Wyze Camera Not Recognizing SD Card? – (Try These Fixes)

Is your Wyze camera not recognizing SD card? Keep reading, as this guide will help you out!

Failed readings of the SD tray are a common fault with Wyze cameras and are primarily caused by an SD card issue, malfunction of the tray, or improper formatting settings.

We’ll do our best to help you understand the problem and help you apply some expert Wyze troubleshooting.

If your Wyze camera isn’t reading the inserted microSD, reinsert the card, clean the tray compartment, and format the external storage. Also, format your microSD card to FAT or exFAT and perform a factory reset.

Let’s learn more!

Why is My Wyze Outdoor Camera Not Recognizing SD Card?

The Wyze camera’s SD reading might fail due to power issues, formatting troubles, or Wyze application issues.

Addressing problems with a Wyze camera’s microSD recognition requires a decent knowledge of how external microstorage functions, so let’s review all possible causes.

Here’s why the Wyze camera isn’t recognizing the inserted SD card:

How Do microSD Cards Function?

The Wyze camera’s smart capabilities allow it to record fragments of its live stream and store the recordings either using a cloud or physical SD storage.

The microSD card provides the camera with external storage used for saving the recordings and providing viewing access.

Such external storage is primarily used with monitoring units such as your Wyze camera since the device has no storage.

Another option is to use a cloud to back up the recordings made by the Wyze camera, but this approach requires a fast and stable Wi-Fi connection.

Wyze Camera Not Recognizing SD Card – Working Solutions

Tip: Follow the expert solutions in consecutive order!

1. Soft Reset the Wyze Camera

You can address non-lasting issues with the Wyze camera by initiating a soft reboot of the security unit through the Wyze mobile application.

The Wyze app is mandatory during the camera setup, so you should already have the application installed on your mobile device.

Here’s how to soft reset the Wyze camera through the Wyze mobile app:

1. Open the Wyze app on your Android or Apple iOS device.
2. Tap on “Settings” in the top-right corner of Wyze’s screen.
3. Scroll down to “Advanced Settings” → “Restart Device.”
4. Wait for 30-40 seconds while the Wyze unit is rebooting.

While the camera is offloaded from the system, you will be unable to access the live broadcast of the unit through the Wyze application.

All LED lights on the camera will also go off, and upon completing the reboot successfully, the frontal LED lamp should blink multiple times to indicate.

2. Reinsert the microSD Card

The camera might have failed to recognize the microSD due to improper placement of the card within the Wyze camera’s tray.

So, the next step is to remove the card from your Wyze camera, inspect the SD tray for obstructions or dust accumulation, and place the card back into the slot.

Follow these instructions to reinsert the microSD card of your Wyze camera:

1. Unplug the outdoor A/C adapter of your Wyze camera unit.
2. Access the microSD compartment from your Wyze camera.
3. Next, remove the SD card from the socket by pulling it out.
4. After that, wait for 40 seconds while the SD card is removed.
5. Clean any dust on the camera’s tray and onto the card itself.
6. Push the microSD card back into the Wyze camera’s socket.
7. Reconnect the power supply of the camera unit and then test.

Tip: You can use a solution of rubbing alcohol, a cleaning mixture, and a microfiber cloth for dust removal.

3. Power Cycle the Wyze Camera

If taking the SD card out and placing it back in did not affect the unit’s recognition, it is strongly advised to discharge the Wyze camera by conducting a power cycle. 

By power cycling the hardware, you will discharge all electricity from the Wyze unit and resolve hardware issues, which may be responsible for the card recognition.

Here’s how to reboot and power cycle the Wyze camera in easy steps:

1. Unplug the outdoor adapter from the Wyze camera’s port.
2. Disconnect the other end of the cable from the A/C outlet.
3. Wait for about 5-10 seconds while the camera discharges.
4. Reconnect the power cable of the Wyze unit on both ends.
5. Check if your microSD is recognized once Wyze starts up.

Tip: Inspect the physical condition of the camera’s outdoor adapter!

4. Format the Card Through the Wyze App

You can initiate the SD card’s storage formatting through the Wyze Camera app available for Android and iOS devices.

This is one of the most effective ways to reset the microSD card, which has helped many users experiencing the same Wyze camera recognition problem.

Warning: Formatting the card will erase all stored videos and content!

Here’s how to start the formatting of the SD card through the Wyze app:

1. Verify that the SD card is placed within Wyze’s card tray.
2. Open the Wyze app on a mobile Android or iOS device.
3. Select your camera’s live stream from the settings below.
4. After that, tap on “Advanced Settings” → “Local Storage”
5. Finally, scroll down and select the “Format” button below.

The process may take a few minutes, based on whether the card is brand new or has videos and data saved in its storage.

When the process is done, reinsert the microSD card and test.

Tip: If you cannot find the formatting setting, update the Wyze app’s firmware!

5. Format the Card in FAT/exFAT Format

When using a computer to format the microSD card, you can assign a specific file format for the storage, making the card compatible with the Wyze camera. 

The format is one of the most common reasons Wyze cameras do not recognize the card, so using a computer to select the correct format should help.

All you will need is a computer and a compatible USB cable, based on the type of your camera unit.

Here’s how to format the microSD drive of your Wyze camera:

1. Verify that the microSD card is inserted into the camera.
2. Connect one end of the USB cable to your PC or laptop.
3. Connect the other end to the USB on your Wyze camera.
4. Open the directory folder once your Wyze is recognized.
5. Access the settings of the camera and go to “Storage.”
6. Tap the folder name of the inserted microSD card unit.
7. Then, right-click the microSD card and click “Format.”
8. Select “FAT32” from the available file systems below.
9. Provide a volume label and press on “Start” to format.

Alert: Do not cancel the formatting procedure, or you may damage the SD card’s directory!

6. Factory Reset the Wyze Camera

Sometimes, the microSD card is not recognized by the Wyze camera because of the camera and not the card.

In those cases, one of the most effective ways to solve the problem is the factory reset, which can be applied on any Wyze camera within minutes.

Here’s how to restore the default settings of the Wyze camera in easy steps:

1. Verify that the Wyze camera’s outdoor adapter is plugged in.
2. Locate the “Setup” button on the camera’s outer compartment.
3. Hold the button for 10 seconds to start the Wyze factory reset.
4. Release the button once the camera’s setup LED blinks twice.

Once the reset has started, do not interact with the camera and allow the process to complete.

When ready, re-insert the microSD card and check whether the recognition issue is now gone.

Reminder: The reset can last up to 5 minutes after releasing the “Setup” button!

7. Replace the microSD Card

There’s a high chance that the SD card is either not supported by the Wyze camera or no longer functions appropriately, and that’s why it doesn’t get recognized.

Hence, we can’t conclude what is wrong before attempting a fresh, supported microSD card.

Here’s what the replacement you need that Wyze camera supports:

• 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB in FAT32 format. 
• Up to 256 GB microSD in exFAT format.

Tip: You can check if Wyze has detected the new SD card through the mobile app!

Quick Recap:

To fix whenever the Wyze camera does not recognize the SD card, reinsert your card, clean the card tray, and power cycle the Wyze camera.

If the problem persists, format the SD card via computer and reset the camera’s settings to default.

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