Setup guide · Tested
Connect your Imou camera to storage you own.
Imou cameras are Dahua inside. The username is always admin and the password is the Safety Code printed on the camera’s sticker.
The password is the Safety Code (SC). Not your Wi‑Fi password and not your Imou app login. That is the most common reason a camera refuses to connect.
- 1
Install the Unicam hub
- Install Unicam on a Mac or Windows PC, or run the hub on a Raspberry Pi, NAS or Docker host on the same network as the camera.
- 2
Make sure streaming is on
- Open Imou Life and tap the camera
- Open Settings → More
- Switch on “RTSP / ONVIF” (some models call it “Local access”)
- 3
Find the Safety Code (SC)
- On the label on the camera (bottom or back), after “SC:”. It is 8 characters, like L2A3F4C5
- On the box, next to the QR code
- Changed it? Use the device password you set in Imou Life → Device → Settings → Device password
- 4
Add it in Unicam
- Open Add camera. Unicam scans your network and lists the cameras it finds
- Pick “Imou”
- Enter the password (the username is admin)
- Unicam tests the login before saving, and tells you exactly what went wrong if it fails
- 5
Choose where footage goes
- Sign in to Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, or add a NAS, S3, B2, R2 or Wasabi destination
- Pick a record mode: Events (motion only), Smart 24/7 or Continuous
- Every clip is encrypted on the hub before upload
Stream links
You rarely need these: Unicam builds them from the brand tile or asks the camera over ONVIF. They help if you use “RTSP / other URL” or another app.
- Main stream (recording)
- Sub-stream (grid & motion)
Special characters in a password (like @ or #) must be URL-encoded in a link. Unicam does this for you when you use a brand tile.
Good to know
- Imou cameras lock themselves for 30 minutes after 5 wrong passwords. Unicam counts the tries left and tells you before that happens. If it does lock, nothing is broken: wait it out.
- Clips already on the camera’s SD card (.dav files) can be imported into Unicam, with their original times read from the file names.
If it doesn’t connect
Unicam names the problem instead of “connection failed”. What each message means:
- “The camera refused that username or password”
- Check you used the Safety Code (SC) from Imou Life, not your Wi‑Fi password or app login. Unicam shows how many tries are left before the camera locks itself.
- “Streaming to other apps is switched off”
- The camera answered but refused video. Go back to step 2 and switch streaming on.
- “Nothing answered at that address”
- The camera’s IP address may have changed, or it’s on a different network or VLAN from the hub. Run the scan again or check your router’s device list.
- “Not on the usual stream link for this brand”
- Your model uses a different path. Pick “Any ONVIF camera” so the camera tells Unicam its links, or paste a custom link.
Related guides
- DahuaDahua cameras, NVRs and XVRs use the standard Dahua RTSP format. Sign in with the device login.Read guide →
- CP PLUSMost CP PLUS cameras and DVRs use the Dahua stream format. Sign in as admin with the device password you set in EzyKam+.Read guide →
- AmcrestAmcrest cameras use the Dahua stream format. Sign in with the camera’s web login.Read guide →
Record your Imou cameras to your own cloud.
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