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Cisco Meraki Documentation

Privacy Windows

Overview

Privacy windows allow an administrator to block sensitive areas from a camera’s feed.  After an administrator applies a privacy window to an area of the camera feed, subsequent video in the specified area is not recorded. 

meraki-mv-privacy-windows-demo.gif

Administrators may have legal obligations not to record certain parts of the camera’s field of view. Additionally, privacy windows will block motion and people detection. This means privacy windows can be used to screen persistent motion (like a ceiling fan or display) to increase storage times in conjunction with the motion-based retention tool.

 

When adding a privacy window, the administrator can draw a rectangle over the camera’s existing feed. Privacy windows can overlap to cover irregularly shaped areas. Up to 10 privacy windows can be configured per feed.

The minimum required firmware version for privacy windows is MV 3.14

Configuring Privacy Windows

Adding Privacy Windows

  1. In the dashboard, navigate to Camera > Cameras

  2. Select the camera on which you wish to configure a privacy window to navigate to the Camera Details page

  3. Select the Settings tab

  4. In the Privacy Window section, select Add a privacy window

  5. Draw a privacy window on the video stream preview at the top of the page

  6. Back in the Privacy Window section, select Apply Privacy Window to apply the changes.

  7. Repeat this process from step 4 to add multiple privacy windows.

Note: that the privacy window may take up to 5 seconds to appear in the stream

Note: A high usage of privacy windows can lead to framerate fluctuations in recorded video.

Deleting Privacy Windows

  1. In the dashboard, navigate to Camera > Cameras

  2. Select the camera on which you wish to configure a privacy window to navigate to the Camera Details page

  3. Select the Settings tab

  4. In the Privacy Window section, select Delete privacy windows

  5. To delete individual privacy windows: in the live stream preview at the top of the page,  select the red and white ‘x’ icons on the privacy windows you wish to delete
    1. Select Done

​​​​​​​        OR

  1. To delete all privacy windows: select Delete all privacy windows in the Privacy Window section
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