The SAMi system relies on both your iOS device and the SAMi Camera to store recordings. While the camera handles the initial recording, your iPhone or iPad is where those recordings are transferred for viewing, alarms, and long-term access. Running out of space on your iOS device can impact this process, but SAMi is designed to handle storage intelligently.

Below is everything you need to know to ensure no important recordings are lost.

🎥 Where Are Recordings Stored?

When a recording is made:

1. The SAMi Camera records the event locally to its internal microSD card.

2. When your iOS device is connected to the SAMi Camera and the SAMi App is open, those recordings are automatically transferred to the SAMi App on your iOS device for review.

💾 How Much Can the SAMi Camera Store?

The SAMi Camera’s microSD card can hold up to 5,000 minutes of footage—that’s approximately 83 hours of recordings.

• There’s no need to manually delete recordings from the camera.

• The camera automatically manages its storage by deleting the oldest recordings first as space fills up.

• However, if your iOS device doesn’t have enough space and has not yet received the video, that footage may be deleted from the camera before it transfers, and will be permanently lost.

⚠️ That’s why it’s very important to regularly delete older recordings from your iPhone or iPad that you no longer need. This ensures there’s always room for new videos to transfer from the camera. 

Not sure how to delete videos? Read: How do I delete individual, multiple, or all recordings in the SAMi app?

🚫 What Happens If My iOS Device Runs Out of Space?

If your iOS device runs out of available storage:

• New videos will no longer transfer from the SAMi Camera.

• The camera will keep recording as long as its internal storage allows.

• If the camera reaches its storage limit and needs to record new events, older untransferred videos may be deleted before they reach your iOS device—resulting in permanent data loss.

• You will not receive any alert if a recording fails to transfer due to iOS storage issues.

📲 Important Notes About Device-to-Device Transfers

• Recordings are only transferred to an iOS device when:

  • The SAMi App is open.

  • The device is connected to the SAMi Camera.

• If you have multiple iOS devices (e.g., an iPhone and iPad):

  • Recordings are not automatically shared between devices.

  • A video transferred to one device will not appear on the other unless it was separately transferred while that device was connected and open.

⚙️ How to Manage and Prevent Storage Issues

1. ✅ Delete Unneeded Recordings

Regularly delete older or unnecessary recordings from within the SAMi App. Not sure how to delete videos? Read: How do I delete individual, multiple, or all recordings in the SAMi app?

2. ✅ Enable Automatic Transfers

Make sure automatic transfers are turned on:

• Open SAMi App → Settings → Storage → Toggle “Enable Automatic Recording Transfers” to ON.

3. ✅ Set a Storage Limit

Adjust how much space the SAMi App is allowed to use:

• Go to Settings → Storage → Choose a storage limit that works for you. It will automatically be on the maximum amount of storage to start. 

4. ✅ Use Motion-Only Recording

Limit recordings to relevant events:

• Open Settings → Camera Settings → Set Recording Mode to “Motion Only”.

• This helps reduce the number of unwanted or continuous recordings.

5. ✅ Set a Recording Schedule

Control when the camera records:

• Open Settings → Camera Settings → Set a Recording Schedule so the camera only records during specific hours.

• This drastically reduces unnecessary recordings and preserves storage on both the camera and your iOS device.

🛡️ Tips to Prevent Storage Issues

• Keep an eye on your iPhone/iPad’s available storage in Settings > General > Storage.

• Periodically delete older or unneeded recordings within the SAMi App.

• Use a device with ample storage if possible (32GB+ recommended for frequent overnight monitoring).

• Export and back up important recordings to your computer for long-term storage.

📋 Summary