The picture below shows the camera working in the app.

It took me about 10 minutes to figure out the configuration and model to use in the TinyCam app menu, but it finally worked. Here's I explain what I did. 

The free version of the TinyCam app

The free version on the TinyCam app works fine, but there are some limitations, and it's not possible to use the advanced features such as motion detection.

Prepare the camera to work with the app

Review the Hikvision camera configuration before trying to add it to TinyCam.

Here's what you have to do...

Enable the ONVIF protocol

Click on "Network  >> Avanced Settings  >> Integration  Protocol  >> Enable ONVIF ".

Note that it's not necessary to enable the Hikvision CGI or change the authentication method. Just leave the way they come by default.

Check the HTTP and RTSP port

Make sure the HTTP and RTSP ports are set to 80 and 554, respectively.

Click on "Network  >> Basic Settings  >> Port ".

Those are the default ports. It's not mandatory to use them this way,

I don't recommend changing the port numbers, anyway, write the information down if you are using different ones for remote access to the camera.

The TinyCam app works fine with the DIGEST authentication, which is the default method on the Hikvision cameras. Take a look at your camera configuration.

Click on "System  >> Security  >> Authentication ".

Add the Hikvision camera to the TinyCam app

I assume you have the TinyCam app installed on your smartphone.

Set up the camera

Open the TinyCam app and click on "Manage cameras".

Click the add button.

Enter the Hikvision camera information, as shown below.

Of course, you need to use your camera's IP. But I guess you already know that

I tried different models until I get the one that works for my setup.

You can try using the same approach for your Hikvision camera.

I have a PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) camera, but at this moment, I'm not concerned about getting this feature working. My priority now is to test the video streaming.

OK, it's time to test the setup.

On the top of the screen, click on "Camera status".

A new screen pops up with camera information and the live video feed.

The picture below shows my Hikvision Mini PTZ displayed on the app.

Channel 1 on the camera is set to use high-resolution (2048 x 1526) and H.265 as the CODEC, which is too much for a smartphone app.

Adjust the camera setup

As soon as I realized the TinyCam app was using the camera's  channel 1, I changed the configuration to channel 2, which uses a different resolution and CODEC. 

Here are the steps to change the channel the app is pulling the video from.

Click the button to edit the camera.

Change the channel to 2.

And that's all.

Now the app can use a video streaming that is better for a smartphone.

Related articles

Here's a list of articles related to this topic.

Conclusion

Now you know how to add a Hikvision a camera to the TinyCam app.

This article shows the basic idea behind the setup.

Make sure you understand the concept, and then you can apply it to your camera.

Perhaps you need to test different camera models to find each one works better with the camera you have. Please just try to find what works for you.

Please leave your comments below and share the article with your friends.

Here's how I could reset the camera password in less the 5 minutes...

How to reset the Hikvision camera via a web browser (step-by-step process)

OK, I assume you understand the basic IP camera installation and already have your Hikvision camera working on your network but lost the admin password.

There are different ways to recover from a Hikvision lost password; I used the method with the web browser and the camera QR code.

Here's the step-by-step to reset the password and create a new one.

• Open the IP camera login interface via a web browser;
• Click "Forgot password?"
• On select mode chose Select "E-mail verification";
• Click "OK" to accept the recover password privacy policy;
• Click the button "Export QR Code" and save the picture;
• Send the QR code to "pw_recovery@hikvision.com";
• Wait 5 minutes to receive the reset code via email;
• Enter the reset code into the textbox and click next;
• Create a new password and confirm.

See below the illustration of this process.

Web browser login interface

Here's the login screen where you have to click "Forgot password".

Verification code via e-mail

Choose the verification via email, as shown below.

Accept the privacy policy

You just need to click "OK" to confirm you agree with the terms and conditions.

Export the QR code

Here's the QR code that you must send to the Hikvision recover service.

Click the export button QR code to save the picture in your computer.

Click the export button QR code to save the picture on your computer.

You only need to send the picture attached to the email, and the Hikvision system will automatically create a verification code to reset your IP camera.

I used the email "pw_recovery@hikvision.com" as the destination address and the phrases "Password recovery" as the subject and email body.

As you can see in the picture below, I attached the QR code picture.

And then, you need to wait to get the verification code.

The system sends an email back, usually in less than 5 minutes.

Receive the verification code

The verification code arrives in your email.

It's valid for 48 hours.

Set a new password for the camera

And now, it's time to set a new password for your Hikvision camera.

Create a password between 8 to 16 characters and confirm.

You should see a message that informs the password was set.

And now, you can log in to your Hikvision camera. Cool, huh?

I can log in to the camera and everything looks great

Yeah, I know. I forgot to change the date. It came that way from the store and I was just testing it out when I forgot the admin password and had to reset it.

Don't worry, the configuration does not change after the password reset.

Conclusion

This article can help you lose the password to your Hikvision camera and can't get support from the official website. It worked for me in minutes.

I don't know why the Hikvision cameras are available on Amazon but are not officially supported by the manufacturer. I guess the reseller is not authorized to distribute the product that way, but the reset process works fine anyway.

I hope this article can help you; please share it with your friends.