AXIS Companion Software V4.0 User Manual

: June 4, 2024
: AXIS

AXIS Companion Software V4.0

Introduction

This manual describes how to use the AXIS Companion software version 4.0 and later.

Are you currently using AXIS Companion Classic?

To upgrade to version 4, see Migrating from AXIS Companion Classic to version 4.

Learn more about AXIS Companion

For video tutorials and web apps, visit axis.com/products/axis-companion/how-it-works

System recommendations

OS: Windows 10 64–bit
CPU: Intel Core i5
RAM: 4 GB
Graphics card: 256 MB onboard video memory
Graphics card driver: Always use the latest version
Network: 100 Mbps
Internet access is required during system setup and management (live and recorded video available offline)
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
Mobile devices: iOS 14 or Android 8.1

Get started with AXIS Companion

Note: Internet access is required during the system setup.

Installation overview

Register a MyAxis account
Install the hardware
Install the desktop app
Create a site
Install the mobile app

Result of system installation

The firmware is upgraded on all Axis devices.
A password is set for the devices.
The recordings are enabled with default settings.
Remote access is enabled.

Register a MyAxis account

Register a MyAxis account at axis.com/my-axis/login

You can make your MyAxis account more secure by activating multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA is a security system that adds another layer of verification to ensure the user’s identity.

Activate MFA

Log in with your MyAxis credentials.
Go to MyAxis and select Account settings in the drop-down menu.
Turn on 2–Step verification.
- You are redirected to a login page.
Log in with your MyAxis credentials.
- MFA is now active.

Log in when MFA is active

Log in to your MyAxis account.
An email is sent to you.
Open the email and click Authenticate.

If you didn’t receive an email, then check if it’s in your spam folder. If it’s not there, then contact IT support.

Install the hardware

Install your camera hardware.
Connect the recorder to your network via the LAN port.
- Note: If you have no recorder, then you need a camera with an AXIS Surveillance Card if you want to be able to record video.
Connect the cameras to the recorder’s integrated PoE switch or an external PoE switch.
Connect the computer to the same network as the recorder.
Connect the power supply to the recorder.
- Important: You must first connect the power cord to the recorder, and then connect the power cord to the power outlet.
Wait a few minutes for the recorder and cameras to boot up before proceeding.

CAUTION: Keep the recorder in a well-ventilated environment and with plenty of empty space around the recorder to avoid overheating.

Install the desktop app

Go to axis.com/products/axis-companion and click Download to download the AXIS Companion desktop app for Windows.
Sign in using your MyAxis account.
Read the license agreement, and select one of the alternatives to proceed.
Save the file to a location of your choice.
Open the file, and click Run to start the installation.
If you want to allow the app to make changes on your device, click Yes.
Select language and click OK.
Follow the setup wizard.

Create a site

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10112114

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

A site is a single point of entry to a surveillance solution, for example, all cameras in a store. You can keep track of several sites through a single MyAxis account.

Note

If you have used an earlier version of AXIS Companion, then you might have devices that are not supported in AXIS Companion version 4. Unsupported devices include third-party NAS devices and old Axis devices with firmware that can’t be updated to 5.50 or later. The wizard will inform you about any such issues and help you to address them.
Sites that were created in an earlier version than AXIS Companion version 4, will not appear in the list of sites. You can read the Migration Guide (available on the support web page) for more information.

Start the AXIS Companion desktop app.
Sign in with your MyAxis account.
Click Get started.
Name your site and enter your company name.
Click Next.
Select the devices you want to add to your site. If any devices are password-protected, then you must enter the password for them before they can be selected.
- Note: If you have devices that are not supported, then you can click Read more to find our why they are not supported.
Click Next.
Enter a password. This password is used for accessing the device webpages or offline mode in the AXIS Companion mobile app.
Click Next.
On the Ready to install page, there might be a list of cameras that need to be restored. If so, click the Restore device link to fix the issue on the device webpage.
Click Finish and wait while AXIS Companion configures the cameras.

Note: The configuration may take several minutes.

For getting-started video tutorials, see AXIS Companion tutorials.

Install the mobile app

You can use the AXIS Companion mobile app to set up your system and control it from anywhere. Real-time alert notifications keep you aware of any suspicious activity. You can also view and export video recordings.

Go to your App store or Google play.
Search for AXIS Companion 4 and download the app.
Open the AXIS Companion app and log in with your Axis credentials.

If you don’t have an Axis account, you can go to axis.com/my- axis to register a new account. To find out more on how to use the app, see AXIS Companion tutorials.

Daily use

Access your cameras

Sign in to AXIS Companion on a computer or a mobile device using your MyAxis account.
Enter the site that contains your cameras.
Find out more at AXIS Companion tutorials.

View live video

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10074647

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

Go to
Select which camera you want to view.

To watch a video on how to zoom, pan, and take snapshots, see the AXIS Companion tutorials.

Play a recording

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10074285

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

Go to
Use the timeline and calendar to find the recording.
Select the camera in the timeline and move the playback marker to the desired time.
- Note: When you move the playback marker, the video image is updated continuously. This makes it easy for you to find a specific moment in the recording.
Click Play.

To watch a video of how to browse and play recordings, see the AXIS Companion tutorials.

Save a recording

Go to
Select start and end times for a camera recording.
Select which cameras to save recordings from.
To save to a USB drive on an AXIS S3008 Recorder, select the Save to recorder USB checkbox.
- Note: The first partition of your USB device must use an exFAT or NTFS file system.
Save the recording.

To watch a video of how to save recordings, see the AXIS Companion tutorials.

Play a saved recording

To play a saved recording, open it with AXIS File Player.
When you save a recording, the AXIS File Player will be saved in the same folder. The AXIS File Player has a timeline showing what time the recording was made.

Validate a saved recording

You can validate a recording to confirm that the timestamp and images have not been manipulated after the recording was first saved. For this purpose, a digital signature will be included in the file when you save a recording. You can add a password to the digital signature for increased security.

To protect your digital signature with a password when saving a recording

Go to Settings > File.
Under Video format, select Windows Media Format (.asf).
Select Show digital signature options when saving recordings.

Now when saving a recording, the Digital signature window appears, allowing you to choose a password for the signature.

Validate a recording

Open the saved recording with AXIS File Player.
Click Tools and select Verify digital signature.
Enter the password, if a password was applied to the signature, and click OK.

A window appears to inform whether or not the recording is valid.

Take a snapshot

Take a snapshot from a live view

Click

Take a snapshot from the recordings

Use the timeline and calendar to find the recording.
Select the camera in the timeline and move the playback marker to the desired time.
Click to start investigation mode.
- Investigation mode allows you to step through the recorded video, frame by frame, to find the exact moment when an incident happened and take a snapshot from that moment.
To find the incident, click on the thumbnails to steps 30, 15, 5, or 1 frame backward (top panel) or forward (bottom panel). You can also move the slider.
When satisfied, click to take a snapshot.

For most cameras, the snapshot will contain the entire camera image, regardless of the zoom level. For cameras with a dewarped image, the snapshot will be the zoomed-in image.

Change the folder where snapshots are saved

Go to > Customize.
Change the settings under Snapshots.

Adjust the image settings

Go to > Cameras.
Click > Image settings for the camera you want to adjust.

You can control the image by adjusting settings like

Appearance
Exposure
Overlay
Day & Night
Privacy mask
Focus & zoom

Configure the video quality

You can configure the video quality to suit your image quality requirements and bandwidth usage. Video quality settings affect motion recording, continuous recording and live view.

Go to > Cameras.
Right-click the camera you want to configure and select Video Quality Settings.
Edit the profile settings for:
- High (resolutions with an image width above 640 pixels)
- Low (resolutions with an image width up to 1920 pixels)
- Note: High resolutions for the Low setting may affect the performance of scrubbing when you view recordings.
Click OK to save.

View events

Click to view a list of events that was detected by Axis analytics, such as motion detection or fence guard.
Click an event in the list to see a recording of the event.
Right-click an event in the list if you want to go to live view for the camera that triggered the event.
Events will only appear in the list if the corresponding Axis analytics feature is active.
To activate an Axis analytics feature, go to > Events

Example: A receptionist pushes a panic button. An operator is notified and views the event.

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10163162

Configure video motion detection

Recording only when motion is detected saves considerably on disk space and bandwidth, compared to continuous recording. If the motion detection is triggered too often, you can adjust the settings to ignore parts of the view or certain types of events.

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10130736

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

In AXIS Companion, go to > Cameras.
Make sure the camera is enabled in the Motion detection column.
Click for a camera and select Motion recording.
In the Motion recording dialog, click Settings.
Choose what part of the camera view to include in the motion detection:
- Edit the dark area to be included for motion detection.
- To draw an area that will be excluded from motion detection, select Exclude area and edit the light area.
- Note: For some camera models you can only draw squares, and for others, you can draw more complex polygons.
Expand Advanced to adjust the settings of the filters.
- Small objects filter Ignore objects that are small, such as animals.
- Swaying objects filter Ignore objects that only move within a short distance, such as trees or flags that move when it is windy.
- Note: The swaying objects filer is not available for all camera models.
- Short-lived objects filter Ignore objects that only appear for a short period of time, such as light beams from passing cars or fast-moving shadows.
Click OK twice.

Set up notifications

You can make AXIS Companion send a notification to your mobile app when certain types of motion occur in a camera view.

The motion triggers are based on the following ACAPs

AXIS Video Motion Detection
AXIS Fence Guard

Worflow

Make sure the ACAP is activated on your device.
In AXIS Companion, go to > Events and select an ACAP.
Configure a schedule for when you want to receive notifications.
Under Activation, select the cameras you want notifications from.

Receiving notifications on your mobile device

Push notifications are sent to your mobile app if you are logged in to your MyAxis account on your mobile.
When you install the AXIS Companion 4 mobile app, you must accept when prompted with a question if you want to receive notifications. If you want to deactivate the notifications, later on, go to the settings of your mobile device, select the AXIS Companion 4 app, and disable the notifications.

To turn notifications on or off in the mobile app

Go to Notifications.
Turn Motion detection on or off.

When a notification is sent, it will appear as a popup message on your mobile device. Tap the message to open the playback of the ongoing event.

Video motion detection

You can receive notifications when motion is detected.

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10157469

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

Workflow

Make sure motion detection is activated for your device.
Set up a schedule.
Activate notifications based on motion detection.

Fence guard: You can receive notifications when a virtual fence is crossed in a camera view.

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10157470

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

Workflow

Go to the device webpage and open AXIS Fence Guard.
Draw a virtual fence.
Go to AXIS Companion and activate fence guard notifications.

Add a user

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10133929

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

Go to > Users.
Click Add.
Enter an email address and select an access level, then click OK.

The following access levels are available

Administrator|

Full access

---|---
Operator|

Can access recordings and live view, but can’t make any changes to the site

Viewer|

Can only access live view

Activate offline mode

If you are running AXIS Companion while there is no connection to the internet, then you can enter offline mode. This makes
Live views and Recordings are available locally. However, you will not be able to access the Configuration menu while the internet connection is down.

Activate offline mode: Click > Site and turn on Offline mode.

Note

You can only use live view and playback while in offline mode. All other operations require a connection to the internet.
The PC that accesses the site in offline mode should be connected to the same subnet as the cameras. You can’t use offline mode if any of the networks the PC is connected to have access to the internet.
To be able to access the site without an internet connection, make sure offline mode is enabled before going offline.
To create and set up a site, your computer and all your devices must have internet access.
The mobile app will use the same password as was set for the device when the site was created.
For sites that will be used mostly offline, we recommend you to set them up with static IP or DHCP reservation.
Notifications will not be sent during offline mode.
You need internet access to be able to get a full system report.

Show video on an external display

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10134228

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

What you need

An Apple TV or Android TV device.
The AXIS Companion 4 app is installed on your mobile device.
The AXIS Companion TV app is installed from the app store on your Apple TV or Android TV device.
Your cameras, mobile app, and TV app must all be connected to the same local network.
AppleTV 4 and Nvidia Shield with Android 6 or later.

This is how you do it

Open the AXIS Companion 4 mobile app and log in.
Go to Devices > and select your external display.
- Note: It may take a few seconds before the icon appears.
Select the cameras you want to show on your external display.
Tap and wait for the configuration to complete.
You can view a single camera at a time or create a split view with up to 16 cameras.
When the AXIS Companion 4 TV app opens, read the instructions on the screen about how to navigate in the app.

Monitor a narrow space

Use corridor format to better utilize the full field of view in a long and narrow space, for example, a staircase, hallway, road, or tunnel.

Adjust the camera or its lens to a vertical field of view.
In AXIS Companion, go to > Cameras.
On the row of the camera, you want to adjust, click > Image settings.
On the Appearance tab, select a suitable angle for Orientation.
Click Close.

Connect to a door station

You can connect a door station to both your AXIS Companion desktop app as well as the mobile app. This makes it possible for you to answer calls, unlock a door and view a door station video with your mobile device.

Note

To unlock a door, your door station must be properly connected to the door’s electronic lock. The documentation for your door station contains information about how to make this connection correctly. To find the documentation for your door station, go to axis.com/products/access-control/network-door-stations
Make sure the door station is connected to the same network as your computer, otherwise it won’t show up in the list of devices in your AXIS Companion apps.

Connect your desktop app to a door station

In the AXIS Companion desktop app, go to > Cameras.
Click Add devices and add the door station.
You can now answer the door station with your AXIS Companion desktop app.

Connect your mobile app to a door station

Connect your desktop app to a door station on page 18.
Start the AXIS Companion 4 mobile app.
Log in to the same MyAxis account you used for the desktop app.

You can now answer the door station with your AXIS Companion 4 mobile app.

Give other users access to the door station

From the AXIS Companion desktop app, go to > Users.
Invite the user to the site.

Turn off calls from the door station

In the AXIS Companion 4 mobile app, go to User.
Go to Notifications and turn off Door station calls.

Add cameras to your site

Connect the cameras to the recorder’s integrated PoE switch or an external PoE switch.
Go to > Cameras.
Click Add devices.
Select the devices you want to add to your site. If any devices are password-protected, then you must enter the password for them before they can be selected.
- Note: If you have devices that are not supported, then you can click Read more to find out why they are not supported.
Click Next.
Enter a password. This password is used for accessing the device webpages or offline mode in the AXIS Companion mobile app.
Click Next.
On the Ready to install page, there might be a list of cameras that need to be restored. If so, click the Restore device link to fix the issue on the device webpage.
Click Finish and wait while AXIS Companion configures the cameras.
- Note: The configuration may take several minutes.

Remove a camera from your site

Go to > Cameras.
On the row of the camera, you want to remove, click > Remove.
If the camera has ongoing recordings, select Stop motion, and continuous recording to stop recordings.
Click OK.

Manage your system remotely

Remote access to a surveillance system can save a lot of time and money when maintaining and troubleshooting a system. With the Remote System Management tool for AXIS Companion, you get an overview of the installations and can undertake simple maintenance steps right away, such as:

Restarting devices
Upgrading devices
Manage user permissions

Get started with remote management

Note: Only users with administrator rights have access to the sites.

Go to https://connect.axis.com
Log in to your MyAxis account.
A list of your sites is shown.

To find a site, type in the search field.
To only display sites that contain errors, click Has error.
To sign out, click the initials menu and then Sign out.
To see who is currently logged in, click the initials menu.

Manage sites

To invite a user to a site

Click > Users.
Click Add user.
Enter the email of the user and select a permission level:
- Viewer: Access to Live view.
- Operator: Access to Live view and Recordings.
- Administrator: Access to Live view, Recordings, and Configuration.
Click Invite.

To remove a user from a site

Click > Users.
Click > Remove from the site.

To rename a site, click > Rename.
To remove a site, click > Remove.
Click a site to open it.

A list of the devices that belong to the site is shown.

Manage devices

When you open a site, you see a list of all the devices that belong to that site.
Click a device to see its properties.

Upgrade the firmware of a single device

Click the device to see its properties.
Click Upgrade.

Upgrade the firmware of all devices at once

Click Upgrade all (the option is only visible when there are several available firmware updates).

Note: A firmware upgrade can take several minutes.

To rename a device, click > Rename.
To restart a device, click > Restart.
To remove a device, click > Delete.

Use network speakers

By adding speakers to your video surveillance system you can improve the security on your premises, using event-triggered announcements and direct callouts.

Note: For information about how to adjust speaker volume, set up a zone and use event-triggering, see the user manual for your speaker. You can find the user manual on the product’s support page on axis.com

Add a network speaker

Go to Configuration > Speakers.
Click Add device and follow the wizard.

Send live announcements

In AXIS Companion, a push-to-talk function makes it possible to send live announcements to one or several speakers.

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10148471

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

Send an announcement to a speaker

Go to Live view of any camera in the site and select your speaker.
Keep the mic icon pressed to activate the microphone.
When you have sent your announcement, release the mic icon.

Send an announcement to multiple speakers

Use the webpages of the speakers to add them to a zone, and to select one of the speakers in the zone as master. When you send an announcement to the master speaker, the sound will be played by all the speakers in the zone.

Troubleshooting

Technical issues, clues and solutions

Issue	Solution
I have no live view.	Go to Fix common issues
My recordings are not available.	Go to Fix common issues
I cannot connect to my cameras.	Go to Fix common issues
I receive error notification: “No contact”.	Go to Fix common issues
My sites do not appear in my mobile app.	Make sure you have version 4 of the

AXIS Companion mobile app.
My video stream is lagging.| Make sure that your graphics card is updated with the latest drivers.

Fix common issues

Before you restart, configure or reset your devices, we recommend that you to save a system report.

Check that your cameras and recorder have power.
Check that you are connected to the internet.
Check that the network is working.
Check that the cameras are connected to the same network as the computer unless you are remote.
- Still not working?
Make sure that your cameras, recorder, and AXIS Companion desktop app have the latest firmware and software updates.
Restart the AXIS Companion desktop app.
Restart your cameras and recorder.
Make a hard reset on the cameras and the recorder, to completely put them back to factory default settings.
Add the reset cameras to your site again.
Update your graphics card with the latest drivers.
Save a system report and contact Axis technical support.

Upgrade firmware

New firmware updates bring you to the latest and improved set of features, functions, and security enhancements.

Go to the leader device webpage.
Go to System > Maintenance and click Upgrade under Firmware upgrade.
Follow the instructions on the screen.

Hard reset a camera

Note

A hard reset will not affect your recordings.
A hard reset will reset all the settings, including the IP address.

Select the camera you want to hard reset and remove it from the site.
Disconnect the power from the device.
Press and hold the control button on the device, and then reconnect the power.
Keep the control button pressed for 15–30 seconds until the status LED indicator flashes amber.
Release the control button.
The process is complete when the status LED indicator turns green.
The product has now been reset to the factory default settings.
Add the camera to the site again, see Add cameras to your site.

Hard reset a recorder

WARNING

Move the recorder very gently while it is switched on. Sudden moves or shocks may damage the hard drive.
A hard reset will remove the saved encryption password for the hard drive. Failure to remember the encryption password for an encrypted hard drive will result in the permanent loss of all recordings.

Note: A hard reset will reset all the settings, including the IP address.

Switch off the recorder: Press the power button on the front of the recorder for 4-5 seconds until you hear a beep.
Wait until the recorder is switched off, then turn it over to access the control button.
Press and hold the control button. Press and release the power button to start the recorder. Release the control button after 15-30 seconds when the LED indicator flashes amber.
Slowly put the recorder back in its place.
The process is complete when the status LED indicator turns green. The product has been reset to the factory default settings. If no DHCP server is available on the network, the default IP address is 192.168.0.90
Reset your cameras connected to the recorder.
If your hard drive is encrypted, then it must be mounted manually after the recorder is reset:
Go to the device webpage.
Go to System > Storage and click Mount.
Enter the encryption password used when encrypting the hard drive.

Save a system report

In AXIS Companion, go to Save system report.
When you register a new case at Axis Helpdesk, attach the system report.

Migrating from AXIS Companion Classic to version 4

Requirements

If you are already using AXIS Companion Classic and want to upgrade to version 4, then read the table below to confirm that your devices meet the requirements.

| AXIS Companion version 4| AXIS Companion Classic
---|---|---
Supported products| AXIS Companion IP cameras.

AXIS Companion solutions that include an AXIS S3008 Recorder will support Axis cameras and encoders with firmware 5.50 or higher. AXIS Companion solutions that doesn’t include an AXIS S3008 Recorder will support Axis cameras and encoders with firmware 8.40 and higher.

| AXIS Companion IP cameras, Axis network cameras and encoders with firmware 5.50 and higher
Storage media| Axis SD card

AXIS Companion Recorder No third-party NAS support AXIS S3008 Recorder

| Axis SD card

AXIS Companion Recorder Selected third-party NAS devices AXIS S3008 Recorder1

For information about limitations, see the technical paper ‘Disclaimer – AXIS S3008 and AXIS Companion Classic’ on axis.com/products/axis- companion-3/support

Is it necessary to use version 4?

You can continue using AXIS Companion Classic if you prefer. Axis will continue to support it.

Upgrade to version 4

Note

Any device that was used in AXIS Companion Classic must be hard reset or restored before it can be used in AXIS Companion version 4.
A hard reset or restore of a device will not erase any recordings.
The installation wizard will detect if any devices need to be hard reset or restored, and assist you. If a device needs to be restored, the wizard will take you to the device webpage, where you log in with the username ACCAdmin and the site password that you used in AXIS Companion Classic.

To watch this video, go to the web version of this document: www.axis.com/products/online- manual/53506#t10146635

With reservations for changes in the user interface.

User Manual: Ver. M39.2
AXIS Companion: Date: July 2022

Part No. T10074276