Cameras · Troubleshooting guide
Live video works—why can’t I find the recorded footage?
Check time selection, access, retention and recovery from an outage before concluding that video is missing.
Draft · Nov 13, 2026 · 4 min read
Editorial review pending. This sample article demonstrates the design; verify model-specific instructions before use.
Before you start
For a camera with a working live view but unavailable or buffering historical footage. This guide does not promise recovery of overwritten or never-recorded video.
Find the right troubleshooting path
| What you observe | What to investigate | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Live view only for one user | History permission may differ | Ask an authorized viewer to check the same interval. |
| History buffers during fast playback | Viewing demand may be high | Try one camera at normal speed and SQ. |
| Camera just recovered from an outage | History may still be synchronizing | Record the recovery time and recheck. |
Use these observations to narrow the cause; they are not a definitive diagnosis.
Work through the checks
Fix the camera and time interval
Write down the camera name, serial, incident date, time zone and a start/end time. Open Cameras, select the camera and use History to choose that interval. Check surrounding minutes too; an event marker is a navigation aid, not proof that all other time has no footage.
Reference: View Historical Footage (opens in a new tab)Separate buffering from absence
Use a single camera at normal playback speed. Try the history player’s SQ option to reduce viewing demand. If the interval plays at SQ but stalls at higher quality or speed, investigate the viewing path before reporting a recording gap.
Reference: View Historical Footage (opens in a new tab)Check access with the site administrator
Live-only access does not grant history access. Have an authorized administrator compare the same camera and interval with an account that should see recorded video. Correct only the permissions required for the person’s job; a broad administrator role is not a troubleshooting shortcut.
Reference: Roles and Permissions for Cameras (opens in a new tab)Account for a recent network outage
A powered camera may continue recording while disconnected, and history can take time to synchronize after reconnection. Note whether power was also lost, how long the network was unavailable and when the device returned. Recheck after synchronization rather than rebooting a recovering camera.
Reference: Camera Network Settings (opens in a new tab)Check the available recording window
Compare the requested date with the camera’s actual available history and configured retention. For a newly installed device, verify when recording began. Preserve any available incident interval as an archive promptly; changing retention now should not be treated as a way to recreate missing past footage.
Reference: View Historical Footage (opens in a new tab)
Verify the result
Play the beginning, middle and end of the requested interval. Record any exact gaps, the account used and the playback quality. Confirm the result with the person who reported the incident before closing the ticket.
If the issue remains
Send support the exact interval and time zone, serial, outage/recovery timeline and whether another authorized viewer sees the same gap. Distinguish “won’t load” from “loads but contains a gap.”
Official Verkada walkthrough
Watch the official tutorial
Official Verkada tutorial linked from the product documentation. Interface details may differ from your current Command version.
Official documentation
Sources checked November 13, 2026. Monarch’s diagnostic sequence combines these references with practical verification checks. Editorial review pending.
Join the conversation
Share what worked for you, or ask a follow-up. No account needed.
Operations manager
The time-zone note is useful when someone reports an incident from another office.
Support technician
I ask whether it buffers or shows a real gap now. Those used to get reported as the same problem.