It happens all the time, people want to have the video recorded directly into the security camera, but something goes wrong with the card. If your Foscam camera cannot recognize the micro SD card, this article can help you out.
Here's a quick answer to this question.
If your Foscam camera cannot recognize the micro SD card, make sure it's not above the recommended size and format it using FAT32.
How to format the micro SD card
You can use your computer or an IP camera to format the micro SD card.
Let's see the different ways to do that.
Format the card using a computer
Insert the micro SD card into an adapter and then use your computer to format it using FAT32. The see the pictures below for more details.
Open the file explorer, right-click the card and choose to format using FAT32.
And it's done. Now you can remove the micro SD card and insert it into the camera.
Format using the Focam App
Login into the IP camera and follow the steps below.
- Click on "SD Card Video Playback."
- Click the "gear" icon on the top.
- Click "Format SD Card."
Format using a web browser
The format process is very similar, open a web browser, and follow the steps below.
- Click on "SD Card Management".
- Click on "format."
Pretty simple, huh?
This information is enough to help you solve the problem, but if you want to learn more about SD cards, just keep reading...
SD Cards for IP cameras
Most IP and smart cameras accept micro SD cards for local recording, but there are some basic rules you need to follow to make things work correctly.
The card size, brand, speed, and type or filesystem are essential.
Let's talk a little bit more about this topic...
Why a Foscam camera doesn't recognize the micro SD card
The size
IP cameras have a limitation for the maximum size (capacity) of a micro SD card. Most of the IP cameras work with 32GB cards.
The models that support up to 32GB micro SD cards are FI9821W V2, FI9821P, FI9821E, FI9818W V2, FI9826W, FI9826P, FI9831W, FI9831P,C1, C1 Lite, FI9821W V2.1, FI9821P V2/V3, FI9831P V2/V3, FI9821EP, FI9826P V2/V3, Fosbaby, Fosbaby P1, FI9816P V2/V3, FI9803EP, FI9853EP V1, FI9828P V2, C2E.
Some other models can work with higher capacity.
The models that support up to 128GB micro SD cards are C2, R2/R2C/R2M/R2D/R2E/P2, FI9926P/FI9936P/Z2, R4/R4M/R4S, FI9901EP, FI9900P, FI9900EP, FI9961EP, FI9928P, G2/FI9902P/FI9912P, G2EP/FI9912EP, G4/G4P/FI9901P, G4EP/QJ4.
The file allocation table
An IP camera works with a specific type of table to write and read the files from a micro SD card, this is a little bit technical but to wrap it up, you must format the card using FAT32 which is a version the most used version of the FAT(File Allocation Table).
Believe me; it's not complicated. You probably have been using the FAT32 for years to store files on your USB drives, and now you just need to format the micro SD card for your camera using the same technology.
Other formats out there such as NTFS and exFat are not supported.
​The speed
High-speed memory cards can handle the data from that comes from the camera, so the class 10 cards are the best ones you can buy for your Foscam camera.
To learn more, read the article "Best micro SD cards for security cameras."
​Conclusion
If your Foscam camera cannot recognize the micro SD card, the quick way to solve the problem is by formating it with FAT32. There are different ways to do that; you can use a computer, a web browser, or a mobile app.
For more information, visit the Foscam website.
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