How can I enable the 24/7 Capture on Battery Camera?

What is 24/7 Capture?

24/7 Capture refers to a mechanism that captures images at a certain frequency and triggers recording based on the differences between images. Once enabled, the Camera can continuously capture snapshots at 1fps (Adjustable capture frequency) within a specific time interval for 7*24 hours. When an event is detected, it will switch back to normal frame rate recording.

24/7 Capture can extend detection range for comprehensive coverage and achieve a result similar to continuous recording with lower power consumption. It ensures more critical footage is captured.

How can I enable the 24/7 Capture?

With 24/7 Capture, the camera takes a series of images at regular intervals and automatically records whenever an event is detected.

Step 1. Go to the Device Settings page >Tap 24/7 Capture

Note: After enabling 24/7 Capture, the device will consume power quickly and is recommended to be used with solar panels.

Step 2. If this is your first time configuring 24/7 Capture, tap Start 24/7 Capture. Otherwise, tap Enable 24/7 Capture.

Step 3. Tap Solar Panel Connected

Step 4. Tap Record All Day or tap Use Existing Schedule to enter the 24/7 Capture page.

Choosing Record All Day makes the camera stay on throughout the day and week to capture snapshots regularly and recording when motion is detected.

Choosing Use Existing Schedule, the camera will record according to your existing detection schedule and capture snapshots during those hours

For a specific photo illustration showing the difference, please refer to the Q7 in the QA part.

Step 5. Tap Capture Interval to set the Interval you like, which indicates how often the camera captures a snapshot.

Step 6. Tap Schedule to go to the Recording Schedule page. Tap Edit to adjust the 24/7 Capture and Detection Recording time periods if necessary.

QA

Q1: What do 24/7 Capture snapshots look like in the Playback page of the Tapo app?

A1: 24/7 Capture ensures your camera records continuously, not only when detection events are detected, but also when no detection events.

• When no events are detected, it captures snapshots at a lower frame rate (based on your chosen interval) to save battery energy. This creates a time-lapse effect during playback in the Tapo app.
• When an event is detected (like motion, person, vehicle, etc.), it switches to normal high-frame-rate recording for clear detail. (Take the Tapo C460 as an example, it will record the footage with 15 fps at this time)

Please refer to the picture below, in the Playback timeline:
Purple bar = 24/7 Capture footage (plays as a time-lapse clip)
Other colored bars = Detection-Event-triggered recordings—for example, orange bar for motion events.

Q2: What is the difference between 24/7 Capture, PIR Detection and Continuous Recording?

A2: For details, please refer to the following table:

Q3: What are the effects after enabling 24/7 Capture?

A3: After enabling 24/7 Capture, the detection range will be extended, and events outside the original PIR detection range may also be detected. At this time, it is recommended to set the detection area or adjust the installation position to avoid unnecessary detection alerts.

Additionally, since enabling 24/7 Capture increases the number of wake-ups and keeps the original PIR wake-up detection active, the installation guidelines to prevent frequent wake-ups from draining the battery still apply. For example, avoid pointing the camera directly at a busy street or swaying trees.

Q4: Can 24/7 Capture be used without an SD card or Hub storage?

A4: No, 24/7 Capture requires SD card storage or Hub storage for full functionality. Tapo Care cloud storage doesn’t support 24/7 Capture for the time being.

To enable 24/7 Capture, turn on Local Recording and select Camera Storage or Hub Storage as storage location in Tapo App > Camera Settings > Storage & Recording.

Note: Please update your H200 to 1.7.1 or later and H500 to 1.3.1 or later to make Hub storage fully compatible with 24/7 Capture.

Q5: How do the interval settings of 24/7 Capture affect battery life?

A5: Check the table below for estimated battery performance:

Notes:

1. Battery life and solar charging time are based on Tapo laboratory tests, assuming 23 daytime events and 12 nighttime events per day, each triggering a 13-second video recording with the device in standby mode the rest of the time.

2. Solar charging time is measured under standard test conditions (1000W/㎡, 25℃, AM1.5). Actual performance may vary depending on device settings, usage patterns, router specifications, and environmental conditions.

Q6: What is the storage space usage of 24/7 Capture on the SD card?

A6: When no detection event is triggered, with a 10-second capture interval, 24/7 Capture recording consumes about 173MB per day. If the interval is set to 1 second, it will consume about 1730MB per day.

The following table shows the approximate number of days the storage can hold 24/7 Capture recordings:

Q7: What’s the difference between Record All Day and Use Existing Schedule when you try to enable the 24/7 Capture?

A7: Choosing Record All Day makes the camera stay on throughout the day and week to capture snapshots regularly and recording when motion is detected.

Choosing Use Existing Schedule, the camera will record according to your existing detection schedule and capture snapshots during those hours

No matter which option is chosen, after that, if you manually turn off or the camera automatically turns off the 24/7 Capture function, the 24/7 Capture recording schedule will change back to the Detection Recording schedule.

Get to know more details of each function and configuration, please go to the Download Center to download the manual of your product.