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Smart Security Camera
SAFE by Swann App Manual
iOS and Android
English
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Contents
Getting Started
Installing the SAFE by Swann App 5
Creating a SAFE by Swann Account 6
Pairing Your First Camera
Pairing Additional Cameras
Conguring Camera Date and Time 9
Camera Placement 10
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About the App Interface
The Camera Dashboard 12
The Camera Dashboard: Layout 13
The Live View Screen 14
The Activity Screen 15
The Playback Screen 16
The Menu 17
The Prole Screen 18
The Cameras Screen 19
The Cameras Screen: Settings Tab 20
The Cameras Screen: Subscriptions Tab 24
The Cameras Screen: About Tab 25
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Camera Maintenance
Charging the Camera 28
Changing the Wi-Fi Network on the Camera 29
Updating the Camera Firmware 32
Restarting the Camera 35
Turning O the Camera 36
Factory Resetting the Camera 37
Tips & FAQs
What Do the Dierent LED Colors Mean? 39
Maximizing Battery Performance 40
Troubleshooting 41
Frequently Asked Questions 44
Battery Charging FAQ 44
Account FAQ 45
Live & Playback Video FAQ 47
Activity Timeline & Motion Events FAQ 48
Connectivity FAQ 50
Firmware Upgrade FAQ 51
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Getting Started
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Installing the SAFE by Swann App
iOS Android
If you have an Apple iPhone, download
the latest version of the SAFE by Swann
app from the Apple App Store.
SAFE by Swann
After installation completes, the SAFE by Swann app icon will appear
on your smartphone‘s screen. Tap on the icon to start the app.
If you have an Android smartphone,
download the latest version of the SAFE by
Swann app from Google Play (tap Apps >
Play Store).
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Creating a SAFE by Swann Account
At the bottom of the screen, tap Don’t have
an account? Sign Up.
Enter your name, email address, and a
password for your new account. To enter your
location, tap Location, type in the name of
your city in the search bar, then select the
desired city from the search results.
Read the “SAFE by Swann Terms and
Conditions”, then tap Sign Up to accept the
terms and conditions and create your account.
Check your email inbox for a verication email
from SAFE by Swann. Open the link included in the
verication email to validate your email address and
activate your account.
If you don’t receive the verication email within a few
minutes of signing up, check your Junk folder or tap
Resend Email to receive another verication email.
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Pairing Your First Camera
Sign in to your account by entering your login
information. If you want the app to remember
your login credentials and sign in automatically
the next time it is started, select the Remember
Me checkbox before you tap Sign In.
Tap the Pair Device button.
Follow the prompts to connect the camera
to your Wi-Fi network (TIP For longer range
connectivity, use a 2.4GHz network) and register
it to your account. Only one camera can be paired
at a time. To add more cameras to your account
after pairing your rst camera, see "Pairing
Additional Cameras" on page 8.
Once the pairing process is nished, the camera
will appear on the dashboard. (It may take a few
more minutes for the camera to come online as
initial settings are synced to the cloud.)
From the dashboard, you can start live streaming
and check the activity timeline. See "The Camera
Dashboard" on page 12 for more information.
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Pairing Additional Cameras
From the dashboard, tap the drawer icon
to open the menu.
Tap Pair Camera.
Follow the prompts to connect the camera
to your Wi-Fi network (TIP For longer range
connectivity, use a 2.4GHz network) and
register it to your account.
Only one camera can be paired at a time.
Repeat the above pairing process for every
new camera you want to add to your account.
Once the pairing process is nished, the camera
will appear on the dashboard. You can arrange
the layout of camera tiles on the dashboard by
tapping the pencil icon at the top right corner.
To learn more, see "The Camera Dashboard:
Layout" on page 13.
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Conguring Camera Date and Time
From the dashboard, tap the drawer icon
to open the menu.
Tap Camera Settings.
Tap your camera to access the settings.
Scroll down to Time At Camera Location,
and tap the Sync to Phone Time button. Your
camera will sync its timezone, date and time to
the clock on your smartphone.
Tap the left arrow at the top left corner to return
to the dashboard. For more information about
the other available camera settings, see "The
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Cameras Screen: Settings Tab" on page 20.
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Ideal height
7 - 8 ft /
2.1 -2.4 m
Camera Placement
Face away from direct sunlight to prevent false
motion sensor triggering and to protect camera lens
Optimum
approach path
Tap the gear icon and go to the
About tab to view the camera's Wi-Fi
connection signal strength.
Check the performance of the live video stream.
It should play smoothly without interruption.
Choose a place with reliable Wi-Fi reception
For best performance, your camera should be placed in a location where there is good, reliable Wi-Fi reception from
your router. You can easily test the range of the Wi-Fi connection by taking your camera to dierent areas of your
house and comparing the video streaming performance. (Make sure no other online video streaming service is
running at the same time.) If the video streams smoothly without interruption, you have found a good place for your
camera. Within the app, you can also view the Wi-Fi connection signal strength. You will notice the strength of the
wireless connection decreases as you move further away from your router.
Optimize motion detection
Your camera’s PIR (passive infrared) motion sensor detects heat signatures of moving objects.
You’ll generally get good detection results when the camera is pointing downwards at an angle to cover the area
where people will be walking across the camera’s path before heading directly towards it.
Try to minimize the camera's view so it only focuses on the area of importance.
Boost Wi-Fi reception
If you plan on placing your camera a long way away from your router, for example, your backyard where wireless
connectivity is poor, consider installing a Wi-Fi repeater or range extender. This can help increase your Wi-Fi
coverage area and improve the signal quality in the furthest corners of your house, giving you a strong connection
wherever your camera is.
The supplied double-sided adhesive strips work best on smooth surfaces. When applying the strips, press rmly for
Secure the magnetic stand
at least 30 seconds to achieve a stronger adhesive bond.
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About the App Interface
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The Camera Dashboard
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Open the menu where you can edit your account prole, manage camera settings, pair a camera, review
camera activity, and more. See "The Menu" on page 17 for more information.
Rearrange the layout of camera tiles on the dashboard according to your preferences. See "The Camera
Dashboard: Layout" on page 13.
Tap the "play" icon to start streaming live video from the camera on the Live View screen.
The "battery charging" icon is displayed when the camera is plugged in for charging.
The "battery low" icon is displayed when the camera has less than 30% of battery life remaining.
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You'll also get push notications when the camera has 20%, 10% and 5% of battery life remaining.
The shield icon is displayed when the camera’s motion sensor is armed (i.e., the motion sensor sensitivity
setting is either LOW or HIGH).
When you have more than one page on the dashboard, a blue dot in a row of dots indicates the page that
is currently being viewed. Swipe left or right to see the cameras on the previous or next page, if available.
Quickly check the activity feed and view the current day’s recorded events, with the most recent event
showing at the top. See "The Activity Screen" on page 15 for more information.
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The Camera Dashboard: Layout
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You can swap spots between camera tiles. Simply tap and hold a camera tile then drag it over the top of
another camera tile and release when the tiles have swapped.
Tap to resize to a small tile.
Tap to resize to a large tile. Only a single large camera tile can be displayed on a page. If there is
not enough room, the camera tile will be placed on a new page. Additional pages will be deleted
automatically when no camera tiles are present.
When you have more than one page on the dashboard, a blue dot in a row of dots indicates the page that
is currently being viewed. Swipe left or right to see the cameras on the previous or next page, if available.
Discard any changes you’ve made to the current dashboard layout.
Save your new dashboard layout.
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The Live View Screen
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End the camera’s live video stream and return to the dashboard.
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Quickly access and adjust the camera's settings such as the name, image quality, motion sensor sensitivity,
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and motion sensor sleep interval. To learn more about the camera settings available, see "The Cameras
Screen: Settings Tab" on page 20.
Indicates the status of the live stream connection.
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• Grey: The live video is loading.
• Blue: The live video is streaming.
The video screen. To zoom in and out on the video, place two ngers here at once, and spread them apart
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or pinch them together. While zoomed in, swipe up, down, left, or right to move around. To watch the
video in landscape view, turn your smartphone sideways.
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The Activity Screen
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Go back to the previous screen.
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Tap the left or right arrow to view the previous or following day’s activity timeline.
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The timeline of motion events captured by the cameras registered to your SAFE by Swann account.
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The current day’s activity timeline is displayed by default. The image thumbnail lets you see a quick
snapshot of the video related to the motion event. Tap on a motion event to play the video clip on the
Playback screen.
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The Playback Screen
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Go back to the Activity screen.
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The camera name and the time and date of when the motion event was recorded.
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Delete the video recording of the motion event from your SAFE by Swann account. Once deleted, the
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motion event will also no longer be displayed in the activity timeline.
The video screen. Turn your smartphone sideways to watch the video in landscape view.
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Rewind the video back to the beginning.
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Rewind the video by 5 seconds.
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Pause/Play the video.
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Forward the video by 5 seconds.
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Download the video to your smartphone. Downloaded videos are saved on your smartphone’s internal
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memory in the “Pictures/Swann” folder.
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The Menu
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Close the menu.
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Edit your prole picture and name, or change your SAFE by Swann account password. See "The Prole
Screen" on page 18 for more information.
View the list of cameras associated with your SAFE by Swann account and manage camera settings
including cloud subscription plans. See "The Cameras Screen" on page 19 for more information.
Congure Wi-Fi network connection and register a camera to your SAFE by Swann account.
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You can change the Wi-Fi network your camera connects to by going through the same "Pair Camera" setup.
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Display the activity timeline, where you can browse and view recent and past motion events.
Download the user manual (PDF le) to your smartphone. For best viewing experience, open the user
manual using Acrobat Reader (available on App Store or Google Play).
Display the SAFE by Swann application version information and the terms of service and privacy policy.
Open the Swann Support Center website on your smartphone's web browser.
Sign out of the SAFE by Swann app.
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The Prole Screen
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Shows your prole picture. Tap the + button to set up or edit your prole picture.
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Tap to edit your name.
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Shows the email address registered with your account.
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Tap to change your account login password. To save your new password, tap the Save button at the
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bottom of the screen. Once the Save button is greyed out, the new password has taken eect. You must
use your new password the next time you sign in. If you want to change the password again (i.e., ungrey
the Save button), simply return to the dashboard and then come back to the Prole screen and enter a
new password.
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The Cameras Screen
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Lists all of the cameras that are registered to your account. Tap on the camera name to manage the
camera's settings and cloud subscription, as well as to check the hardware information such as rmware
version, wireless connection strength, and battery level.
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The Cameras Screen: Settings Tab
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Tap to change the name of the camera.
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Shows the Wi-Fi network that the camera is connected to.
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Drag the slider left or right to change the resolution of the camera’s live video stream between LOW
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(480p), MED (720p), and HIGH (1080p).
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If the live video is slow to load or frequently stops mid-stream, you may have a slow or unstable
connection to the internet—try using the LOW setting for faster loading times and smoother video
streaming.
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The Cameras Screen: Settings Tab
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Drag the slider left or right to adjust the sensitivity of the camera’s motion sensor.
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• OFF: The motion sensor is disabled and will not detect motion activity. Use this setting to conserve
the camera's battery life when activity monitoring is not needed. For example, when the camera is
being charged or when positioning the camera during installation, you can turn o the motion sensor.
You can still start live video from the camera at any time.
• LOW: The motion sensor is less sensitive and will detect motion activity within a short range only.
• HIGH: The motion sensor is more sensitive and will detect motion activity over a longer distance.
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Every home environment is unique, so we recommend experimenting with the motion sensitivity setting
to nd out which works best for yours. For example, if your camera is overlooking a high trac area,
you may want to turn down the motion sensitivity to only detect objects that are within the camera’s
immediate area. This will prevent unnecessary recordings of background activity further away such as your
neighbor walking on the sidewalk. That being said, you may also turn up the motion sensitivity to record
as much as possible if this is something you desire. Just be aware that the more activity your camera is
detecting and recording daily, the more battery it will consume.
Drag the slider left or right to adjust the time—1 minute, 3 minutes, or 5 minutes—that must elapse
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before the motion sensor can be triggered again by another motion activity.
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Temporarily set a longer sleep period for the motion sensor when you know that there’s ongoing activity
within the vicinity of the camera like someone mowing the grass in the backyard or guests walking in and
out of a party. This will prevent unnecessary recordings and help to conserve battery life.
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The Cameras Screen: Settings Tab
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Shows the current timezone, date and time of the camera. If the information is not correct, tap the Sync to
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Phone Time button to enable the camera to automatically sync its timezone, date and time to the clock on
your smartphone.
If the video is ickering, make sure the power frequency is set correctly for your locale. For example, 50HZ
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for Australia and UK or 60HZ for USA and Canada.
Tap View Camera Backup to access the last 7 days of motion event video clips stored on the camera’s
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internal memory. Tap the Format Card button to clear the camera’s internal memory and permanently
erase all recordings.
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The Cameras Screen: Settings Tab
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In some cases, you might need to unpair your camera. For example, if you want to use your camera with a
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dierent SAFE by Swann account or give away your camera to a family member, you need to unpair rst.
Unpairing will completely delete the camera from your SAFE by Swann account and you'll no longer be
able to access the camera's motion activity clips.
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The Cameras Screen: Subscriptions Tab
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Displays the status of the camera’s cloud storage plan. Tap the Update Plan button to manage or upgrade
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the camera's current cloud plan.
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Every camera comes with free basic cloud storage, and you can easily upgrade to a subscription plan at
any time. Subscribing to a cloud plan will enable motion event videos from the camera to be saved in your
account for a longer term, providing additional time for you to access and download videos later on. See
in-app for the cloud subscription plan details.
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The Cameras Screen: About Tab
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Displays information about the camera’s rmware version. When a new version of the rmware is available,
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you’ll be see the “PLUG-IN PLOWER TO UPDATE SOFTWARE” message. To update the camera, connect it to
power then return to this screen and tap the Update Firmware button that is displayed. By upgrading the
rmware, you will improve the performance of the camera and get access to the latest features.
Displays the camera’s name.
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Displays the camera’s manufacturer name.
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Displays the camera’s model code.
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The Cameras Screen: About Tab
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Displays the camera’s serial number.
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Displays the camera's connection state.
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Displays the strength of the Wi-Fi signal the camera is receiving. In general, the closer the camera is to your
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router/access point, the stronger the signal strength (higher % percentage), and the more reliable and
faster the wireless connection between the camera and your router/access point.
Displays the camera's IP address on your wireless network.
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Displays the camera’s MAC address—a unique 12-character hardware ID assigned to the camera so it is
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identiable on your wireless network.
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Displays the camera’s power charge state—"Battery Powered" or "Charging".
Displays the camera’s remaining battery level.
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Camera Maintenance
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Charging the Camera
Connect the small end (micro-USB) of the supplied charging cable to the camera. Connect the other
end to the USB port of a USB power adapter. You will receive a push notication about the camera being
plugged in for charging, and another push notication when the camera is fully charged. You can also
check the battery level at any time using the app.
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Changing the Wi-Fi Network on the Camera
Press and hold for
5 seconds to enter
pairing mode
Whether you’re moving to a place with a new
Wi-Fi router or you just want to switch to a faster
network in your home, you can easily update
the Wi-Fi conguration of your camera.
To begin, press and hold the
the back of your camera for 5 seconds. Your
camera goes into pairing mode and activates its
temporary Wi-Fi network. In pairing mode, the
camera's LED will blink blue slowly.
Note: The camera's pairing mode times out in 3
minutes.
Pair button on
From the dashboard, tap the drawer icon to
open the menu, then tap Pair Camera.
Tap Get Started.
(Continued on the next page)
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Changing the Wi-Fi Network on the Camera
As you've already enabled pairing mode on
your camera earlier (make sure that the LED is
blinking blue slowly), simply tap Next.
If you haven't done so, enable pairing mode on
your camera now, then tap Next.
The Wi-Fi network shown is the network your
smartphone is currently using and will be the
one your camera joins. If this is not the preferred
network, tap
instructions to choose another Wi-Fi network.
and follow the on-screen
Enter the password of the Wi-Fi network shown
above ("HomeCentral24G" in this case), then
tap Connect. Wi-Fi network passwords are
case sensitive, so make sure to enter it exactly
the same as it was created or as found on your
router. You can tap
you've entered and conrm it is correct.
to show the password
Connect your smartphone to the camera's
temporary Wi-Fi network named “SwannCam_
XX_XX” via your smartphone's Wi-Fi settings,
then return to the app and tap Next.
(Continued on the next page)
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Changing the Wi-Fi Network on the Camera
Give your camera a few moments to connect
to your Wi-Fi network.
Tap Name Camera once the setup is complete.
If the setup was not successful, please repeat the
process as outlined from the beginning. Please
follow the instructions carefully and be sure not
to skip any of the steps.
To nish, give your camera a name (you can
also select from a list of common camera
locations around the home), then tap Done.
Your camera is now connected to the new
Wi-Fi network. You can check the Wi-Fi
connection information by going to the
camera's settings.
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Updating the Camera Firmware
When a rmware update is available for your
camera, the camera tile on the dashboard will
display "UPDATE AVAILABLE". For the best
experience, always keep your camera current with
the latest rmware version.
Before you can update your camera, you
need to plug it into a USB power source such
as your smartphone charger.
After your camera is plugged into a USB power
source, tap the "Play" icon on the camera tile
to connect to the camera and start live video.
Tap the gear icon at the top right of the
screen once live video is streaming,
(Continued on the next page)
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Updating the Camera Firmware
Tap the ABOUT tab.
Depending on your USB power source,
it may take up to 2 minutes for the app
to detect that your camera is plugged
into power before displaying the
Update Firmware button. If, after a few
minutes, the Update Firmware button
doesn't appear, please check that your
camera is securely plugged into the USB
power source (USB connector may be
loose). Then start live video from the
camera again and return to this screen.
Blinking Infrared LEDs indicate
rmware update in progress
Under "Firmware", tap the Update Firmware button that is displayed to begin the rmware update process.
Once the Update Firmware button ungreys (TIP There's no need to tap the button again), your camera will
begin downloading the newest version of the rmware and install it automatically.
During this process, your camera's IR LEDs will be blinking and you won’t be able to stream your camera (i.e.,
the camera is not operational). Do not unplug the power.
(Continued on the next page)
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Updating the Camera Firmware
Shortly, you will also receive a push notication from the app informing you that the
rmware upgrade process has started on your camera. You can return to the dashboard
or close the app while the upgrade is in progress—this can take up to 15 minutes
depending on the size of the rmware le and your internet connection speed.
When the rmware update process is nished, you will receive another push notication
from the app. You can also check by observing your camera's IR LEDs—they stop
blinking once the camera has successfully upgraded its rmware.
You can now access your camera via the app.
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Restarting the Camera
If you are having diculties with your camera, try restarting it. A simple restart can often x connectivity
issues quickly. To restart your camera, press the Reset button using a small, narrow object, such as a paper
clip or a sim ejector tool, then release. Wait for the camera to initialize and connect to the cloud again (may
take several minutes), then open the app to check on your camera.
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Turning O the Camera
Press and hold
for 30 seconds
You can turn o the camera at any time. We recommended doing this rst, if you're planning to take it to
some other place (for example, to another residence). This will help protect the integrity of the camera
data and system by ensuring it doesn't remain operating in the background unnecessarily while in a
connectionless state during transportation.
To turn o the camera, simply press and hold the
camera’s LED turns blue and then goes o. To turn on the camera again, simply press the Pair button
momentarily. Wait for the camera to initialize, then open the app to check on your camera.
Please note that if you've moved your camera to a place that uses a dierent Wi-Fi network, you'll need to
pair your camera again. See "Changing the Wi-Fi Network on the Camera" on page 29.
Pair button for 30 seconds. During this time, the
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Factory Resetting the Camera
Factory resetting your camera is usually only necessary for troubleshooting. It isn’t something to do lightly
as it will format the internal memory, wipe the current Wi-Fi information, and return all the camera settings
to defaults. If you need to factory reset your camera, here's how to do it:
1. Press and hold the Reset and
2. Let go of the Reset button and continue holding the
camera’s LED turns blue.
3. Let go of the
This process will take about 30 seconds. Once complete, your camera will slowly blink blue to indicate
Pair button. The LED turns o and your camera will reboot to its factory default state.
that it is in pairing mode and is ready to be set up.
Pair buttons simultaneously.
Pair button for about 12 seconds until the
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Tips & FAQs
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What Do the Dierent LED Colors Mean?
Slow blinking blue
Pairing mode
Tip: To enter pairing mode, press the
Pair button on the back of the camera
for 5 seconds until the LED turns blue.
Fast blinking blue
Connecting to Wi-Fi / Cloud
Out of Wi-Fi range
or
Connected for live streaming /
recording / camera access
Solid Red
Blinking purple
Low battery
Tip: The app will send push
notications when the camera begins
to run low on battery. You can check
the battery level at any time using the
app.
Solid blue
Charging
Tip: The app will send a push
notication when the camera is being
charged.
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Blinking Infrared LEDs
Firmware update in progress
Tip: The app will send a push
notication when the rmware update
is done.
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Maximizing Battery Performance
The length of time your camera can operate on a full charge depends on a myriad of
factors, such as how frequently you use it for live video streaming, how frequently motion
activity is detected, the wireless connection quality, as well as the local environmental
conditions.
Here are some simple and practical tips to get more battery life out of your
camera:
• Make sure your camera’s firmware is the latest version.
• Limit the amount of time (no more than a few minutes a day) streaming live video
from your camera when you want to prioritize battery life.
• Your camera will last longer when you stream at a lower resolution. The fewer
pixels that your camera has to stream, the less power it uses.
• Lower the motion sensor sensitivity or turn off the motion sensor to conserve
battery life if you don’t need to monitor for activity, for example, when everyone’s
home.
• Make sure your camera is properly positioned to eliminate any false motion
triggering. The more events the camera records, the faster the battery life will
drain. Adjust your camera angle downward so its field of view is focused only
on the immediate area of concern and excludes as much background activity
as possible. If placed outdoors, avoid spots where your camera will be directly
exposed to sunlight during the day. Also, take note of shiny surfaces in the vicinity,
such as house or car windows, which can reflect sunlight and set off the motion
sensor.
• Going away for a short trip? Give your camera a full charge the night before.
• As a general rule, the nearer your camera is to your router, the better the wireless
connection quality and battery performance. Your camera will work harder and use
more power trying to maintain wireless connection the further it is away from your
router. (Note: Physical obstructions in your home such as brick walls and metal
frames can also interfere and degrade the Wi-Fi signal.)
• If your camera has poor Wi-Fi reception where it is located, consider installing
a Wi-Fi range extender, or if you've have an older router, upgrade to a current
generation high-performance router— either option is an effective way of
increasing the Wi-Fi coverage range and boosting the Wi-Fi signal in and around
your home, which can help to improve your camera's battery life.
• Your camera can operate over a wide temperature range, however, in freezing
conditions, the battery discharges more quickly and will not hold a charge for as
long as it normally would in more moderate climates.
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Troubleshooting
I forgot my account password.
How do I reset it?
I am unable to find and connect
to my camera’s Wi-Fi network
(SwannCam_XX_XX) during pairing.
What should I do?
Tap the “Forgot Password” link on the Sign In
screen of the SAFE by Swann app and submit
the email address that you used to create your
SAFE by Swann account. You'll shortly receive
an email with instructions on how to reset your
account password.
• If the "SwannCam_XX_XX" network is
not found, try refreshing the network
list. Turning the Wi-Fi setting on your
smartphone off and back on will also
refresh the network list.
• Check that your camera is in pairing mode.
When your camera is in pairing mode, the
LED indicator will be blinking blue slowly.
• If your camera is not in pairing mode
yet, simply press and hold the
button on the back of your camera for 5
seconds until the LED indicator turns blue.
When the LED indicator is blinking blue
slowly, your camera is in pairing mode
and its temporary Wi-Fi network named
“SwannCam_XX_XX” will be discoverable.
Pair
The app displays the following error
message “Unable to Connect to
Camera” during pairing.
What should I do?
Tap the Try Again button at the bottom of the
screen to attempt pairing your camera again.
If pairing is still unsuccessful, try the following:
1. Restart the pairing process and verify that
the Password (this is the password needed
to join your Wi-Fi network) for the selected
Network SSID (this is the Wi-Fi network
name broadcasted by your router) has been
entered correctly. Wi-Fi network passwords
are case sensitive, so make sure to enter the
password exactly as found on your router
or access point.
2. Make sure your smartphone is properly
connected to the camera’s Wi-Fi network
(SwannCam_XX_XX) by checking the WiFi settings of your smartphone. For some
smartphone models, you may need to
allow connection to the SwannCam-xxxx
network; check for any notification from
your smartphone.
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Troubleshooting
The app is just showing "Please
wait..." on the camera tile after I've
finished pairing my camera.
Once you have finished the camera pairing
process, please wait a moment for your camera
to sync initial settings and configuration to the
cloud server. If, after 5 minutes of completing
the pairing setup, the camera tile still displays
"Please wait..." and live video doesn't load
when you tap the camera tile, try closing the
app completely and then restarting it. If this
doesn't resolve the issue, you most likely have
incorrectly entered the password for the Wi-Fi
network that you have chosen to connect your
camera to. You'll need start the pairing process
again:
1. Tap the drawer icon on the dashboard to
open the menu.
2. Tap Pair Camera and follow the onscreen instructions. During the pairing
process, you'll be able to choose which
Wi-Fi network you want your camera to
be connected to. Wi-Fi network passwords
are case sensitive, so make sure that the
password is entered exactly as found on
your router or access point.
My camera’s live video keeps
showing a spinning circle or fails to
load. What should I do?
Go back to the dashboard and start live
video from the camera again. You may be
experiencing camera streaming problems
because of the following:
• Limited bandwidth on your internet
connection, for example, other video
streaming services running at the same
time on your network can cause congestion
slowing down the internet upload and
download speeds.
• Wireless interference from other electronic
devices and nearby networks.
• Slow Wi-Fi connection due to the camera
receiving a weak Wi-Fi signal, for example,
the camera is too far away from your router/
access point.
If the camera’s live video still doesn’t load,
try closing the app completely and then
restarting it before starting live video again.
Make sure your smartphone has good internet
connection.
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Troubleshooting
I can't access my camera. The app is
showing my camera as “Offline”?
This could be due to one of the following
reasons:
• Your camera is not currently operational
because it is completely flat (out of battery)
or it has been turned off manually.
• There is a temporary connectivity issue
with your network which is causing your
camera to be unreachable. Try connecting
to your Wi-Fi network with another device
and check if it can access the internet.
- If other devices cannot connect to your
Wi-Fi network, there is most likely an issue
with your wireless connection. Try turning
your router/access point off and then on
again, wait a few minutes then check the
wireless connection.
- If other devices can connect to your Wi-Fi
network but not access the internet, there
is most likely an issue with your internet
connection, for example, there may be a
service outage at the moment—contact your
internet service provider for help.
- If other devices can connect to your Wi-Fi
network and access the internet, the issue is
most likely with your camera. Try restarting
your camera. Your camera may have failed
to reconnect and gone oine if your WiFi network was recently interrupted or
unavailable for a period of time. To learn how
to restart your camera, see "Restarting the
Camera" on page 35.
I've stopped receiving push
notifications from the app.
• Check that the SAFE by Swann app is
running in the background.
• Some versions of the Android operating
system automatically put apps to sleep
to conserve battery life when your
smartphone is not in use or when an
app hasn't been used for a few days. If
your smartphone utilizes this battery
optimization feature, you need to turn
off (or exclude) "battery optimization"
for the SAFE for Swann app so that you
don't miss any push notifications. See
your smartphone's manual for additional
information.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Battery Charging FAQ
How do I know when to charge my
camera?
For help deciding when to charge your camera:
• Your camera’s battery level can be viewed
within the app at any time.
• Your camera’s LED indicator will start
blinking purple when it begins to run low on
batter y.
• When the camera's battery level is at 20%,
you’ll receive a “Low in battery” push
notification.
• When the camera's battery level is at 10%,
you’ll receive a “Very low in battery” push
notification.
• When the camera is almost out of battery
(5% remaining), you'll receive a "Critically low
in battery" push notification. Charge your
camera as soon as possible before it runs out
of battery completely and shuts down.
Tip: You can recharge your camera at any time
whenever it's convenient— you don't have to
wait until the battery level gets very low before
recharging. For example, if you’ve spent some
time during the day streaming live video from
your camera, just plug it in for a charge to
replenish the battery.
How long does it take to recharge
my camera?
How fast your camera recharges is dependent
on the rating of the USB power adapter you’re
using. For example, a full charge using a DC5V
2.1A USB power charger, would typically take
up to 6 hours depending on how discharged
the camera’s battery is before charging. The
app will indicate when your camera has fully
recharged.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Account FAQ
Can I access my SAFE by Swann
account from another smartphone?
Can my camera be registered to
another SAFE by Swann account?
Yes, you are able sign into your SAFE by Swann
account on any supported smartphone. As
long as you install the SAFE by Swann app on
the new device and it is supported by our app
you'll be able to sign in and view your cameras
as well as playback motion events.
Note: Make sure to sign out of the app before
switching back to your primary smartphone
device.
A camera can only be registered to a single
SAFE by Swann account. If you want to register
the camera to another account (for example,
you are giving the camera to a friend), you'll
first need to unpair the camera from the
account it is currently registered to.
Note: Unpairing the camera from your
account will also cancel any subscription and
permanently delete all of the camera's motion
event video clips. Make sure to download any
important video clips that you want to keep
before unpairing the camera.
To unpair the camera:
1. From the dashboard, tap the drawer icon to
open the menu.
2. Tap Camera Settings.
3. Tap the name of the camera that you want
to remove from your account.
4. Under the Settings tab, scroll all the way
down to the bottom, and tap the Unpair
Camera button.
5. Tap the Yes, Delete button to confirm.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Account FAQ
How do I subscribe to a cloud plan? You can easily purchase a cloud subscription
for your camera through the app:
1. From the dashboard, tap the drawer icon to
open the menu.
2. Tap Camera Settings.
3. Tap the name of the camera that you want
to purchase a cloud subscription for.
4. Tap the Subscriptions tab.
5. Tap the Update Plan button.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to choose
the cloud subscription plan for your camera
and enter your payment information.
If other cameras are registered to your
account, you can also purchase cloud
subscriptions for them at the same time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Live & Playback Video FAQ
How do I watch videos in full screen? Turn your smartphone sideways. Make sure
your smartphone’s screen orientation is set to
auto-rotate or unlocked.
Why is my camera video in black and
white?
Why does the video from my camera
installed outdoors look blurry in the
morning?
Why does it sometimes take longer
than usual for the app to load the
camera’s live stream or motion event
video clip?
When there is not enough ambient light,
your camera’s night detection sensor will
automatically activate the built-in infrared LEDs
(you can see the visible faint red glow coming
from the LEDs), illuminating the area in front of
it, so that you can have a clear and proper view
of the scene. In night vision mode, the video
will appear in black and white.
The camera lens has most likely fogged up
because of the cold temperature overnight.
Simply wipe dry the lens using a micro-fibre
cloth. To prevent any future issues, move the
camera to a covered area such as under eaves
or an overhang, or if you want your camera
to remain where it currently is, you could try
installing a makeshift canopy or dew shield to
protect the camera lens.
Immediately after launching the app and
starting live video from your camera, there
may be some delay as the app attempts to
wake your camera and establish a connection.
Factors such as your internet connection
speed and the quality of your camera's WiFi connection can affect loading times.
Whether you use a Wi-Fi connection or cellular
connection when streaming can also make an
impact. As a general rule, streaming is usually
quicker on a smartphone that is connected
to the same Wi-Fi network as your camera.
When you stream using your smartphone's
cellular connection, loading times are often
reliant on the fluctuating nature of the mobile
coverage and signal reception, which if not
good enough at the time you want to start
streaming, can result in the video taking longer
time than usual to load.
When my camera’s live video is cut
off, the app takes a while to reestablish the stream again. How do I
prevent this?
To ensure continuous live video streaming,
please turn o your smartphone’s screen lock
function or set a longer idle time before your
smartphone’s screen turns o.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Activity Timeline & Motion Events FAQ
How far can I go back in the activity
timeline to view motion events
captured by my camera?
How do I delete motion events from
the activity timeline?
This will depend on whether your camera is on
a free or subscription cloud storage plan.
Motion events in the activity timeline will
eventually be deleted; when this happens is
based on your camera's cloud storage plan.
If, for any reason, you want to manually delete
a motion event from the activity timeline,
here's how to do it:
1. From the Activity screen, tap the motion
event you want to delete.
2. Tap the bin icon at the top right of the
Playback screen.
3. Confirm that you want to delete the event
video. Deleting the event video will remove
the motion event completely from the
activity timeline.
Note: Once deleted, the event video can no
longer be retrieved so if it's something you
want to keep, make sure to download the
video to your smartphone first.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Activity Timeline & Motion Events FAQ
How long is a motion event video
clip?
Is my camera still able to record
motion events if my internet
connection drops out?
Motion event video clips can be from
10 seconds up to a minute (in 10 second
increments) long.
The duration of each event video will vary
based on how long the activity the camera was
picking up went on for. After initial recording is
started, the camera checks again for motion at
the very end of every 10 second interval, and if
motion is detected, the recording will extend
for another 10 seconds. If no continuous
motion is detected (for example, person has
moved out of the motion sensor coverage area
or just standing still), the recording will stop at
the conclusion of the interval. Please note that
the maximum recording length possible for
any motion event is 60 seconds.
Your camera will continue to detect and record
motion events to its internal memory even if
your internet connection is down. Once your
internet connection comes back, your camera
will attempt to upload any motion event
videos to your cloud account.
How do I access motion event videos
stored on the internal memory of
the camera?
You can easily access and download the last 7
days of motion event video clips stored locally
on your camera. Here's how:
1. From the dashboard, tap the drawer icon to
open the menu.
2. Tap Camera Settings.
3. Tap the name of the camera that you want
to access.
4. Under the Settings tab, scroll down to SD
Card and tap "View Camera Backup".
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Frequently Asked Questions
Connectivity FAQ
Can I use my camera without an
internet connection?
Does the camera work on the 5 GHz
Wi-Fi network band?
How do I change my camera's Wi-Fi
network connection?
No, your camera requires a Wi-Fi network
connection with internet access to stream live
video to your smartphone and upload motion
event videos to the cloud.
Your camera can connect to either the 2.4
GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi network band. Set up your
camera on whichever signal is strongest at the
final installation location. As a general rule,
the 2.4 GHz band has greater range, is better
at penetrating physical obstacles like walls
but slower if many devices are using it at once
while the 5 GHz band offers higher speed at
a shorter range, less interference from other
wireless devices but doesn't penetrate walls
nearly as well as the 2.4 GHz band.
If you need to set up your camera on a
different Wi-Fi network at another location, or
if you've changed your Wi-Fi network's name
or password, simply pair your camera again.
See
"Changing the Wi-Fi Network on the Camera"
on page 29.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Firmware Upgrade FAQ
How do I find out if my camera has
the latest firmware?
A "Failed to communicate with
camera. Please try again" popup
appears during the camera firmware
update process. What should I do?
To determine if your camera has the latest
firmware, start live video from your camera,
tap the gear icon at the top right, then go to
the camera's About tab and view the firmware
information shown.
• If “DEVICE UP-TO-DATE” is shown, this
means your camera currently has the most
current firmware installed.
• If “PLUG IN PLOWER TO UPDATE
SOFTWARE” is shown, this means a new
version of the firmware is available for
your camera. To update your camera, see
"Updating the Camera Firmware" on
page 32.
Do not be concerned if you see this popup
message on the app. This may occur if you
try to stream your camera or if you remain on
the settings screen while the camera is being
updated. Simply close the popup and wait
for the app to notify you when the camera
firmware update is complete. You can also
check by observing the camera's IR LEDs—they
will stop blinking immediately after the new
firmware has been installed on the camera.
Do I have to update my camera in
order to continue using it?
Can I update all my cameras at once? You can only update your cameras one by
No, the app will continue working with
your camera as usual, however, it is highly
recommended to update to the latest
firmware for camera improvements along with
functionality and feature enhancements.
one. Simply return to the dashboard after
you've started the firmware update process
on your first camera and then follow the
same instructions to update your next camera
as described in "Updating the Camera
Firmware" on page 32.
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registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Google, Android, and Google Play are
trademarks of Google Inc.
© 2017 Swann Communications
MSAFEAPPVER1E
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