Why is My ADT Camera Not Recording Clips?

A recording button on a cameraA recording button on a camera

When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Recording devices and cameras are becoming more commonplace with home security systems like ADT, and rightfully so. Each clip a camera takes enables the homeowner to have the detail that can help determine what action needs to take place in mitigating future events and can aid in keeping your family safe. But what if your ADT camera isn’t recording clips as it should?

Several issues can cause your ADT camera to stop recording clips:

  • It doesn’t have enough power to operate.
  • It’s not within the range of a Wi-Fi connection.
  • There’s not enough space available on the cloud to hold video clips.
  • The settings for motion detection may not be properly set.

To first troubleshoot, it is best to understand what basic requirements your ADT camera must have to operate. By understanding these requirements and determining which has been satisfied, you can isolate the issues down to one common cause.

ADT Camera Not Recording: Troubleshooting

Your ADT camera will need a connection to both power and the internet. Without either one of these, the camera will not be able to record a clip. Also, the camera must be activated for detection and video recording.

The following are a few troubleshooting steps you can take if your camera does not seem to be recording clips:

Check to See if Your ADT Camera Has Power

Your ADT camera may not be working as a result of a loss of power. To check if your camera has enough power to work, you will need to access your camera. Most cameras provided by ADT have a power light or indicator that will illuminate, letting you know that there is power.

The Blue series cameras provided by ADT use a battery pack. Having a battery that is not fully charged could be the culprit behind not having clips recorded.

Another indication of loss of power will be found in the application used to view the clip. If there is no signal coming from the camera to the app, there is a good chance that it is not getting power.

Check the Wi-Fi Signal

Another common issue with outdoor wireless cameras such as those provided by ADT is that they require a strong Wi-Fi signal. If the Wi-Fi connection is weak or drops frequently, there will be issues recording the video clips.

The most effective way to check your Wi-Fi signal strength is to access the cameras through the ADT app. There will be an indication that will let the user know if the signal strength is strong enough for the camera.

If the signal strength quality is low, the camera will need to be moved closer to the Wi-Fi signal source. For ADT, this would be your residential Pulse Gateway. If moving the camera closer is not an option, a Wi-Fi extender should do the job of getting the signal to the device.

Check if There’s Enough Room in Cloud Storage

Something else to check for is whether there is enough storage space on the cloud for your recorded video clip. If you have reached the cloud’s maximum capacity, then recorded clips could fail to load to it.

This should be fairly easy to check through the ADT Pulse mobile app. Most camera providers provide a cloud storage solution. Blue by ADT offers a 24 hour or 1-day video storage solution with an option to upgrade to a 60-day plan.

Deleting clips regularly should allow for more clips to be stored on the cloud. A good practice to adopt is checking video clips as they occur, having notifications enabled through a mobile app, and deleting them after they have been viewed.

Check Your ADT Camera’s Motion Detection Settings

This is a common issue with most new users of wireless cameras. ADT has motion detection options that can be accessed through the mobile app for the camera.  

If the motion detection settings are not correctly aligned and enabled, the camera will not “wake up” and start recording the action in front of it. You may need to adjust the sensitivity, the arming state, or time frame of recording to ensure your camera is recording during the desired time frame.

Final Thoughts

There are several reasons why your ADT camera is not recording clips, from poor Wi-Fi connection to improper motion detection settings. It is good practice to check all of the various factors that stop your device from recording properly, so you don’t miss the event the camera was designed to detect.

Is your ADT camera still not recording clips? Check out this article for steps on resetting your device.

Keep Reading