How Do I View Alarm.com Onboard Recorded Video from an SD Card?

You can view Alarm.com onboard recorded video from an SD card by accessing the Smart View feature in the Alarm.com website or mobile app. The option to view the onboard recording timeline will only be available once you have created an onboard recording schedule for at least one camera.

The Alarm.com Camera Onboard Recording feature allows a compatible Alarm.com Camera to store footage locally on a Micro SD card. The recorded footage can then be viewed remotely using the Alarm.com website or mobile app. Alarm.com refers to this as Smart View. The onboard recording feature will go into effect and begin working once you have properly configured an onboard recording schedule for at least one camera. You can begin reviewing recorded footage once it is available.

Remember that only footage currently stored on the inserted Micro SD card will be made available. Once the card becomes full, as new footage is recorded, the camera makes space by deleting the oldest footage. Make sure to permanently save any important footage before it is deleted. Once onboard footage has been deleted, there is no way that it can be recovered. The minimum capacity for the Micro SD card is 32GB, and the maximum is 512GB. To learn how to estimate how much footage can be stored on a Micro SD card, check out this FAQ.

For this FAQ, we will assume that you have already paired one or more compatible cameras with your Alarm.com account, installed a compatible Micro SD card inside the camera, and set up at least one onboard recording schedule. If you do not see the option for onboard recording, check with your alarm dealer, this feature will need to be enabled for your account. We will also assume that the camera has already recorded some footage so that there is some available for viewing. We will cover both the website and the mobile app for accessing Smart View in this FAQ.

Complete the following steps to view Alarm.com Onboard Recorded Video from a Micro SD Card using the Alarm.com website:

1. Login to ADC Website. Open a compatible web browser, and log in to your Alarm.com account. Complete any two-factor authentication (2FA) if applicable.

2. Access the Onboard Timeline. Click the Video option on the left-hand side. Then select the option for Onboard Timeline. This option will only be available if there is onboard recording footage to view. From there, you can use the Video Device dropdown menu to select a camera. Only compatible cameras that have been properly configured for onboard recording will be displayed. Then press the Play Button (triangle inside of a circle) to begin streaming the onboard video footage.

3. Stream the footage. You should then be able to watch the recorded footage. It may be a good idea to adjust the Timeline Scale with the Hour and Day options. You can use the arrow buttons (< & >) to skip ahead or backward by the Timeline Scale settings. Or press the calendar icon to select a specific playback date and time. Also note the icons on the timeline that represent certain events, such as doors being locked or opened.

Complete the following steps to view Alarm.com Onboard Recorded Video from a Micro SD Card using the Alarm.com Mobile App:

1. Login to ADC App. Open the Alarm.com Mobile App on your Android or iOS device. Login to your account, and complete any two-factor authentication (2FA) if necessary.

2. Access the Onboard Timeline. After logging into your account, press the Menu Button (three horizontal bars) located at the top left of the screen. Then choose Video, followed by the 24/7 option. Make sure the appropriate camera is selected in the upper-left corner. You can then press the Play Button (triangle inside a rectangle) to begin watching and navigating through the onboard recorded footage.

3. Stream the footage. Just like on the website, you will have a timeline that you can use to find the footage you want. Unlike the website, the mobile app portal will not display icons on the timeline to represent certain events. However, you can still set a Timeline Scale so that you can easily skip and backtrack to the footage you need to review.