Using Google Drive For CCTV Camera? Is It Possible If Then How To?
CCTV cameras are used to capture sensitive and important footage that needs to be stored safely. For this, keeping the footage backup on cloud storage can be the easiest option to access them from anywhere and anytime. But the question is – can you use google drive for CCTV cameras?
CCTV cameras normally use their own cloud to store and back up recordings. However, when it comes to using Google Drive for CCTV camera footage, there are certain considerations to keep in mind.
In this article, we have explained whether you can use Google Drive for your CCTV and if it is possible, then how can you allow your CCTV camera to use this popular cloud storage.
Do All CCTV Cameras Allow to Use Google Drive?
No, all CCTV cameras don’t have the feature to use Google Drive directly as cloud storage. Because most IP cameras use their own cloud storage for backup. However, some CCTV camera provider allows users to use third-party cloud storage for their CCTV through their apps.
CCTV Camera The Allows Google Drive for Backup
Some CCTV cameras allow Google Drive for backup and the Hikvision CCTV camera is one of them. It allows users to use Google Drive as cloud storage. You need to have the Hikvision camera app installed on your device and from there you can select Google Drive as the default cloud storage.
However, there are several factors you may need to consider while using Google Drive as cloud storage such as:
- The CCTV camera app or program needs to run in the background while the camera is capturing or recording footage. The app will connect to the camera and will continuously upload the footage to Google Drive.
- Google Drive has a limited storage of 15 GB. So, once the drive is full, you won’t be able to use the same Google Drive account for storing data of your CCTV unless you delete unnecessary footage from there.
Now let’s see how you can use Google Drive for CCTV camera below.
How Do You Connect Your CCTV to Google Drive?
Most Hikvision CCTV cameras allow users to use Google Drive for cloud recording and if you are using one, you have to prepare your camera to store recordings on Google Drive from their web UI.
Follow the steps to connect your CCTV to Google Drive:
Step 1: Type the IP address of your local recorder on the web browser and go to the Configuration tab.
Step 2: Under the Storage tab from the left pane, select Storage Management.
Step 3: Click Cloud Storage, select Google Drive as Cloud Type, and click Get.
Step 4: Log in with your credentials to your Google Drive account.
Step 5: Click Allow to authorize Google Drive to create files and connect to your Hikvision DVR or NVR system.
Step 6: Click on the copy icon to copy the code.
Step 7: Paste the code into the Authorization code field under the cloud storage section on the Hikvision UI.
Step 8: Wait for at least 1 minute and change the Status from offline to online.
After this, the software will be triggered to capture and store footage on your Google Drive.
Check this video below to learn how to connect Google Drive to Xvision NVR CCTV Camera.
Pro Tip: Best CCTV Settings for Use Google Drive
As Google Drive has limited storage capacity, it’d be the best option if you customize your CCTV record settings to make it prepared to use Google Drive. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Click on the Video/Audio section from the left pane and select Stream Type as Sub Stream. It will lower the video quality but it will help you upload faster and more footage on Google Drive.
Note: Although you can change the other settings according to your preferences, it is recommended to leave it as it is for smoother transmission.
Step 2: Select Basic Events under the Event section from the left pane and mark the checkbox named Enable Motion Detection.
Note: If your camera doesn’t have the Motion detection feature, then you can skip this step.
Step 3: Select Storage > Schedule Settings from the left pane and click “Advanced”.
Step 4: Select Stream type as Double Stream.
This setting will decrease the file size by slightly reducing the video quality and will delay your Google Drive from becoming out of storage.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (FAQs)
How Do I Store CCTV Footage in The Cloud?
If your CCTV system doesn’t have cloud storage capabilities, you use the Videoloft Cloud Adapter. But before that ensure your CCTV brand or model supports that adapter. What you have to do is, download the Videoloft app and establish a connection with the Cloud Adapter through the app. Once connected, locate your cameras on the network and link them to the cloud for storage and accessibility.
Do You Need a Special Hard Drive For CCTV?
No, you don’t need any special hard disk for your CCTV. You can use any standard desktop SATA hard disk or portable hard disk to store records and data from the CCTV. However, you have to choose the storage capacity of the hard disk according to the resolution, frame rate, and video capture rate of your CCTV.
How Do I View CCTV On Google Chrome?
From the Google Chrome browser, go to your camera’s IP address and log in to your CCTV account by providing a username and password. After that, the extension of your camera app will be asked to download. Simply download it. And once it is downloaded open a new tab, go to chrome://apps, and click on the CCTV camera app. Again, log in to your account and you can view your CCTV from Google Chrome.
Is Google Drive a Suitable Storage for Backup CCTV Footage?
If you are intended to capture footage using motion detection only and the CCTV resolution is set to low, then you may use Google Drive to back up your CCTV footage. Because if the captured footage is in higher resolution the file size will be big and you can only store up to 15 GB on Google Drive. But if you want to backup only a few important footages on Google Drive then you can use it without any hesitation.
Conclusion
Many CCTV cameras lack the feature to backup footage on Google Drive, but there are some branded CCTV providers like Hikvision that allow using Google Drive as cloud storage. However, you have to consider some factors like storage capacity, internet bandwidth, security, and retention policies carefully while using Google Drive as cloud storage for your CCTV. Hopefully, you’ve found this guide helpful in determining whether you can use Google Drive for CCTV or not. Thanks for watching.
