This guide applies to steps you can try to isolate playback issues if you are unable to play recordings from the Swann Security app, based on common factors found by our Tech Support:

1. The firmware version of your recorder or camera is not updated

See How do I know if my unit's firmware has an update (Swann Security app models)

2. Unstable network connectivity or slow network speed

The Swann Security app requires (1) internet on your phone and (2) stable internet of your security system or Wi-Fi camera to stream live or in playback. Fluctuations or changing of network speed is a common factor.

You may try the following: 

1. Reboot the camera and modem / router.
2. Close the app.
3. Give enough time before opening the app. (e.g. 2 -3mins) to establish connection and
   upload the files if it is still in the process of uploading.
4. Reopen the app after a total of 5 minutes from step 1. Go back to Playback and search for the file you wanted to play.

If doing the steps above did not help, see the following to run simple tests to determine if your network is affecting playback: 

• Viewing Swann cameras from the Internet: Comparing your speed
• Wi-Fi Connectivity Improvement Tips for Swann Products
• Checking for Wireless Network obstructions

3. Recording stopped prematurely

3. No recordings

1. Due to no heat or undetected direction of activity: Swann cameras are equipped with PIR sensors. It requires a combination of heat and motion across the camera to trigger recordings. If the the activity is not across nor within range of the PIR sensor  See How does a Thermal-sensing camera work? and Camera Location Tips on how to increase the camera's chances of recording events.
2. The recording or detection settings may not be ideal for the range and type of motion you wish to record. This means any of the following:
   • Low sensitivity instead of high or max.
   • The area setup may not be covered fully or there is a motion mask.
3. Incorrect date and time. If you tried to search by date and hour where the recorder is set to a different timezone or is off by 1 hour, the recording timestamp will not reflect the actual time in your area. See:
   • How to Set the Correct Date and Time in V8 (Swann Security) DVR/NVR, or
   • How to change the time zone of my SWIFI camera in the Swann Security app?
4. The hard drive of your wired security system stopped working. If the HDD LED is not blinking/flashing or is OFF, chances are it may have an error. See Hard drive warning: Unformat error / Status: Abnormal. For SWIFI cameras with microSD cards or local storage, see below.

4. Navigation error

Unable to load clip (for standalone Wi-Fi cameras)

This can happen if you tried to playback recording that wasn't loaded properly. Keep in mind that playback via the app requires internet access, which means it needs time to process.

1. Close the app, then open it again.
2. When you reopen the app, take your time when searching Playback. Do not search another date until the page or thumbnails have loaded for the current search date.
3. Another possible reason is that the file is not uploaded to the server yet. See Unstable network connectivity or slow network speed.
4. If your network is not slow nor fluctuating, then the last possible reason is the clips are not structured properly. The cause is related to its original file or the local file storage. This requires formatting the local storage of your camera. See How to delete recordings of a SWIFI camera in the Swann Security app.

Video is still processing / The clip is not ready to be played (for standalone Wi-Fi cameras)

When motion is detected, the recorder or app needs time to process (save the recording) to storage as it may still be recording. This error appears if you tried to open a clip as soon as the camera detected motion. 

The reason why you can already see the thumbnail in the Playback tab is because the thumbnail (image shot) uploads faster than the video itself. Because of that, it may appear that the clip is already available. 

To resolve this, wait for the camera to finish recording and uploading the file. If you have waited for more than an hour, please call our Tech Support team to report the issue.