Best Settings for the Thinkware F70 Pro Dash Cam
Recording, card, parking and alert settings from the F70 PRO manual
You can change F70 PRO settings in THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK. The menu paths below follow Thinkware’s F70 PRO User Guide, version 1.1 (August 2023). Menu names may change with software updates; follow your exact model’s instructions when a screen differs.
F70 PRO video guide
This guide covers the original Thinkware F70 PRO. Use its own firmware and menus, rather than instructions for the F70 or another Thinkware model.
Before changing settings
Use THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK for the mobile settings below. Thinkware also provides PC/Mac viewer downloads, but now states that this software is no longer supported; check the download page before relying on it with a newer operating system. The camera stops recording while you configure settings in the mobile viewer. Make changes while parked, then finish configuring and confirm normal recording before driving.
1. Manage the memory card
Open Dash Cam settings > Memory Card Settings. The manual lists 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB microSD cards for the F70 PRO. It recommends authentic Thinkware cards and does not guarantee compatibility with other cards. Turn the camera off before removing a card, and back up important videos to separate storage.
Choose how to use the card
Memory Partition offers Continuous Priority, Incident Priority, Parking Priority, Manual Priority and Driving Recording Only. Choose the category that matters most to you. Continuous Priority is a choice for driving footage, rather than a setting everyone needs. Overwrite Videos lets you select which recording modes may overwrite footage; keep separate backups of clips you need.
Formatting erases recordings from the card. Back up clips you want to keep before formatting. In Formatting Memory Card, select Format, then Confirm.
The REC button has several functions: a short press starts manual recording, holding it for 3 seconds toggles audio recording, and holding it for 5 seconds formats the card. Take care with the hold duration when you only want to change audio.
2. Adjust the camera
Open Dash Cam settings > Camera Settings. Brightness changes the front image brightness; it does not raise the camera's resolution. The manual specifies 1080P FHD at 1920 x 1080 and 30 FPS.
Check brightness and parking night vision
Brightness-front offers Dark, Mid and Bright. Select the level that suits the image through your windshield, then check the recording. Mid is one available setting, not a required value for every windshield.
Super Night Vision can be Enabled or Disabled. The F70 PRO manual supports this feature in parking mode only, so enabling it does not add Super Night Vision to continuous driving recordings.
3. Set recording and parking options
Open Dash Cam settings > Record Settings to configure audio, incident sensitivity and parking recording. These options change what the camera records; they do not guarantee that every event will be captured.
The manual's parking-mode instructions require an optional hardwiring cable installed by a trained mechanic. Without continuous power, the camera stops recording when the engine turns off. Have your installer check the power arrangement for your vehicle before enabling parking recording. Thinkware’s current F70 PRO page also lists an OBD II power cable for parking use. Confirm the correct cable and vehicle compatibility with your installer.
Choose recording controls
Voice Recording can be Enabled or Disabled. Choose whether to record cabin audio for your use and the rules that apply to you. Holding REC for 3 seconds toggles audio; holding it for 5 seconds formats the card, so release the button at the intended duration.
Set Privacy Recording deletes recorded files after a selected time. The manual lists G-Shock only, 1min (max. 2min), 3min (max. 4min) and Disabled. G-Shock only does not record consistently. Leave this disabled if you do not want that automatic deletion behavior, and save important clips separately before relying on any limited backlog.
Continuous Mode Incident Recording Sensitivity offers Lowest, Low, Mid, High and Disabled. Choose the sensitivity that suits your vehicle, and review incident recordings after routine drives. Mid is one available choice; it does not guarantee that the camera can separate road bumps from incidents.
Parking Mode offers Motion Detection, Time Lapse, Energy Saving and Disabled. Back up all parking videos before changing this setting: the manual warns that videos recorded under the previous parking settings will be deleted. Motion Detection records a 20-second clip around detected movement or impact, covering 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after detection.
Energy Saving monitors impacts and records a 20-second clip starting within 1 second after detection. It does not provide Motion Detection's pre-event footage. Time Lapse records at 2 FPS; the manual describes 10 minutes compressed into a 2-minute file, and an impact sequence covering 50 seconds before and after detection compressed into 20 seconds. Choose the mode for the kind of parking record you need.
Parking Mode Waiting Time controls the delay before switching to parking mode. The options are 30 seconds and 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 minutes. Select the delay that fits your use; this setting is not the camera's initial boot time.
Smart Parking Rec offers Enabled or Disabled for thermal protection. Enabling this option does not remove the camera's temperature limits: the manual gives an operating range of -10 to 60 degrees C (14 to 140 degrees F). Avoid treating a protection setting as a promise that the camera can record indefinitely in a hot vehicle.
Impact Sensitivity in Parking Mode has five levels. Choose a level for your vehicle and review the resulting parking clips; Mid is a preference rather than a universal requirement.
Motion Detection Sensitivity also has five levels. Adjust it for the movement you want the camera to respond to, then check the resulting recordings.
Battery Protection can be Enabled or Disabled. Enable it to make Battery Cutoff Voltage available. Parking recording can still drain a vehicle battery, so keep the power installation and vehicle condition in mind.
Off Timer lets you choose when parking recording should stop; select Disabled to turn the timer off. Choose a duration that fits your parking needs and power supply. A longer duration does not guarantee that the vehicle battery will remain ready to start the engine.
Vehicle Type offers Regular car, Hybrid car and Electric car. Select the type that matches your vehicle before choosing its cutoff voltage.
Set Battery Cutoff Voltage for your vehicle type. The manual warns that a value set too low can deplete the battery, depending on conditions such as vehicle type and temperature. Ask your installer for a suitable value rather than treating 12 V as a safe preset for every vehicle.
Wintertime Battery Protection lets you select the months when that feature applies. Choose months for your conditions instead of assuming November, December and January suit every location.
Before relying on parking recording, confirm that the hardwiring installation supplies the required power. The manual notes that parking duration varies with the vehicle battery's charging state. Check the battery condition when using parking recording for extended periods.
For a dedicated parking-power setup, ask us about our PowerCell 8 and the correct Thinkware output lead. We would match the connection to your vehicle and parking mode, then check charging opportunities and saved clips before estimating useful coverage.
4. Set road safety alerts
Open Dash Cam settings > Road Safety Settings. The manual lists Safety Cameras and Mobile Zone Alert as separate controls. Its installation instructions require the optional external GPS receiver to activate the safety camera feature or record driving speed and location.
Choose the alerts you want
Safety Cameras can be Enabled or Disabled. Choose whether to hear these alerts after checking the required GPS receiver installation.
Mobile Zone Alert can be Enabled or Disabled. Check Thinkware's current regional guidance before relying on alerts.
5. Set language, time and speed display
Open Dash Cam Settings > System Settings to adjust language, volume, time and speed-display options.
Choose system preferences
Language lets you select the language you prefer.
Volume lets you set levels for Safety Cameras and for System and Others. Setting a volume level to 0 disables voice guidance, so check these levels if you cannot hear the prompts you expect.
Time Zone sets the date and time. Check the timestamp on a recording after changing it. Use the time-zone guide if you need help choosing the setting.
Daylight Saving can be Enabled or Disabled. Set it for the time convention that applies where you drive; an hour's difference is a reason to check both time zone and daylight saving, rather than automatically enabling the option.
Speed Unit offers km/h or mph. Choose the unit you use.
Speed Stamp can be Enabled or Disabled. Choose whether to show speed information on recordings. The manual requires the optional external GPS receiver to record driving speed and location.
Before a firmware update
For a card-based firmware update, select the F70 PRO download, unzip it and copy the upgrade file to the card root on a computer. Disconnect the camera power before removing or inserting the card. Reconnect power to begin the update, then keep the power connected and the card inserted until it finishes. The manual also describes updates through the viewers; follow the instructions for the update method you use.
Settings resources
Questions before changing a setting
Why are older recordings missing?
Check Privacy Recording, the card partition and overwrite settings first. Privacy Recording deliberately deletes files after the selected interval. Formatting and changing parking modes can also delete recordings. Back up clips you need before testing a different setting.
Does Energy Saving keep the same lead-in footage as Motion Detection?
No. Motion Detection includes footage before a detected event. Energy Saving begins its impact clip after detection. Choose the mode around the context you need to keep, then verify a parked test.
Why can I not hear the expected alerts?
Check the relevant volume level and alert switch. A volume of zero disables voice guidance. Safety-camera alerts and recorded speed/location also need the optional GPS receiver installed as described in the F70 PRO manual.
Need help with your F70 PRO settings?
If a menu differs from this guide, check the F70 PRO instructions for your firmware and app version. For help with parking power or a setting you cannot find, tell us your vehicle, power cable and software version.
Get help with F70 PRO settingsComparing an existing F70 PRO with a different setup? Browse current Thinkware cameras and ask us to match the camera and power connection to your needs.