Why does a baby monitor say the device is owned by another account?

What does “owned by another account” actually mean?

On a Wi-Fi or app baby monitor the camera has a hardware identity (serial or MAC) that the maker’s server ties to one owner account. Sharing with a partner is usually a guest invite. Transferring the unit to a new household is a different step: the first owner has to remove the product from their app. Until that happens, your phone can find the camera on the network and still be refused.

Brand help pages treat “add a user” and “pair with a new account” as separate jobs. Safety 1st says extra caregivers are added under Sharing & Users, and that pairing the same camera to a new account needs a factory reset (hold the reset button on the back for 10 seconds on the models that page names). eufy Baby tells the current owner to tap Remove Device before the camera can be set up under a different email.

A dedicated parent-unit screen that talks to the camera over its own radio, with no app, does not show this cloud message. If the listing is “Wi-Fi / smartphone only”, assume an account lock until the seller proves otherwise.

What should I ask the seller to do before collection?

The person whose email still owns the camera is the only one who can unlock it in the app. Message them before you travel. Cosco Kids’ Safety 1st note on uninstalling a monitor says you remove the product from the app first, then factory-reset the camera, if you are giving or selling it on.

1. 1
   Ask for a remove-device screenshot They open their app, open the camera, and tap Remove Device / Remove Product / Unpair (wording varies by brand). Ask for a screenshot of the empty device list, not a cropped live view.
2. 2
   Ask them to factory-reset the camera After removal, they hold the reset or SYNC pin as the manual says until the LED blinks or a voice prompt confirms reset. A reset done while the camera is still on their account often only forgets your Wi-Fi password.
3. 3
   Pair it on your phone at the door Create your own account, scan the QR or enter the pairing code, and wait until the live view opens. If the owned-by-another-account error returns, do not hand over cash.
4. 4
   Change every default password The National Cyber Security Centre’s guidance on second-hand devices is to factory-reset what you buy and to set your own screen lock, password and automatic updates before you rely on it.

When is a hardware reset not enough?

A pinhole reset is a local wipe. Cloud ownership lives on the maker’s server. If the seller factory-resets the camera but leaves it listed under Me → My Devices, the next buyer’s app still sees the old account. eufy’s published account-change steps put Remove Device first for that reason.

NCSC’s published advice for anyone buying a second-hand connected device is to erase the previous owner’s data with a factory reset before use. That step does not, by itself, force a baby-monitor maker to release a serial the seller still owns in the cloud.

What if the seller has already deleted the app?

Then you are asking the brand to break the link without the registered email. Support desks sometimes do this after they see a proof-of-purchase or a photo of the serial; they also refuse when the unit is a used marketplace sale and the original owner will not reply. There is no UK public register that forces a baby-monitor account transfer.

• Have the serial and model from the camera label ready before you open a ticket.
• Do not keep trying random emails — repeated failed claims can look like a takeover attempt to the same helpdesk.
• A dedicated parent unit (no app) is a different product family. This error is a cloud-camera problem, not a reason to start comparing wearable socks or smart socks.

Does unlinking the account finish the used-monitor checks?

No. Account release only means you can open the live view under your email. You still photograph the model and serial and search the GOV.UK Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls list, and you still need the original UK plug if the listing included one. The Lullaby Trust’s position is that a monitor is not a substitute for safer-sleep practice: baby on their back, clear cot, same room for the first six months.

In shortIn short: the error is a cloud lock, not a broken camera. The seller removes the device in their app, then resets it, then you pair it in front of them. A reset without a remove-device tap is the usual reason a used Wi-Fi monitor stays stuck on another account.