By Michael Turner
One of the most practical questions about any security camera system is how long footage is kept before it overwrites. The answer varies significantly depending on your storage method. Here is a clear breakdown.
Cloud Storage: Plan-Dependent Retention
Ring Protect Basic ($4/month): 60 days of event-triggered clips. Ring Protect Plus ($10/month): 60 days across all Ring devices. Arlo Secure ($9.99/month): 30-day rolling history. Google Nest Aware ($5/month): 30-day event history. Nest Aware Plus ($10/month): 60 days. All cloud plans record motion-triggered clips only, not continuous footage. When the retention period ends, old footage is automatically deleted.
MicroSD: Capacity-Dependent Retention
MicroSD retention depends on card size, resolution, and recording mode. A 128GB card with a 1080p camera recording motion events only typically stores 2–4 weeks of footage before overwriting the oldest clips. The same card with a 4K camera fills in around 5–7 days of events. Continuous recording fills cards much faster — a 128GB card at 1080p continuous recording typically lasts 3–5 days before overwriting. For longer retention, use a 256GB or 512GB card.
NVR Systems: Weeks to Months
A Reolink or Hikvision NVR with a 2TB hard drive records multiple cameras continuously. A single 1080p camera recording 24/7 at H.265 compression uses approximately 8–12GB per day. A 2TB drive stores around 170–250 days of footage from a single camera. With 4 cameras, the same drive stores 40–60 days. NVR systems automatically overwrite oldest footage when full. See our NVR vs cloud storage guide.
How Long Do You Actually Need?
For most households, 14–30 days is sufficient. Most incidents are discovered and reported within a few days. The rare cases where longer retention matters are ongoing disputes (neighbour issues, persistent vandalism) or properties left unattended for extended periods. See our no-subscription local storage guide and security cameras hub.
