your network is by removing it and then reading back to the network. It’s the quickest and easiest way to rebuild the connection. 

It only takes a minute to do and can be done by doing the following steps: 

• Open the Eufy app and select the affected camera 
• Open the Settings menu and click Remove Device 
• Hold the Reset button for 15 seconds until you hear two beeps 
• Check the device has rejoined the network and link back to Homebase 

This procedure should ensure that the camera network connection has been restored and can work with the network once again 

4. Eufy Geofencing Mode Not Working

For many, geofencing can be a great way to provide updates at your convenience. It can tell when you need updates based on whether you are home. 

This option can be tricky to activate, especially if you have a new smartphone or tablet. Getting geofencing to work with your Eufy security network is relatively straightforward. 

To activate geofencing, you need to: 

• On your smartphone, open Settings 
• In the Privacy section, you need to Enable Location Settings 
• Switch to Eufy app and available Settings menu 
• Click on the General tab and go to Background App Refresh 
• Ensure that Wi-Fi and Cellular Data is activated and the Refresh feature is On 

Doing this ensures that your Eufy app will provide notifications when you aren’t at home and not do it when you are on your premises. 

5. Can I Recover Eufy’s Deleted Videos? 

Deleting saved videos by accident can set alarm bells ringing. It might be a genuine mistake or purely intentional. Unfortunately, retrieving videos accidentally deleted from your Eufy account is almost impossible. 

Deleting a video from your phone or server will not be retrievable, especially if you don’t have a premium account. With encryption now activated on Eufy cameras, restoring data deleted locally and retrieving it by an external device is also impossible. 

6. How to Remove Eufy Camera From HomeKit?

Some people like to have their systems set up with smart home systems, and others like to keep them independent. If you want to remove your Eufy security from the Apple HomeKit setup, you can proceed as detailed below: 

• Open the Home tab and select your Eufy device 
• Open Settings and click Remove Accessory 
• Read the prompt and click Confirm if you want to proceed with it

By doing this, your Eufy network will not be synced directly to your third-party home security network. However, it will still work via the Eufy app. 

7. How to Turn Off the Alarm on Eufy Camera? 

Having an alarm notification can be helpful, but it can also be annoying if it constantly goes off. You can deactivate this feature in just a few seconds. To do this, open the Eufy app and then: 

• Open the Security menu and select Home/Away tab
• Within the Security Settings menu, uncheck the camera alarm feature
• Save the settings to turn off the alarm 

This setup now stops the alarm feature from being enabled on your Eufy Security camera. 

8. Eufy Camera Disappeared From App 

If you find that your Eufy security camera is missing from the app, then there are several things you can do. You can update the software to see if a bug has caused its removal. You can also restore the web connection if it has been lost. 

Should either of these steps fail to work, add the camera like you did the first time. 

Adding a camera to the Eufy app 

Adding a camera to the EufySecurity app takes a few minutes to set up, although it is straightforward. When setting it up, you need to:

• Open the app, choose Add Device, and select Outdoor Camera 
• If the camera is plugged in, you should see a blue LED stay on. Once it is on, scan the QR code and hold the Sync button until it flashes blue.
• Listen for a beep and follow the in-app prompt 
• The camera should connect and then enter Wi-Fi network details 
• Click Confirm once connected to the network, and the camera should reappear within the app 

After doing this, you reassess the camera on the app like you would’ve done previously, although you will need to reprogram any old settings. 

9. Eufy Camera Moving on Its Own

If you notice your camera is moving on its own, you might get worried that it has gone rogue. Don’t fear, though, as this could be down to two things – a glitch in the motion tracking feature or the need to re-calibrate its pan and tilt features. 

How to re-calibrate Pan & Tilt Features

If toggling the motion settings hasn’t fixed the automatic movements, you can recalibrate the camera’s signal features to reset these features. 

Recalibration can be done by: 

• Open Camera Settings within the EufySecurity app 
• Select Pan/Tilt Settings and choose Calibration 
• The camera will automatically reset these motions back to the default settings 
• It will say the process is completed once it has stopped moving the lens

This process should stop your Eufy security cameras from moving without prompts. 

10. Eufy Human Detection Not Working 

While Eufy has motion detection features, it also has algorithms designed to determine if a human is in a shot rather than other objects. 

If the system is playing up, you can alter the sensitivity settings within the Eufy app. This can be found within the Motion Detection tab of the app. Increasing the sensitivity up to levels 6 or 7 will increase the algorithm’s power to be more effective. 

External conditions such as weather and lighting levels may also impact how well the setting works in the monitored area. 

11. Eufy SD Card Format 

The best way to save data locally on a Eufy device is by using a microSD card. Cameras can support any Class 10 device, holding storage levels up to 128GB. 

I recommend the SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO for the perfect balance between speed and memory capacity.

Click on the image to check today’s price.

12. I Received an “Establishing Secure Video” Error Message

If you regularly see an “Establishing Secure Video” message on your app, you won’t get a live feed on your camera. 

Several issues can cause this message, such as a software bug or a network connection loss. Try searching for an update to see if this restores the connection, and then re-sync your camera to the Wi-Fi network to re-establish the link. 

Just remember to link the device to a 2.4 GHz network to work appropriately and no further than 25ft from the primary router. 

13. Eufy Notifications Not Working on iPhone & Android

If you fail to get any notifications from the Eufy app, check that it is allowed on your iPhone.

When using an Apple device, checking and seeing if notifications are enabled is easy. Go into the phone’s main Settings menu and click on the EufySecurity app. One tap lets you turn app notifications on/off within that tab. 

However, note that only one Apple device can receive notifications at a time, so if you have it synced to your iPhone, it won’t appear on an iPad, Mac, or iWatch. 

14. Eufy Notifications Not Working on Android

If you don’t get any notifications from the Eufy app, check that it is allowed on your iPhone.

You may need to give Eufy additional clearance with Android devices before it can provide notifications. You can add it to the allowlist of apps within the Settings section. 

The BadgeProvider feature may be interfering with the app itself. If you go into the Eufy app, select “System Apps” and clear any cache data. This will also help decrease any issues with notifications on Android devices. 

15. Eufy Status LED Keeps Turning On

Anyone wanting to stop their Status LED flashing will often need a firmware update to help patch any bugs in the coding. 

The cameras often update their firmware automatically, so when this happens, it should stop the LED from flashing. 

16. Does Eufy Camera Work with IFTTT?

Officially, No. Eufy cameras don’t support other internet protocols like IFTTT. Unofficially, though, there are ways to make your Eufy work with IFTTT, and you can quickly get IFTTT to trigger any notification produced by Eufy devices.

17. Does Eufy Support ONVIF? 

No, Eufy cameras do not support ONFIV hardware.

18. Can I View my Eufy Cameras on a Mac? 

Yes – You can view your Eufy devices on any desktop or laptop. Users can log into the MySecurity portal on Eufy’s website to access the same features as they would on the EufySecurity app. 

Conclusion 

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to get your Eufy cameras working quickly without needing specialist help. 

Simply re-triggering the connection or exploring features within the app should get things up and running again in just a few minutes. That way, you won’t have to worry about any issues with your Eufy security camera again. 

Sources

1. Update Firmware for eufySecurity Devices via App, Eufy Support
2. Download: Manual & Firmware, Eufy Support

About Author

Hey! I'm Dennis M. Peterson, a tech nerd, a master of code, adept at handling gadgets, and up-to-date with the latest tech trends. I deeply understand of how tech works and what to troubleshoot when issues arise. I hope you've found what you were searching for!
Read more about Dennis