How Long Do Doorbell Cameras Keep Footage? (Question Answered)

Doorbell cameras are similar to security cameras, they can record the same way, every motion is detected, and you can find wired and wireless models just like the security cameras. Nevertheless, doorbell cameras don’t keep the footage as long as security cameras.

While security cameras will keep the footage for about one year, doorbell cameras will only retain the footage for 60 days, you can manually extend the storage time to 160 days by going to the app of the camera.

Furthermore, doorbell cameras keep the footage in built-in SD cards, all the footage of 60 days will be stored in the SD card, if you haven’t extended the storage time, I suggest you backup the stored data to a hard drive before you lose it.

While new technology may be easy to understand by some people, others can find them puzzling, so if you have any questions regarding doorbell cameras, keep on reading as we’ll try to answer all the most asked questions.

When Do Doorbell Cameras Start Recording?

There are many different types of doorbell cameras, however, most of them only start recording when motion is detected. Due to the motion sensors, your doorbell camera will only start recording when it detects some kind of motion.

In addition, make sure that you install your doorbell camera in a position where it can cover the area of your porch, otherwise, there’s no point in installing a doorbell camera if it doesn’t cover almost the whole area.

If you think that a doorbell camera isn’t enough, you can certainly install a security camera as well, this way you’ll have the footage of a wider angle.

Which Video Doorbells Have 24/7 Recording?

While many doorbell cameras only start recording when they detect some kind of motion, there’re a number of doorbell cameras that record 24/7 including Google Nest Doorbell (Wired).

Google Nest Doorbell is considered one of the most advanced cameras because of its features. It’ll not only provide around-the-clock recording, but it also comes with AI-powered motion detection as well as facial recognition, which makes it the ideal doorbell camera.

However, Google Nest Doorbell cameras may cost you a little more as compared to the normal cameras, but I have to say that it’ll be worth it as it can record as well as store the footage in the cloud, which it does at 1600×1200 pixels, this way you’ll get the most high quality of resolution.

Moreover, there’re a few more cameras that are just as good, so check out the table below:

Doorbell Camera	Features/Quality	Cost
Arlo Essential Doorbell is quite structured, this won’t only alert you when you get a package on your porch, but it’ll also cover a 180-degree view. Moreover, it records and saves the footage in 1536×1536 resolution and it also comes with a night vision feature.	Arlo Essential Doorbell is quite structured, this won’t only alert you when you get a package on your porch, but it’ll also cover a 180-degree view. Moreover, it records and saves the footage in 1536×1536 resolution and it also comes with a night vision feature.	It may cost you about $70 to $130
Eufy Security Video Doorbell 2K (Wired)	Eufy Doorbell camera doesn’t only record in 2560 x 1920 resolution, it also comes with HDR. In addition, this camera also detects the body shape and the face pattern, basically, you’ll be alerted specifically if it’s a person or an animal.	It’ll cost you about $150
Eufy Security Video Doorbell 2K (Battery-Powered)	Eufy Battery-powered doorbell comes with a 2K Resolution and has a 180-Day Battery Life.	It may cost you about $130 to $200

These kinds of doorbell cameras are extremely advanced, you’ll be alerted in an instant if they detect something, furthermore, as most of them record 24/7, so they’ll also record cars or anything passing by.

If you’re installing these advanced doorbell cameras, then make sure that you download their apps as you can change and manage their settings.

Check out this review video for different brands of doorbell cameras to know which one is the best for your home:

How Far Do Doorbell Cameras See?

While it’s not possible for such small cameras to cover all the ground from your porch to your neighbor’s porch, these cameras can cover about 50 feet in front of them.

Moreover, many countries only allow 50 feet because there are laws that prohibit you to record the sidewalks, so I suggest you get a camera that only covers 50 feet of view if you’re not looking to get in trouble.

In my opinion, 50 feet of view is adequate as these doorbell cameras record in high resolution, so even if it covers only 50 feet from its fixture, you can see perfectly what is happening in the footage in contrast to if it had covered more ground.

Nevertheless, if you want to have more grounds covered, you can always install security cameras.

Do Doorbell Cameras Record Sound?

Almost all doorbell cameras detect and record sound, in fact, you can communicate through some of them, like Google Nest Doorbell (Wired).

However, I can’t say that doorbell cameras start recording when they detect sound, they mainly begin recording when they detect motion.

Do Doorbells Cameras Record Cars Driving By?

As I have mentioned many times, there’re several types of cameras, and the more advanced and developed your camera is, the more and better features you’ll get.

If you’re wondering whether your doorbell camera is recording the cars driving by or not, well that depends on the brand and the model of your doorbell camera.

However, there’re doorbell cameras that record cars driving by if they are recording 24/7 and cover more than 50 feet of the ground.

Doorbell cameras like Google Nest record 24/7, so they’ll record the cars driving by or anything that happens while it’s turned on.

Does Doorbell Camera Show Live View?

Doorbell cameras or security cameras are extremely important, installing them in your house can help make you feel a lot safer. But if someone broke in and you found out only after watching the recorded footage then I believe there’s no need for these cameras.

Thus, now doorbells or security cameras also provide a live view, however, not all of them can provide this feature, which is why you need to do your research before purchasing.

Live view features mainly come in Wi-Fi-connected cameras, so make sure that the doorbell camera you are buying has that feature.

After purchasing and installing the camera, you only need to download the camera’s app on your smartphone, through which you’ll be able to view the live footage whenever you want.

Additionally, if the doorbell camera is from a highly developed brand, you can also change and manage the settings of your camera from the app. There’re many features and options that these advanced doorbell cameras come with but they might cost you a bit much.

Conclusion

• Most doorbell cameras keep the footage for 60 days, you can extend the days by going to the app of your doorbell.
• These doorbells keep the footage in built-in SD cards, so make sure to backup before, otherwise, you might lose footage.
• There’re two types of doorbell cameras, one that only starts recording when it detects motions and the second one that keeps recording 24/7 until you turn it off.
• Doorbell cameras like Google Nest records 24/7, these kind of cameras are said to be advanced because of features like extremely high resolution and night vision.
• Doorbell cameras can only cover 50 feet from their position, so if you need more ground to be covered I suggest you install security cameras.
• The doorbell cameras that record 24/7 can record cars driving by, other cameras will only start recording if they detect motion in a 50 feet range.
• Only the Wi-Fi-connected cameras can provide you with a live view which can be seen from the camera’s app on your mobile.

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