How to watch video from Xiaomi camera: all ways + fixing

Xiaomi video cameras are some of the most popular smart video surveillance devices, thanks to their combination of price, quality and easy handling. But even experienced users sometimes have difficulty viewing stored records. Where are the videos stored? How to download them to your phone or computer? Why does the application not show the archive? In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to view recordings from the Xiaomi Mi Home Security Camera, Xiaomi Home Camera 360 cameras.°, Xiaomi Smart Camera C400 Other models, from basic to advanced methods.

We will focus on common errors: why the camera does not save video to the memory card, how to restore access to the cloud archive, and what to do if the record “disappeared” after updating the firmware. You will also find step-by-step instructions with screenshots (for key steps) and a table of compatibility of viewing methods with different camera models. If you are looking for a specific method, use the table of contents below.

1. View recordings through the official Mi Home app

The most obvious and versatile way is to use the branded Mi Home app (or Xiaomi Home for newer versions), which is suitable for all modern cameras of the brand, including Xiaomi Mi Home Security Camera. 2K, Xiaomi Smart Camera C300 The Xiaomi Mi Home Camera is a budget model. 1080p. The main advantage of this method is access to real-time records and archives for the last 7-30 days (depending on the cloud settings).

To view the records:

• 📱 Open the Mi Home app and log in to your account (it should be tied to the camera).
• 🏠 On the home screen, find your camera in the list of devices and tap on its icon.
• 📼 In the bottom menu, select the Records tab (or Cloud Storage for cloud video).
• 🔍 Use a calendar or a time slider to pick the right day and hour, and the motion videos will be marked with yellow tags.

If there are no records or they are displayed incorrectly, check:

• ⚡ Connecting the camera to the Internet (the indicator of the network on the device should be green or blue).
• 💾 Cloud Storage Settings: Subscription may have expired or Live Only mode enabled».
• 🔄 Updates to firmware: in older versions of the software, cameras could not save video to a memory card.

⚠️ Note: If the camera is connected via 5GHz Wi-Fi and your phone uses 2.4GHz, there may be problems accessing the archive.

2 Access to records via microSD card

Many Xiaomi models support writing to microSD cards (up to 128 GB for most devices), which is convenient if you do not want to pay for cloud storage or need a long-term archive.

• 🔄 Cameras format the map in its proprietary format, so read it on a PC without special software will not work.
• 📁 Videos are stored in encrypted folders with names like XMCamera or record.
• ⏳ When you extract the card, the camera can reset the recording settings.

Instructions for viewing:

1. Remove the memory card from the camera (pre-disabling the power of the device!).
2. Insert it into the card reader and connect it to a computer or phone.
3. Download the official Xiaomi Home Security Camera Tool (available on Xiaomi’s website) to decrypt the video.
4. Start the program, specify the path to the memory card and wait for the processing of files.

Make sure the map is formatted in FAT32|Check whether the microSD camera model (see table below)|Turn off the camera from power before removing the card|Use a card reader with support USB 3.0 for fast transmission-->

If the utility does not recognize the card:

• 🛠️ Try formatting it right in the camera settings (Settings) → Warehouse → Format a map).
• 🔄 Update your camera firmware to the latest version (sometimes older versions don’t support cards) >64GB).

3. View through Xiaomi Cloud Cloud Storage

Xiaomi Cloud offers two storage rates: Basic (7 free archive days) and Premium (30 days per record) ~300 rubles/month. The main advantage is access to video from any device, even if the camera broke or was stolen.

How to use the cloud:

1. Open Mi Home → Choose a camera → Cloud Storage.
2. If the subscription is not active, click Activate Trial Period (usually given 7 days free).
3. Select the right day on the calendar. The motion videos will be highlighted.
4. To download, click on the record and select Save to the device.

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If the cloud doesn’t show records, check your account geolocation. Xiaomi can block cloud access for sanctioned regions (e.g. Russia), and the solution is to change your account region to China or Singapore in the Mi Account settings.

Typical problems and solutions:

• 🚫 «Cloud Unavailable: Check if your subscription has expired or if your account is blocked for suspicious activity.
• ⏳ «Records are loaded too long: try switching from mobile to Wi-Fi or reducing the quality of video in the app settings.
• 🔒 «Two-factor authentication is required: connect SMS-Confirmation in Mi Account settings.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi can automatically delete recordings from the cloud if the camera has been disconnected from the Internet for a long time (more than 3 days.

4. viewing of computer records (via FTP local-network)

For advanced users, there is a way to connect to the camera directly over a local network or FTP-It's relevant if you're talking about:

• 🌐 You don’t want to use a cloud or memory card.
• 🖥️ You need to integrate the camera into your smart home system (e.g. Home Assistant).
• 🔧 Access to raw video streams for analysis is required.

Instructions for connecting FTP:

1. Make sure that the camera and computer are connected to the same network (via router).
2. In the Mi Home app, go to Camera Settings → Additionally. → Local network and enable the option FTP-server.
3. Write down the data for connection: IP-Camera address, port (21), login and password (usually matching Wi-Fi data).
4. On the PC, open the Explorer → type in the address bar ftp://[IP-camera] → Enter the login/password.
5. Download the necessary files from the folder /record or /snapshot.

To connect to RTSP (streaming):

rtsp://[IP- Camera address]/live/ch00_0


(for models with authentication):




rtsp://[login]:[password]@[IP-address]/live/ch00_0

Not all Xiaomi models support FTP/RTSP. For example, Xiaomi Mi Home Camera 1080p It may require a firmware hack to activate these functions.

5.Recovery of deleted or lost records

If Suddenly records have disappeared from a memory card or cloud, don't panic - they can often be recovered.

For memory cards:

• 🛠️ Use data recovery software such as Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery or PhotoRec. They scan the map for deleted files.
• 🔍 When scanning, select the Deep Analysis mode and specify the file format.mp4 or.dat (they often store video from Xiaomi cameras).
• 💾 If the card is corrupted, try reading it on another device or through Linux (sometimes Windows doesn't recognize the file system).

For cloud records:

• 📧 Write in support of Xiaomi (via the Mi Home app) → Profile → Feedback) with the time of loss of records, sometimes they can be restored by server logs.
• 🔄 Check the Recycle Bin in Cloud Storage (available within 7 days of deletion).

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If the camera was reset to factory settings, all local records (on the memory card) will be deleted without recovery, while cloud recordings will remain available for the duration of the subscription.

If nothing helps:

• 📹 Check if High Sensitivity Motion Recording is enabled – the camera may not have saved the video due to lack of activity.
• ⚡ Make sure there is enough space on the memory card (Xiaomi cameras automatically overwrite old files when memory is scarce).

Alternative methods: NAS, ONVIF and third-party applications

For smart home enthusiasts, there are more flexible solutions:

1. Connection NAS-server (Synology, QNAP):

• 🖥️ Set it on NAS Surveillance Station Application.
• 🔗 Add a Xiaomi camera as ONVIF-device (required to be switched on) ONVIF camera-setting).
• 📁 Set up automatic record saving to the server.

2.Use of ONVIF integration with third-party systems:

• 🔧 Turn on the protocol. ONVIF in the camera settings (Settings) → Network → ONVIF).
• 🔑 Create a login/password for ONVIF (major).
• 📡 Connect your camera to software like Blue Iris, iSpy or ZoneMinder.

3. Third-party applications (Android only):

• 📱 TinyCam Pro – supports most Xiaomi cameras and allows you to view archives without the cloud.
• 📱 IP Cam Viewer – Can Work with You RTSP-streams and local records.

⚠️ Attention: When in use ONVIF or FTP Turn off camera access from the internet (close ports 21, 554, 80 in router settings) to avoid hacking. Xiaomi cameras are often targeted by botnets because of weak default passwords.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Let’s discuss the most common problems and specific ways to eliminate them:

If none of these methods worked, try:

• 🔄 Reset the camera to factory settings (Reset button on the case, hold 10 seconds).
• 📋 Check the error log in the Mi Home application (Profile) → Devices → Book of errors).
• 📧 Contact Xiaomi with logs and screenshots of the problem.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions