This guide shows how to set the email notifications on a Hikvision DVR, NVR, or IP camera using a Gmail account. These email notifications are received once an event has occurred or when the motion is triggered.
If you’d like to get email alerts, we recommend using a Gmail account since it’s free, secure, widespread, and easy to configure. You can use other email providers as well (such as Outlook, Yahoo, etc.), the steps are similar.
NOTE: As of May 30th, 2022 setting your Google Mail Account to allow less secure access is no longer allowed by Google. Instead of Gmail, you may use another email service provides that allows alerts to be sent out automatically. One that is recommended by various security installers is sendinblue free tier (300 notification emails per day).
Hikvision: How to send notifications using a Gmail account
We assume you already have a Gmail account, if not you can create one for free on gmail.com.
These are the steps that need to be done:
- Set up the Gmail account (or another email address of your choice)
- Add the email setting on the NVR, DVR, or IP camera
- Set up the motion detection (by default, it’s enabled)
- Enable the email alerts (on your device’s settings).
Settings on the Gmail account
The first thing you have to do is to ensure that your Gmail account is configured to allow “less secure apps” to send out emails through your account. These less secure “apps” are actually your NVR, DVR or IP camera.
Log in to the Gmail account with your username and password. Then click the account icon on the top right side of the screen.
Then click the “Manage my Google account” button.
After that go to the “Security” section on the left side.
If you have the 2-Step Verification turned ON, you need to disable it (toggle to OFF). The Hikvision device won’t be able to send out any emails if your email is using the 2-Step Verification.
Now scroll down and find the “Allow less secure apps” option. Ensure it is set to ON. Save the settings and you’re done with this part of the instructions.
Adding the Gmail account to a Hikvision device
The next step consists of logging into your Hikvision NVR, DVR, or IP camera via the web interface. Once the device has been accessed using your username and password, go to the Configuration section. Click on the Network on the left and then Basic Settings.
Here you need to make sure these settings are added correctly:
- Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8
- Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4
For the next step, under the Network, go to Advanced Settings. Click Email.
In this section, you need to fill out Gmail’s information.
Add your information carefully.
- Sender: The sender’s name (which can be anything)
- Sender Address: This is the sender’s email address. We will use the same address for the sender and the receiver. Proven to work properly.
- SMTP server: Gmail’s server port which is smtp.gmail.com
- SMTP port: Gmail’s SMTP port which is by default 587
Make sure all the 3 boxes are checked:
- Enable SSL: in some NVRs you may see STARTTLS, if you do, tick that as well
- Attached image: your DVR.NVR will send out screenshots from the camera
- Interval: by default the NVR will send out 3 photos per camera, this is the time between photos. Use 2-3 seconds.
- Authentication: tick this box too.
Next, add Gmail’s credentials:
- User name: This will be the same as the sender’s Gmail address
- Password: Gmail’s account password
- Confirm: retype the password
In the last section add:
- Receivers name: Can be anything, for example, “My NVR”.
- Receiver’s Address: use the same Gmail address again. You can up to three recipients in total.
Once finished, click TEST to find out if the connection is established successfully. If not, go over each step again and make sure there’s no mistake.
The last one, go to the Event section on the NVR and configure the events for each camera. Make sure that on the “Linkage Method” the “Send Email” option is ticked for each camera and event.
Make some motion in front of the camera to see if you’re getting email notifications from your Hikvision device.
Enabling the Motion Detection
You need to set up the motion detection on your device in order to get emails when the parameters (of the motion) are triggered. You can do such settings either through the web browser or directly via the NVR’s interface.
Go to the Configuration > Event> Basic Event and then Motion tab. Here you enable motion detection, at the same time you can modify the area you need to be covered and the sensitivity. If you have a recorder, you need to do these settings for each camera.
Enable the email alerts
Make sure the email alerts are turned on and the arming schedule is correct. Go to Linkage Method and check the send email option, as shown in the picture below.
On the Arming Schedule, you can set the schedule when you need the alerts enabled. Let’s say you need these alerts only during a certain time frame. In this sample, we set the schedule 8AM-8PM. So only during this time frame, we will get alerts.
Pretty much that’s it. Make some moves in front of the selected camera and see if you get the email alerts on your email address.
