How Many Days Can a Dash Cam Store?
3 Answers
Generally, a dash cam can store footage for three days to one week. The factors determining the storage duration and considerations are as follows: Factors determining the storage duration: The number of days a dash cam can store footage is related to the capacity of its memory card and the set storage resolution. Generally, the larger the memory capacity, the longer the storage time. Taking 1080P quality video as an example, a 16G memory card can usually record for 100 minutes; a 32G memory card can record for 200 minutes; and a 64G memory card can record for 400 minutes. Considerations for dash cams: Currently, dash cams on the market record in a loop mode. The recorded videos are segmented into clips of certain durations, such as 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes, and stored in the memory card. When the memory card is full, newly recorded videos will directly overwrite the oldest video clips, specifically those furthest from the current time.
The number of days a dashcam can store footage mainly depends on the memory card capacity. Having tried various settings, I found that a 64GB card can store approximately five days of footage at 1080p resolution. If you drive frequently, this may shorten to three or four days. Higher resolutions like 4K consume more space, resulting in fewer storage days. Frame rate is also crucial—60fps takes up more space than 30fps, affecting the total recording duration. I recommend enabling loop recording, which automatically overwrites old footage, so you won't have to worry about the card filling up and failing to record new content. Regularly format the memory card to prevent errors and extend its lifespan, and back up important clips to your phone or cloud storage for added security. Opting for a larger capacity card, such as 128GB, offers better value for money, allowing over a week of storage, but the exact number of days depends on your driving habits and settings.
I use my car for daily commuting to and from work, and a 32GB memory card in the dashcam can store about three days of footage, which is sufficient to cover my average two-hour daily commute. If I don’t drive frequently, the storage can extend up to five days. I recommend setting it to 1080p HD but turning off audio to save space, keeping the file size moderate to balance quality and duration. One of my cars has loop recording enabled, which works well—older footage is automatically deleted without affecting new recordings. During an accident, the footage was promptly saved as crucial evidence. To prevent the card from filling up and affecting safety, I check the remaining space monthly or format it to refresh. When buying a memory card, don’t go for the cheap 16GB option—it stores too little. Opt for a larger 64GB card for longer and more reliable storage.
