Common Issues

Camera Not Found During Network Search

Issue

Camera Bridge's network search isn't finding your camera.

Causes and Solutions

Camera not on the network

• Check that the camera is powered on
• Verify it has a solid Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection
• Check the camera's app or web interface to confirm it's online

Network isolation

• If the camera is on a different VLAN or subnet (especially on a guest network), it won't appear in discovery
• Use Add by Address instead — you'll need the camera's IP address and RTSP stream path

ONVIF disabled

• Some cameras ship with ONVIF turned off
• Enable it in the camera's web settings under Network or Integration
• Return to Camera Bridge and try the search again

Firewall blocking

• Check your router's firewall settings
• Camera Bridge needs mDNS (port 5353) for discovery
• If blocked, use Add by Address with the camera's IP

Too many devices

• If your network has many devices, discovery can take longer
• Wait 30 seconds for the search to complete
• Or manually add the camera by address

"Camera Not Responding" or Connection Failed

Issue

Camera Bridge shows a camera as "Not Connected" or "Checking" indefinitely.

Causes and Solutions

Wrong IP address or address unreachable

• Verify the IP address matches what your router shows for the camera
• Ping the camera from Terminal to check connectivity: ping camera-ip
• If it doesn't respond, the address is wrong or the device is offline

Wrong RTSP address or path

• Double-check the RTSP path in the camera's manual for your specific model
• Some cameras have different paths for main and sub streams
• Verify the port (usually 554, but some use 8554)

Wrong username or password

• Make sure the credentials match the camera's web login (may be case-sensitive)
• Try resetting the camera to factory defaults if you've forgotten the password
• Some cameras keep ONVIF users separate from the web login

Network isolation

• Camera and Mac may be on separate VLANs or subnets
• Check your router to confirm they're on the same network
• Temporarily disable any isolate setting and try again

Firewall on the camera

• Some cameras have built-in firewalls that block certain access
• Check the camera's web interface for a firewall or security setting
• Add your Mac's IP address to the allow list if needed

Camera locked from too many failed login attempts

• Camera Bridge will pause ONVIF login attempts for up to 30 minutes after several failures
• Wait and try again, or restart the camera
• Create a new ONVIF user with a simpler password

Can't Add Camera to Apple Home

Issue

The Home app won't accept the camera from Camera Bridge.

Causes and Solutions

Device not on the same network

• Your iPhone/iPad must be on the same Wi-Fi network as Camera Bridge's Mac
• Check that you're connected to the same network (not guest network)

HomeKit code not showing in Camera Bridge

• Click the camera in Camera Bridge to open its page
• Scroll to the HomeKit Setup Code section
• If it doesn't appear, restart Camera Bridge

Invalid or expired HomeKit code

• Each camera gets a unique 8-digit HomeKit code
• The code changes if you remove the camera from Home and re-add it
• If you keep getting an invalid code error, restart Camera Bridge

Already added to a different Home

• A camera can only be in one Home at a time
• If you see an error that the accessory is already added, remove it from the other Home first
• Then add it to your intended Home

Home hub not set up

• You need at least one home hub (Apple TV or HomePod) to use HomeKit remotely
• If you only have one home, you should set up a home hub in Home Settings

Live View Won't Play or Is Very Slow

Issue

Video is frozen, won't load, or playback is choppy.

Causes and Solutions

Network congestion

• Check your Wi-Fi signal strength (should be strong, -50 dBm or better)
• Move closer to the Wi-Fi router
• Check if other devices are using lots of bandwidth

Slow sub stream

• Try switching to the main stream in Camera Bridge settings (though it uses more bandwidth)
• Or verify the sub stream settings on the camera (should be 640×360 or smaller)

Mac is under high load

• Close other apps using the network or CPU
• Check Activity Monitor to see what's using resources
• See Performance for optimization

Codec issue

• H.264 is fast; H.265 requires more CPU conversion
• Check what codec your camera is using
• If H.265, try switching to H.264 on the camera

Weak camera signal

• If the camera is far from your Wi-Fi, its connection may be unstable
• Move the camera closer to the router
• Or use a better antenna on the camera

Motion Alerts Not Coming Through

Issue

You're not getting motion notifications in Home or from Camera Bridge.

Causes and Solutions

Motion detection disabled on camera

• If using the camera's ONVIF events, make sure motion detection is enabled on the camera itself
• Check the camera's settings under Motion Detection or Events

Motion detection disabled in Camera Bridge

• For built-in detection, verify it's enabled in the camera's Camera Bridge settings
• Check that sensitivity isn't set to the lowest level

Notifications disabled in Home

• Open Home › Home Settings › Notifications › Cameras
• Enable Motion Notifications for the camera
• Also check iOS Settings › Notifications › Home

Camera Bridge not running

• Motion events only work when Camera Bridge is open and running
• Restart the app if it crashed
• See Getting Started: Installation for keeping it running

Home hub not connected

• Motion notifications require a home hub
• Check Home Settings to confirm your hub is connected
• Restart the home hub if it's been offline

Camera Keeps Dropping from Home

Issue

The camera was in Home but disappears or becomes unavailable.

Causes and Solutions

Camera Bridge crashed

• The app must stay running for cameras to be available
• Restart Camera Bridge
• Check if it's set to launch at login (Settings › General › Launch at Login)

Mac lost network access

• Verify your Mac is still connected to Wi-Fi
• Check System Preferences to confirm the network is active
• Restart your Mac if there's a network issue

Home hub went offline

• The home hub must be on and connected for cameras to stay registered
• Restart your home hub (Apple TV or HomePod)
• Check that it has a strong network connection

Too much network traffic

• If your network is very congested, HomeKit may drop the accessory temporarily
• Wait a minute and check again
• Consider optimizing your network or reducing other traffic

HomeKit database corruption

• Rarely, the HomeKit database on your home hub can become corrupted
• Try removing the camera from Home and re-adding it
• If that doesn't work, restart your home hub

Audio Isn't Working

Issue

Two-way audio won't play or send sound.

Causes and Solutions

Audio not enabled on camera

• Check the camera's settings to make sure the microphone and speaker are enabled
• Some cameras have audio disabled by default
• Verify the camera has audio capabilities (check the manual)

Camera Bridge permission issue

• Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone
• Make sure Camera Bridge is allowed to use the microphone
• Do the same for Speaker access in Privacy & Security

Device volume muted or low

• Check that your iPhone/iPad/Mac isn't muted
• Adjust the volume control in Home while viewing live video
• Unmute the device's system audio

Network latency

• Audio over remote access (away from home) may have 1–3 second delay
• This is normal and improves with a faster home internet connection
• On local network, there should be minimal delay

Clips Not Recording

See Recording Problems for detailed troubleshooting of HomeKit Secure Video recording issues.

Still Having Problems?

1. Open Diagnostics (app menu › Diagnostics)
2. Review the red indicators for specific issues
3. See Diagnostics for next steps
4. Contact support if you're still stuck