Frequently Asked Questions
Check most frequently asked questions here for hints, tips and help. The vast majority of customer questions and issues are solved quickly here. If you still need help, please visit our Contact Us page.
Here's a video to help you, or you can download your inbox camera instructions on the link:
Please click our WIFI Set Up and User Guide Link:
You will find instructions of how to set up and also a description of all the settings and how to use your camera here.
Monitoring Livestock, Ponies / Horses?
Your settings may not be correct, causing excessive data usage. Here's a video to help optimise settings for animal monitoring as opposed to using cameras for securing remote loctions. Step by step instructions also below:
It is quite common with a new 4G camera to use a lot of data initially as customers get used to the settings and enjoy the 'novelty factor', or they have their settings incorrectly set for their type of use (such as monitoring animals rather than security).
Please read to the end to get tips to get the correct settings for your usage:
How is data consumed?
Data is consumed in the following situations:
- Notifications of activity to your phone (uses very small amounts of data but if the camera is always armed in front of livestock, this can be unecessary and expensive as it continually activates)
- Connecting to your phone for live streaming, changing settings, playing back videos from SD card etc (uses a higher amount of data)
- Playing back video from the SD card in the camera (uses the highest amount of data)
As a rule of thumb to save data and reduce data costs, minimise the amount of time you spend connected to your camera. Little and often to check all is OK is good practice.
Try to minimise the time you spend playing back videos on your SD card. If you see a video of interest, download it to your phone's photo file (tap circle with down arrow). From there it is safely kept and can be viewed without incurring unnecessary data costs from your camera.
Monitoring Livestock or Animals:
If using the camera to monitor livestock (such as checking in on lambing or on a horse in a stable every now and again) rather than using for security activations to protect property, please check your camera settings. To preserve both data usage and power charge, visit your camera settings and ensure the following:
Open APP
- Tap ‘Me’ icon – bottom left of screen
- Tap ‘Common Settings’
- Tap ‘Default Resolution’ and tap SD (standard definition, which uses less data than HD high definition)
- Tap ‘back button’
- Tap ‘Device’ icon bottom left (this will take you back to your APP home screen.
Then…
Connect to your Camera (tap on the Camera Image you wish to connect to).
Open Settings
- Tap on settings ‘cog’ icon top, right of screen)
- Tap ‘Schedule Settings’: Turn OFF all shedules
- Tap ‘Activity Detection’: Turn OFF all motion detection
You will then be optimised to save power and data!
If you are using more than 1GB of data a month, consider upgrading to 3GB or 5GB with your GM Data SIM or your SIM provider.
It is quite common with a new 4G camera to use a lot of data initially as customers get used to the settings and enjoy the 'novelty factor', or they have their settings incorrectly set for their type of use (such as monitoring animals rather than security).
Please read on:
How is data consumed?
Data is consumed in the following situations:
- Notifications of activity to your phone (uses very small amounts of data but if the camera is always armed in front of livestock, this can be unecessary and expensive as it continually activates)
- Connecting to your phone for live streaming, changing settings, playing back videos from SD card etc (uses a higher amount of data)
- Playing back video from the SD card in the camera (uses the highest amount of data)
As a rule of thumb to save data and reduce data costs, minimise the amount of time you spend connected to your camera. Little and often to check all is OK is good practice.
Try to minimise the time you spend playing back videos on your SD card. If you see a video of interest, download it to your phone's photo file (tap circle with down arrow). From there it is safely kept and can be viewed without incurring unnecessary data costs from your camera.
An enabled SIM inserted correctly should give you the following light sequence when pairing:
Switch ON camera:
- Red light
- Red then blue light alternating slowly (searching for network)
- Red and blue light flashing quickly (making connection)
- Solid Blue light (connection to 4G network successful)
Please Check:
- Has the SIM been activated with the network provider? (If GM Data SIMs, follow the instructions to register the SIM on the letter provided with the SIM card)
- Is there network availability at your location? (SIMs provided by us will work across all UK networks and latch on to the strongest, however there may be black spots in rare cases or in some buildings 4G coverage is poor - try a different location)
- Is the SIM inserted correctly? Ensure the SIM is in the slot the correct way round and has been pushed in fully (until it clicks - see video in FAQ 'How Do I Set Up My 4G Camera). You may need to use the handle of the supplied tweezers to push in fully. The SIM slot is spring loaded, so an inserted SIM would need to be gently pushed in again to release.
The above steps should resolve the issue. If not, refer to the instructions on the link below to set up your camera, and get in touch if you are still struggling.
If your camera has started to show an offline status, this shouldn’t be a problem. It is either:
- No credit on your SIM card (if 4G model)
- No WIFI signal (if WIFI model)
- No power in camera
There are a couple of things to check...
Using a GM Data SIM?
Log into your GM Data SIM account here: www.gmdatasims.co.uk/login
Check your data usage/balance. If you need more data, scroll down the page and select the next highest plan available to upgrade. Once you have upgraded, your camera should soon come back online. In rare cases, you may need to visit the camera, turn OFF and then back ON again.
Using a 1P Mobile SIM?
The SIM comes with £10 credit and requires registration on the 1pMobile website to use this credit and manage top-ups etc.
Please note if the SIM has not been registered it will work briefly using its 'test' credit but will then go off line until it is registered and the preloaded £10 will start being used.
You must Register Your SIM. To do this, you will need:
The phone number associated with the SIM, and the PUK (also known as Registration Code), both providers on the letter the SIM came with.
Go to:
www.1pmobile.com/register
Follow the instructions on screen to set up your account.
SIM
Check your SIM network account on the website of your network provider, to see the credit left. If the camera is being heavily used, you may wan to refer to the FAQ 'My Data Has Run Out Quickly' and check your settins are correct and get tips to reduce your data usage.
SIGNAL
It may be a weak or variable 4G signal. It may 'dip in and out' of service without you doing anything. If so, look at a different position for the camera or a different network SIM with a stronger signal for your location (our cameras work with any UK network). You may wish to consider using a GM Data SIM which is our own multi-network SIM and can be purchased here: Get GM Data SIM
POWER
If it has had heavy usage and the power has been run down, then it will recharge and come back on line when some charge received. The solar panel will trickle charge the camera whenever there is daylight (ensure no obstruction of the panel and try to position where it is likely to get sunlight when available as this will charge it quicker).
NB If power is the issue, please check FAQ 'My Camera Is Losing Power or Not Charging Fast'
It should be one of the above. Please use process of elimination.
TEST IF THE ISSUE IS WITH THE SIM OR THE CAMERA:
Test 1:
1. Remove your SIM from the camera and insert into your smart phone.
2. Turn off WIFI on your phone.
Do you get 4G bars? Can you load a website and stream E.g. You Tube?
If yes, then the SIM if fine.
If no, then check your SIM for credit and signal and consider a different SIM in your camera.
Test 2:
1. Assuming your smartphone works in the camera location, turn off the camera, insert your phone SIM into the camera and switch on.
Do you get a solid blue light?
Yes: Then the issue is with the SIM (credit of network). You may want to consider purchasing a different SIM from elsewhere on a different network etc.
No: Then the issue could be with the camera and we encourage you to get in touch via our Contact Us page.
Register GM Data SIM:
Before you can use a GM Data SIM, you need to register it here:
Please note, you will need the letter that came with the SIM card to do this.
Register Your GM Data SIM Here
How to Top Up / Upgrade Your GM Data SIM Plan
If you are using a GM Data SIM issued with your camera, please log into your GM Data SIM account here: www.gmdatasims.co.uk/login scroll down your dashboard until you see where you can upgrade to a higher plan or purchase a Data Boost if no higher plan available.
How to Top Up Your 1P Mobile SIM
If you are using a 1P Mobile SIM (issued with your camera if purchased before Autumn 2024), please login to your 1P Mobile account here and follow the instructions: www.1pmobile.com/login If you have difficulty, consider purchasing a GM Data SIM from us which is cheaper per GB and will find the strongest network in your location:
If you are using any other SIM card please refer to your SIM provider for help.
The SIM we supply with our cameras is our own multi-network data SIM, which finds and uses the strongest UK network in your camera's location.
Data usage really depends on usage, however...
As an indicator, our test cameras in rural North Yorkshire are used for security purposes and use less than 1GB data per month (£6.99 using our own GM Data SIMs) with us connecting to the camera to check activity momentarily approx 2-4 times a day.
Customers who monitor animals may use more data than this, with typical usage being 1-5GB data/month. We always insist customers check their camera settings to ensure they are correct for the purpose of their camera to minimise unecessary data use.
Data costs will vary depending on usage and time live streaming, however you can choose different plans with the SIM we provide or choose different SIMs from other providers.
If you have an SD installed (as we recommend to save the need to pay for a Cloud suscription), this quick video shows you how to access, play and download any of the automatic recordings of clips on your camera remotely from your APP.
*Please note repeatedly playing back recordings on a 4G camera may use data quickly. We recommend best practice to only view clips of interest and then download them to your phone for safekeeping where they can be played back without consuming data.
Quick Guide:
- Open App
- Tap the camera view image to connect to the camera.
- Tap the 'cloud' icon (bottom right of the camera's view image).
- It will now display an SD card icon (also known and displayed as TF card).
- All recordings of the day (if any) will be listed below the camera view image allowing you to play or download for safekeeping.
You can add several cameras, either WIFI or 4G to your app and name them accordingly so you know which camera is alerting you.
Here's a short video to run though this simple process:
Step by Step:
- Open App
- Locate and tap (+) icon, (top left of screen)
- Select / tap Setup WIFI Device, or Setup 4G Device button depending on your type of camera
- Follow onscreen instructions and name your cameras accordingly
Please click on and refer to the user manual depending on which camera you have. A full description of icons and functions are included in each manual:
Firstly you must ask your 'guest' to download the UBOX App using their own email address.
- Guest must download UBOX app and register their account with an email address.
- Open your UBOX app to view your paired cameras.
- You will see icons below each camera. Touch the icon (circle with arrow pointing to 1 O'clock) of the camera you wish to share.
- Click the 'Share' button.
- Enter the email address of the guest who has registered their new UBOX account.
- Choose what access you would like them to have.
- When done, the guest will receive a notification to confirm the access you have given.
NB. You can also remove the guest and change permissions from here too.
Monitoring Livestock or Animals?
If using the camera to monitor livestock (such as checking in on lambing or on a horse in a stable every now and again) rather than using for security activations to protect property, please check your camera settings. If you leave your camera on 'default settings' your camera will continually be activated 24/7 with the movement of your animals which will drain power and data very quickly (and unecessarily).
To preserve both data usage and power charge, visit your camera settings and ensure the following:
Open APP
- Tap ‘Me’ icon – bottom left of screen
- Tap ‘Common Settings’
- Tap ‘Default Resolution’ and tap SD (standard definition, which uses less power and data than HD high definition)
- Tap ‘back button’
- Tap ‘Device’ icon bottom left (this will take you back to your APP home screen.
Then…
Connect to your Camera (tap on the Camera Image you wish to connect to).
Open Settings
- Tap on settings ‘cog’ icon top, right of screen)
- Tap ‘Schedule Settings’: Turn OFF all shedules
- Tap ‘Activity Detection’: Turn OFF all motion detection
You will then be optimised to significantly save power and data!
General Usage / Security Etc
Our solar cameras require daylight to charge. As we go from late autumn into winter, daylight hours in the UK reduce by nearly 50% compared to June. Please note that your cameras are only getting 50% of the charging opportunity on their solar panel compared to high summer. Please consider making some changes in how you use your camera and the settings to reduce power consumption at these times. In some situations the camera may consume power more quickly than it can be charged. Additionally, with the earlier times for darkness, customers may be visiting their cameras more often to monitor all is OK.
Here are some tips to keep your cameras running during the shorter days…
Ensure your solar panel is positioned to receive optimum light when available (unobstructed view to the sky, not in shade, ideally south facing).
Go to Settings:
Reduce Unwanted Activations (every activation will record, using power on the camera)
Activity Detection: Every time your camera is armed you can set sensitivity to Low Med and High. Your camera is using power to notify you and record activity. Reduce this to Low if you are getting many ‘false alarms’ or activations of no interest to you as this will just drain power.
- Alarm Area: Exclude any areas from your camera view that is causing activations that you do not want such as a road or public footpath. Ensure your camera is only armed to activate for your secure area only.
Schedule Setting
Ensure your camera is armed only at times when you want to secure your property, the times when you would least expect there to be activity when you are your staff have left the location. If the camera is armed 24/7 unnecessarily, particularly in an area of high traffic, you will get multiple recordings, draining the power very quickly.
‘Cloud’ (or SD) Video Duration
Reduce video duration to a minimum. Longer recording lengths use more power. Remember if you only have 5 second duration set, your camera will continue to record events in 5 second clips until the activity stops.
Reduce Live Streaming
Live streaming and using Pan/Tilt & Zoom is one of the most power hungry activities. Try to reduce the time you spend ‘live streaming’ and particularly using the pan/tilt & zoom function. Little and often is best practice. Momentarily connect, check all is well, and then disconnect to preserve your power level.
Recharge and Reset
If you still feel the camera battery is not performing, please reset the camera (turn OFF camera, and turn ON again with your finger holding down the 'reset' button until you hear 'System Reset').
Now switch the camera OFF, plug into a mains socket via the USB type C cable and charge to 100% (once fully charged the red light near the power socket will go out).
Now go to your APP:
- Remove Device
- Add Device
- Ensure your camera has a solid blue light
- Follow the onscreen instructions to 're-pair' your camera with your App.
This should solve a technical issue if there is one.
Plug In
Also, if you have access to a power source, you can always plug your camera in full time so you can view and live stream as much as you like, or give your camera a boost charge every now and again on the mains (2-4hrs to get 100% charge).
Your camera uses very little power and if utilised correctly should never let you down under normal usage. Guard My Farm have test cameras installed that have never dipped below 90% charge in 12 months of standard usage.
The cameras have self contained rechargeable lithium ion batteries which can either be charged via the included solar panel or mains via the included usb c cable.
Please check the following to resolve power issues:
- Solar panel is not obstructed from daylight and is positioned to receive direct sunlight on sunny days. (It will charge on cloudy days, but direct sunlight will charge quicker)
- Solar panel cable is securely inserted into the camera power slot. (You may need to push in hard as the weather proof silicone cover is purposefully tight fitting).
- If it is not charging with the solar panel after the above checks, try charging via the mains using the usb c cable provided to see whether it is the device or solar panel that needs attention before contacting Guard My Farm.
Please check your settings:
Open APP, tap the image of the camera view you want to connect to.
Open Settings (tap, cog icon, top left of screen):
- Tap 'Activity Detection'
- Turn ON 'Motion Detection'
- Turn Sensitivity to 'High' (to ensure maximum chance of detection)
- Turn OFF 'Human Detetion' (if you want to ensure all motion is detected E.G. Vehicles - if Human detection is ON, only human movement will be detected and other motion such as vehicles will be ignored.
- Tap back 'Alarm Area' and follow the instructions by tapping through the educational tips, and ensure the area you want to monitor for activity is highlighted 'Yellow'. If any area is not highlighted, then motion in that area will activate the camera.
Now tap 'back arrow' to return to the Settings menu.
- Tap 'Schedule Setting' and ensure your camera has a schedule switched on at the time you wish the camera to be 'armed, ready to detect motion'.
No problem. There are several things to check here...
- Is your 4G network stable? If there is a poor 4G network at the time of activation either you may experience delayed notifications or no notifications at all.
- Is your phone on a strong WIFI or 4G network. If not, you won't receive notifications.
- Are notifications turned on within the App?
- Is the camera 'awake' when not sending notifications. Check things like the day and time scheduling of when the camera is 'armed' and monitoring for movement.
- If the App is shared, have you allowed notifications for the other users in their permissions.
For further information of how to navigate the above, please download the user manual from this link.
Firstly check you have 'Motion Detection' ON:
- Open App
- Tap camera image to open camera
- Tap 'cog' icon (top right) to open settings
- Tap 'Activity Detection'
- Ensure 'Motion detection' is ON
- Ensure 'Sensitivity' Level is Med or High if you are not getting activations
- Ensure 'Human detection' is OFF (if you want to capture all activity), or ON if you only want to detect/capture 'Human' activity
Check your camera is scheduled to be 'armed' ready to detect activity:
- Open or use the 'back arrow' to open 'Settings'
- Tap 'Schedule Setting'
- Ensure you have a schedule switched ON at the times you want the camera to be armed
For secureity purposes (I.E when armed to detect movement), our cameras are designed to be in lower traffic areas eg protecting a shed door, entrance, driveway, remote location etc where activity is likely to be minimal and motion typically unexpected IE an intruder or unwanted guest.
If the cameras are located in an area of high 'traffic' and initially receive continual repeated activations, they have been programmed to learn these as ‘false positives’ or false alarms which the vast majority of customers would want to negate (as continual notifications for false alarms would be annoying and users would likely miss or ignore a real event in that situation).
If your location is very active the cameras may have learned to ignore much of the activity as ‘false positives’.This should be able to be resolved with a hard reset of the camera. Please press the reset button next to the sim slot until you hear ‘signal reset’ or similar, re-pair the device to your app and this should work.
Also, once reset, please consider your location and schedule the camera to only be armed during expected quiet periods of low activity.