Frequently Asked Questions

Simply put, a dashcam (or dash cam) is a small video camera that attaches to your car's windshield and continuously records video as you drive. Dashcams were popularized in Russia; more than likely you have seen footage from a Russian dashboard camera. Sometimes a dashcam is called a car DVR (Digital Video Recorder), a car black box, or an in‑car camera system.

Dashcams, or dashboard video cameras, get their name from originally being mounted on the dashboard of vehicles (mostly police cars). Now, most dashcams mount to a car's windshield with a secure and easy‑to‑use suction cup mount or strong adhesive pad.

Yes, there are several types of dashcams, and while they come in all shapes and sizes, they can be classified in a few different ways:

Single‑lens or Basic dashcams are the simplest type. These record from a single camera lens, similar to a normal camcorder. They are typically mounted on the front windshield to record what is happening in front of the car.

Multiple‑lens dashcams are more complex and can record from more than one camera lens simultaneously. Typically, they use one forward‑facing lens to record what is happening in front of the vehicle and a smaller remote camera (mounted on the rear windshield) to record what is happening behind the vehicle (or inside the vehicle) as well.

Unfortunately, this is not an easy question to answer. Since BlackVue dashcams all have different qualities, the best dashcam is the one that best suits your needs.

Keep in mind that while there is a wide variety of dashcams available online, many of which are cheap and unreliable, we only sell cameras that we personally research and that pass our internal quality tests.

Once you have selected and purchased your BlackVue dashcam, in most cases this is all you need to do to be up and running:

1. Insert a memory card. Your BlackVue dashcam will ship with a memory card included.
2. Attach the adhesive windshield mount.
3. Plug the power cord into the power source (cigarette lighter or other).

Done! Since recording is automatic, just drive your vehicle as you normally would and enjoy the fact that you are now protected by your BlackVue dashcam!

BlackVue dashcams have many applications, but most importantly, they act as an impartial witness in case of an accident. A BlackVue dashcam will help provide irrefutable evidence of what happened before, during, and after an incident. No more "your word against theirs" – rest assured you will always have the truth on your side.

The BlackVue DR650S Series dashcams come with GPS data logging as well. This additional data, along with the video, provides a record of your position and speed at all times. This information can be used to prove your whereabouts at a given time and verify your speed. The GPS data can be displayed on a Google‑type map during video playback on your computer.

Dashcam footage can also be a source of entertainment, awe, and protection for others. Not only can the footage captured by your BlackVue dashcam serve as a witness if someone is involved in an accident, but it can also capture events happening in the world today. For example, in 2013 a meteor exploded in the skies over Russia, a TransAsia plane hit a bridge in Taipei, and a lightning strike occurred during a thunderstorm.

Many different types of municipal vehicles—such as police and fire departments—already use dashcams. Individual drivers concerned with false liability claims and protecting themselves are utilizing the protection offered by on‑board video recorders. In short, everyone can use a dashcam to protect themselves.

Business owners can also benefit greatly from having video and GPS data installed in their fleet vehicles when they are in service.

BlackVue dashcams record video to a removable memory card inside the camera itself. Anytime your car is on and the dashcam is plugged in, it acts as your backup witness. Dashcams automatically start recording when powered on and stop recording when the car is turned off. The BlackVue dashcam models can continue recording even while the vehicle is parked – a feature known as "parking mode".

Generally, yes. In the United States, using a dashboard camera to record video on public roads is legal in almost all cases. The law allows you to record video as long as you are not infringing on another's privacy. However, anything done in public is not protected by privacy laws; there is no expectation of privacy in public. Therefore, recording pictures or video in public is a First Amendment‑protected right, as long as you do not violate other laws (for example, stopping in the middle of traffic to record an arrest or interfering with a traffic, police, or rescue operation).

The laws for recording audio, however, are different. Because oral communication laws vary by locale, we recommend notifying your passengers that audio recording is taking place or simply disabling the microphone on your dashcam. It is also recommended to inform any police or government official that they are being recorded if you believe your dashcam is recording them (either video or audio).

Please see the following articles for further information:

• United States: Recording in Public Places and Your First Amendment Rights
• Canada: The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

All BlackVue dashcams come with a power cord that plugs into the 12v power outlet in your car. This cord is just under 15 ft long, which is sufficient to tuck behind and route around the interior panels of your vehicle so it remains visible to the driver or passengers.

Another installation option is to have the dashcam hardwired by you or your local car audio shop by tapping into your vehicle's 12v power circuit. This provides a professional installation and frees up your power outlet for your cell phone charger or other devices.

BlackVue cameras come equipped with super capacitors. These capacitors provide enough power to safely shut down your dashcam when power is cut. Unlike the lithium batteries used in action cams, a super capacitor is designed for a driver’s needs and can tolerate vibration as well as extreme heat and cold.

A dashcam begins creating video files on an empty memory card. These files are typically segmented into 1, 3, or 5‑minute chunks, as smaller files are easier to view and manage on your computer compared to one long continuous file. When the memory card is full, the dashcam simply starts over from the beginning, eliminating the need for manual intervention until an incident occurs that you want to save. This feature is known as "loop recording" and is one of the most important functions of dashcams.

1. Turn off the dashcam and remove the microSD card.
2. Insert the card into a microSD card reader and connect it to a computer.
3. Run the BlackVue Viewer program.
4. In BlackVue Viewer, go to Settings (Windows) or Windows Viewer → Preferences (Mac) to access the settings panel.
5. Click the Wi‑Fi tab and under Login credentials, change the password.
   * Note: The dashcam's Wi‑Fi password is case sensitive; upper‑case "A" and lower‑case "a" are considered different.
   * Clicking "Reset" will revert the password to the default: blackvue.
6. Click Save & Close.

To change the dashcam's Wi‑Fi SSID/password over the Cloud:

* Please ensure the dashcam and the smartphone are connected to the internet (Wi‑Fi hotspot).

1. Login to the BlackVue app.
2. Select BLACKVUE CLOUD.
3. Go to Camera settings > Firmware settings → Wi‑Fi settings → Login credentials.

You can change the camera’s SSID and Wi‑Fi login password.

* Note: The firmware can also be upgraded using the BlackVue app on dashcams with built‑in Wi‑Fi.

The following steps describe how to upgrade the firmware using a computer:

• Turn off the dashcam and remove the SD card. Connect it to a computer using a microSD card reader.
• After backing up the necessary recordings from the microSD card, format it as FAT32 (Windows) or MS‑DOS (FAT) (Mac) using the format tool in BlackVue Viewer.

• Download the latest firmware for your dashcam model from our website.

• Unzip the downloaded firmware and copy the "BlackVue" folder only into the microSD card.

• Insert the microSD card back into the dashcam and power it up.

• All BlackVue dashcams automatically switch to Parking Mode after the vehicle has been stationary for a few minutes. If the car is parked and the engine is off, the dashcam will continue recording only if it is hardwired to the car's battery using Power Magic Pro or connected to a Power Magic battery pack.
• In Parking Mode, the dashcam records continuously but does not write to the microSD card unless a motion or impact is detected. When triggered, it saves a video file that starts 5 seconds before the event (using buffer memory) to the microSD card.
• If you want the dashcam to record continuously in Parking Mode, similar to Driving Mode, you can disable the "Auto switching to Parking mode" option in the dashcam/firmware settings under Basic settings → Recording settings.

You can toggle the dashcam's LEDs in the dashcam/firmware settings under Wi‑Fi & Other → Other settings.

Note:

* The GPS and Wi‑Fi LEDs cannot be turned off.

* The rear camera security LED can only be turned off on the DR650S‑2CH model.

• Manual recording is a feature of BlackVue dashcams (with a built‑in proximity sensor) that creates a separate event recording file (starting 5 seconds before it is triggered) when the sensor is touched or when a finger is waved within 20mm. These manual recording files are marked with an "M".

• Manual recording cannot be triggered if the dashcam is already recording another event.

• The length of the manual recording file is 1 minute in DR650GW dashcams and can be set to 1, 2, or 3 minutes in DR650S dashcams via dashcam/firmware settings → Recording settings → Event and Parking mode recording duration.

• The proximity sensor is located on the side of the front camera next to the Wi‑Fi LED.

• With the exception of the DR750LW‑2CH model, all BlackVue dashcams with built‑in Wi‑Fi include a proximity sensor.

• This sensor is primarily used for toggling audio recording on and off; however, in DR650GW and DR650S models, it functions as follows:

* The security LED can be deactivated in the firmware settings using the BlackVue app or BlackVue PC Viewer.

* The GPS LED automatically lights up when GPS is active and cannot be turned off.

* When the dashcam’s Wi‑Fi is on, the LED remains lit and blinks when connected to the Internet (Cloud connected).

Via BlackVue Viewer:

1. Unplug the dashcam’s power cable and remove the microSD card.
2. Insert the microSD card into a reader and connect it to a computer.
3. Run the BlackVue Viewer (download it from our website’s downloads page, if necessary).
4. Export the desired recordings by right‑clicking them in BlackVue Viewer and selecting "Export" or by accessing the Record folder on the microSD card to copy or move the files to your computer.
5. On a Mac, access the Record folder directly on the microSD card.

OR

Over the Cloud:

* Only Cloud‑supported dashcams can access recordings remotely. Ensure that both the dashcam and smartphone are connected to the internet (Wi‑Fi hotspot).

1. Login to the BlackVue app.
2. Select BLACKVUE CLOUD and choose your camera.
3. Select the video you wish to view from either the microSD card or Cloud storage.
4. Tap the icon next to the video to back it up: choose "Copy to Internal memory" to save it to your smartphone or "Copy to Cloud" to upload it to the BlackVue Cloud server.

Important note: Recordings will be automatically deleted from BlackVue Cloud storage 90 days (3 months) after upload.

Via Direct Wi‑Fi:

1. Go to your smartphone’s Settings > Wi‑Fi and connect to your dashcam.
2. Open the BlackVue app and select BLACKVUE Wi‑Fi.
3. Select the video from the dashcam’s microSD card.
4. Tap the icon to back up the video, choosing "Copy to Internal memory" to save it to your smartphone.

Watching recorded videos on your smartphone (Internal Memory):

1. Open the BlackVue app and select INTERNAL MEMORY.
2. Select the video you want to watch.

* On Android, recordings saved in Internal Memory can be viewed in the Gallery. On iPhone, recordings must be saved to Photos to be viewed.

Using BlackVue Viewer:

1. Unplug the dashcam's power cable and remove its microSD card.
2. Insert the microSD card into a reader and connect it to a computer. (Ensure the computer recognizes the SD card.)
3. Run the BlackVue Viewer program or download it from our website and install it on your computer.
4. In BlackVue Viewer, go to Settings (Windows) or BlackVue Viewer → Preferences (Mac) to access the settings panel.
5. Configure your desired settings and click "Save & Close".

Using BlackVue App:

* Only applicable if your dashcam has built‑in Wi‑Fi.

1. Go to your smartphone’s Settings > Wi‑Fi and connect to your dashcam.
2. Open the BlackVue app, select BLACKVUE Wi‑Fi, then go to Settings and configure your desired settings before saving.

Over the Cloud

* Only available for Cloud‑supported dashcams. Ensure that both the dashcam and smartphone are connected to the internet (Wi‑Fi hotspot).

1. Login to the BlackVue app.
2. Select BLACKVUE CLOUD and click on the settings menu icon, then go to "Camera settings".

Note: You can also configure dashcam/firmware settings over the Cloud using BlackVue Viewer with Cloud service.

• Unplug and re‑plug all cables carefully.
• Check the condition of the dashcam's power cable and cigarette lighter jack.
• If the dashcam is hardwired using Power Magic Pro, check the power connections, fuses, and cut‑off voltage/time settings.

• For DR430‑2CH, DR450‑1CH, DR470‑2CH (with external GPS module connected), DR650S, and 650GW series dashcams with the latest firmware: the dashcam reboots to save GPS time on the RTC (Real Time Clock) and displays "Resetting the time" before rebooting. If this happens frequently, please contact RMA service for RTC replacement/repair.
• If you are using a third‑party microSD card, try formatting it or updating the firmware. If the issue persists, use a BlackVue microSD card.
• If you are using a BlackVue microSD card and the dashcam still reboots, try formatting the card or updating the firmware and reinserting it into the dashcam.

If the issue persists even after formatting or a firmware upgrade, please email the following details to cs@pittasoft.com:

1. "Config" and "System" folders from the "BlackVue" folder on the microSD card. (To obtain them: turn off the dashcam, remove the microSD card, connect it to a computer using a card reader, open the "BlackVue" folder, then zip the "Config" and "System" folders and attach them to an email.)
2. The most recent date when the restarting issue occurred.
3. The microSD card model and storage capacity.
4. How long you have been using the microSD card.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

* It is recommended to format the microSD card at least once a month to avoid operational issues.

* If you have been using a microSD card for more than 1 year, consider replacing it. BlackVue microSD cards come with a 1-year warranty. Faulty cards within this period can be replaced by contacting the seller. The card must be formatted as FAT32 (Windows) or MS‑DOS (FAT) (Mac) and should be Class 10 for optimal performance.

1. Erase the saved information for the dashcam's Wi‑Fi from your smartphone's Wi‑Fi settings:
   - Android: Press and hold the dashcam's Wi‑Fi network and select "Forget Network".
   - iOS: Tap the info icon next to the network and select "Forget this Network".
2. Turn off your smartphone's Wi‑Fi. Also, turn off the dashcam's Wi‑Fi by pressing its Wi‑Fi button, wait 10–15 seconds, then press the button again to turn it on. Turn your smartphone's Wi‑Fi back on and try connecting again.
3. If the issue persists, reset the dashcam's Wi‑Fi password or update the firmware. (Remember: the Wi‑Fi password is case sensitive.)
4. If a specific smartphone fails to connect, try another smartphone and send us the model number and OS version of the problematic device.

Note:

• Stay near the dashcam when connecting (no more than 10m/32 ft away).
• Ensure the dashcam’s Wi‑Fi LED is on or blinking. If not, press the Wi‑Fi button or restart the dashcam.
• The dashcam’s Wi‑Fi SSID should appear quickly in your smartphone’s Wi‑Fi list after the dashcam starts up, but allow 15–20 seconds for the connection to establish.
• Only one phone or tablet can connect at a time, so ensure no other device is connected when attempting to connect.

1. Turn off the dashcam and remove the microSD card. Connect it to your computer with a microSD card reader.
2. Back up the recordings from the SD card and then format it as FAT32 (Windows) or MS‑DOS (FAT) (Mac) using the BlackVue Viewer format tool.
   

   

3. Download the BlackVue Legacy firmware (v1.011 for 2CH or v1.004 for 1CH) and the latest Cloud‑compatible firmware v.2.007 from our website.
4. Unzip both downloaded firmwares.
5. Copy only the "BlackVue" folder from the unzipped Legacy firmware into the microSD card.
6. Insert the microSD card into the dashcam and power it up.
7. After the dashcam upgrades and displays "Starting Normal recording," turn it off, remove the microSD card, and repeat the process—this time copying only the "BlackVue" folder from the unzipped Cloud firmware (v.2.007) into the microSD card.

• Ensure the distance between the dashcam and the smartphone is no more than 10m (32ft).

• If strong radio interference from other electronic devices is present, turn them off and try connecting again; alternatively, remove the dashcam from its mount, power it up at home using a common power adapter, and attempt to connect.

For Android Users:

• Disable the “Smart Network Switch” option in your Wi‑Fi settings. Since BlackVue acts as a Wi‑Fi server without providing internet access, this feature might cause disconnections.

• For Android devices with OS 6.0 or later, enabling location permissions for the BlackVue app may resolve the issue.

For iPhone Users:

• Ensure the “Wi‑Fi Assist” option is turned off (go to Settings > Cellular and disable Wi‑Fi Assist).

• Upgrade the dashcam's firmware to the latest version from our website.
• If the dashcam lacks a built‑in or external GPS module, run the Time setting program available on our website.
• If the dashcam has a built‑in or external GPS module and its GPS is working properly, running the Time setting program is not necessary.
• After the firmware upgrade and once "Starting Normal Recording" is displayed, connect your smartphone to the dashcam to set the time zone and other settings.
• If the incorrect date/time issue persists, contact the seller for RMA service.

• Only BlackVue dashcams with built‑in or external GPS display the speed stamp on recordings.
• Check that the speed unit setting is correctly configured in dashcam/firmware settings under Recording settings → Speed unit.
• For built‑in GPS models, ensure the GPS LED is on and recording during driving.

If all conditions are met and the GPS still does not work, please send some video recordings without the speed stamp along with their GPS files and the "Config" and "System" folders from the microSD card. (To obtain these, turn off the dashcam, remove the SD card, connect it to a computer using a card reader, open the "BlackVue" folder, then zip the "Config" and "System" folders and send them via email.)

* You may need to upload the files to an online drive (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive) and send us the link if the file sizes are large.

* If the GPS LED does not turn on during driving, please refer to the GPS issue troubleshooting support article.

• Upgrade your dashcam's firmware to the latest version from our website.
• Note that GPS may take 10–15 minutes to lock after you start driving.
• Depending on your vehicle and the location of the BlackVue device, the GPS signal can be blocked by strong radio interference, cloudy/rainy weather, mountains, tunnels, or tall buildings. If the GPS works when the unit is removed from the bracket and placed away from the rear‑view mirror, interference may be the cause. Consider relocating the BlackVue.
• If, after 1–2 days of the firmware upgrade and considering the above factors, the dashcam's GPS still does not work, please contact the seller to proceed with RMA service.

• Upgrade your dashcam's firmware to the latest version from our website.
• Ensure you are using the coaxial cable (rear camera cable) that came with the dashcam. Similar or older BlackVue coaxial cables may cause compatibility issues.
• Turn on the dashcam and verify that the power LED on the rear camera is on. If not, turn off the dashcam and carefully disconnect the coaxial cable from both the front and rear cameras.
• Check if the MCX jacks (female connectors) on the cameras or the connection pins (male connectors) on the coaxial cable are damaged. If the MCX jacks are damaged, contact the seller for repair or replacement. If the connection pins are bent or damaged, purchase a new coaxial cable.
• If both the MCX jacks and connection pins are in good condition, reconnect the coaxial cable firmly, power up the dashcam, and if the rear camera still does not work, contact the seller to proceed with RMA service.

Please refer to your product’s manual for warranty information. As a general rule, warranty periods are applied as below, as of September 1, 2024:
• BlackVue dash cams and add-on cameras: two (2) years warranty (for dash cams purchased since January 1, 2024).
• Accessories such as mounts and cables: two (2) years warranty.
• Batteries and battery accessories: one (1) year warranty
• Memory cards: one (1) year warranty.
• Consumables such as tapes, cable clips, etc. or tools such as microSD card readers, pry tools, SIM ejector tools, etc. are not covered by a warranty.

Please note, the warranty covers manufacturing defects. If a malfunction is caused by wear and tear from excessive use that falls outside of the typical use case, or caused by improper use or physical damage, service may be subject to a fee, even during the warranty period.

A receipt or any proof of purchase will be required to determine the product warranty period. You must retain your purchase receipt or other proofs of purchase to receive warranty service.

We handle RMAs through our distributors or dealers.

The standard RMA service procedure is as follows:

1. In case of a malfunction, contact the seller and request a replacement or repair.

2. If the seller refuses or is unreachable, contact an authorized BlackVue distributor in your country directly.

3. If the distributor is unable to provide service, send us the following details:

a) The serial number on the dashcam
b) Seller's details (name, location, etc.)
c) Proof of purchase
d) Your current location
e) Email conversation history with the seller or distributor (if available)