Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice regarding my Aqara Camera Hub G3, which seems to have suddenly “died.”
The issue:
The unit is completely unresponsive. There are no status lights (LEDs), and no mechanical movement when plugged in. It was working fine until recently.
Technical details & Troubleshooting:
- Power: I have tested it with the original power adapter/cable and also with a high-wattage laptop charger. Still no signs of life.
- SD Card: The camera has never had an SD card installed, so a corrupted card is not the cause.
- Hard Reset: I’ve tried holding the main function button for 10+ seconds, but there is no response or LED blink.
- Physical condition: The device hasn’t been dropped and has stayed in the same spot since setup.
Has anyone experienced a similar hardware failure with the G3? Are there any “hidden” reset methods, or is it likely a dead motherboard?
Thanks in advance!
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Hi @ott_silver ! After all your troubleshoots already, it really seems the G3 is dead
How old is it? Maybe contact the support and if it’s still on warranty , you sure gets replacement! Good luck
Ps. There are no hidden reset methods known. So if with a new power source there’s no light , then 
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Hello, welcome to the forum.
Question, after turning on the power, the camera turns its head? Also for information: resetting the settings - 10 quick presses. Holding the button for 10 seconds, connecting to a new local network.
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Thanks for the suggestions, @DEChrisE and @gafich10.
I tried everything, including the “power cycle” trick that official support suggested (leaving it unplugged for a full night). Unfortunately, it’s still a total “brick” - no lights, no movement, nothing.
To answer your question, @gafich10: No, the camera head doesn’t move or calibrate at all when power is connected. It stays completely still. I’ve also tried the “10 quick presses” method, but the hardware is clearly dead.
Official support has now asked me for a video of the issue, which I will be filming and sending to them tonight.
To be honest, this G3 has been a massive disappointment. Even before it died, every single firmware update caused it to lose all 20+ paired accessories. I have relay modules installed inside the walls, and having to spend 3 hours opening up wall switches just to re-pair everything after every update is a nightmare user experience.
For a “flagship” product to have such buggy software and then total hardware failure after only 3 years is unacceptable. It’s simply not worth the premium price. I’ll keep you posted on what support says once they see the video
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And one more thing to add to this “premium” experience: It is truly impressive engineering to design a flagship device that fails so consistently. Between the hardware dying almost exactly when the warranty expires and a software architecture that forces a user to tear open their walls to re-pair relays after every firmware update - it’s a masterclass in how to alienate loyal customers.
I really wonder if anyone else has seen this “planned obsolescence” behavior with the G3, or am I just the lucky one with a very expensive paperweight?
I’ll get that video over to support tonight, but honestly, at this price point, we should be talking about reliability, not “troubleshooting tricks” that never work.
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Hello, in my opinion, the G3 camera as a gateway can be overloaded by other automation processes with a large number of devices. It is designed for a motion sensor control system, opening, other devices without overload. For global problems at home, I use a separate M3 gateway, or rather two gateways. Perhaps this is the reason for its failure.
And once again, I emphasize, THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION about this situation.
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With all due respect, I have to disagree with the “overload” theory.
Aqara officially markets the G3 as a powerful Zigbee hub that can support up to 128 devices (with repeaters). I only have 25. If a “flagship” device can’t handle 20% of its advertised capacity without its hardware failing, then the product specs are misleading.
Also, a hub being “busy” with automation should lead to software lag or latency, not a total hardware blackout where the device won’t even power on. A motherboard shouldn’t fry itself just because it’s processing automation rules - that’s literally what it was built to do.
Suggesting that I should have bought additional M3 hub just to keep a G3 alive is a bit absurd. A premium all-in-one device should be able to function as advertised without needing “backup” hub to survive basic tasks.
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I completely agree with you. I didn’t know how many daughter devices you had. I have 290 so I assumed this version. I think they will help you in the service department, good luck to you.
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290 devices? That is an insane amount of hardware! You must have a sensor for every single square inch of your home. To be honest, I’m genuinely curious - could you describe what you actually do with all of them? Managing that many devices sounds like a full-time job, not to mention the small fortune spent on “smart” gadgets.
My setup is much more modest: automated blinds, a few smart switches, 4 relays for lighting, a motion sensor, and temperature/humidity sensors in every room.
I also have leak sensors near the washing machine, dishwasher, and floor heating manifold, but unfortunately, they failed to alert me during an actual leak. I’m not sure if the sensors are just unreliable or if the positioning is that finicky.
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I have a private house, and therefore, there is something to automate. Regarding the cost, this is Lego for adults, I bought and implemented automation since 2019. I did not automate, only roller blinds, it is impractical for me. My principle of automation, the ability to instantly switch to manual control in the event of a system malfunction. Over the years, I have not used it often, but in such cases I have always praised myself (and not only me, but also my wife) that all the main control can be done in a simple “dumb” way.
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Autonomous heating of all rooms.
Lighting throughout the house.
Temperature control of the cellar, utility rooms.
Pumping instant water into the tank.
Heating the food water boiler.
And many other small things, controlling the TV, air conditioning …
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Quick update: I’ve sent all the requested info to Aqara support as they asked, but so far… absolute silence.
In the meantime, I did some digging into other users’ experiences with the G3. The results are pretty bleak. In less than 30 minutes, I found 50+ posts across Reddit, Facebook, and YouTube from users whose G3 units simply died - most of them in less than two years.
While some were “lucky” enough to have it happen within the warranty period, this is a massive red flag. You can’t market a device as a “Premium Pro” product if it has such a high failure rate. It’s time for Aqara to acknowledge that this isn’t just a random glitch, but a hardware reliability issue that needs addressing.
To add insult to injury, having the hub dead for a few days has turned my family against me. I’m constantly getting grilled: “Why the hell do I have to manually press a button on the E1 to move the blinds? They used to go up by themselves!” or “Why do I have to flip switches in the hallway and bathroom? The lights used to be automatic and dimmed perfectly at night!”
When I tried to tell them the automation stopped because our cat had a heart attack (and he was the one secretly running the house), I just got some suspicious grunting in response.
Bottom line: when the hub dies, the “smart” home becomes a source of frustration, not convenience. It’s hard to justify the “Premium” price tag when you’re back to manual labor within three years.
I had the same disfunción just yesterday, imposible solve It, imposible to reset fisicaly o by the app, it’s new, only had work for 3 mouths. Bad, bad, bad…
I’ve sent my logs over to Aqara, so now we wait and see if they actually find something or just give me the classic “everything looks fine in the logs” routine. Honestly, I’m half-expecting them to just point at the calendar and say, “Too bad, warranty expired”.
If that’s the answer I get, then I really don’t see the point in paying a premium price for low-end quality anymore. We pay extra for Aqara because we expect stability and actual engineering, not a device that becomes an expensive paperweight the moment the warranty clock runs out.
As for your unit - if it’s completely dead and doesn’t even respond to the physical reset button, it’s a clear hardware failure. Save yourself the headache and just file a warranty claim while you still can. Sometimes you just get a “lemon” and it’s best to let the shop handle it.
Hi there, as this issue has already been resolved with our support team via email, we’ll be closing this topic on the forum as well. If you have any further questions or run into any other issues, please feel free to reply directly to our support email. Thanks for your support and understanding!