How to Reset an XMEyeDVR Password (Xiongmai)
Locked out of an XMEye recorder? XMEye is the app behind Xiongmai DVRs and the many budget brands built on them, and most give you a way back in that leaves your recordings untouched. Below are the routes in order, the factory login worth trying first and the single step that clears your settings.
To reset an XMEye or Xiongmai DVR password, first try the default login, user admin with a blank password. If that fails, tap the question mark on the login screen, note the key code and turn it into a master password with the CCTV Super Password app. Newer units show a QR captcha you scan with the XMEye app. A reset restores access, but it does not bring back deleted footage. For that you read the drive on a PC.
Getting locked out of an XMEye recorder is one of the most common CCTV problems there is, because XMEye and Xiongmai sit behind so many cheap DVRs sold under different names. Maybe the password slipped your mind, the unit came to you secondhand or it was left on its factory login. The good news is that these recorders have a few recovery routes built in, so you rarely have to lose anything.
XMEye is a platform, not one brand. XMEye is the cloud app from Xiongmai, the Chinese maker whose boards and firmware power a huge range of white-label DVRs and NVRs. Brands like QUESTEK and Vantech use it, and so do countless no-name recorders. If your DVR uses the XMEye app, or an older one called vMEye or vMEyeSuper, the steps below apply to you.
The password guards the menu, not the recordings. A lost login stops you reaching the recorder's screens, but the video on the disk is untouched. When the footage is all you are after, take the drive out and read it on a PC, with no reset at all. Keep the routes below for when you need the live unit running again.
What is the default XMEye login?
Before any reset, try the factory login, above all on an older or resold unit that nobody ever configured. Most XMEye and Xiongmai recorders ship with the same account.
- Username admin. Almost every XMEye recorder uses admin as the account name.
- Password blank. By default the admin password is empty, so leave the password box blank and press Login.
- Other common codes. Some resellers set a simple password like 1234 or 123456 during install, so those are worth a try too.
Change a default login straight away. If admin with a blank password still works, anyone else can get in the same way. XMEye devices are a favourite target for scanners, so set a strong password of your own the moment you are in.
How do you reset an XMEye password with the key code?
If the default login no longer works, the main reset route is a key code shown on the recorder, turned into a master password by a phone app. This lets you back in without clearing anything.
- Open the reset prompt. On the recorder's own monitor, reach the login box and tap the question mark icon, or the Forgot Password link.
- Write down the key code. The screen shows a key code, sometimes called a key number, usually at the bottom. Note it down exactly as shown.
- Install the CCTV Super Password app. Get it from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. It is the standard tool for XMEye and Xiongmai resets.
- Generate the master password. Enter the key code into the app and it returns a master password for that day.
- Log back in. Type the master password into the recorder. After it accepts, the unit usually lets you log in again as admin with a blank password, so set a new one right away.
Older units use a date code instead. On Xiongmai recorders made before 2016, the reset is tied to the system date rather than a key code. A super password tool generates the day's code from the date set on the recorder. The idea is the same, you read a value off the unit and the tool turns it into a one-day master password.
How does the XMEye QR code reset work?
Newer XMEye recorders replace the key code with a QR captcha, scanned straight from your phone. It is the quickest route on current units.
- Open Forgot Password. On the login screen, tap Forgot Password, then the option to recover by answer or QR code.
- Scan the QR captcha. A QR code appears on the recorder. Scan it with the XMEye app, or the CCTV Super Password app, from a phone.
- Enter the code it gives back. The app returns a verification code. Type that into the recorder's captcha box.
- Set a new password. The recorder then lets you create a fresh password. Choose a strong one and keep a record of it.
What if no app reset works?
If none of the app routes work, a hardware reset clears the recorder back to factory settings. Treat it as the final option.
On most Xiongmai boards you power the unit off, open the case and briefly remove the small CMOS battery on the mainboard, then refit it and power back on. The recorder loses its saved settings, including the password. It then boots as if new, so you can set it up from scratch. The exact step varies by model, so check your unit before opening it.
A hardware reset clears your configuration. It wipes your settings, your network details and your schedules, and you set the recorder up from scratch. On most Xiongmai units it does not format the hard drive, but that is not guaranteed across every model, so if the footage matters, get it off the drive first.
Which XMEye reset method should you use?
Here is how the routes compare, so you can pick the one that fits your unit.
| Method | Keeps your footage | Use when | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default login | Yes | Any unit, try it first | admin, blank password |
| Key code | Yes | Most units | CCTV Super Password app |
| QR code | Yes | Newer units | XMEye or Super Password app |
| Hardware reset | Clears settings | Last resort | Open the case, CMOS battery |
"On XMEye recorders the factory login is admin with a blank password. If that is gone, the key code route still gets you back in without wiping the box."
Rollins Duke, video forensics, RecoveryTools
Whose recorder can you reset?
These routes are for a recorder you own or manage, or a case you are authorised to work. A password reset or a drive read on someone else's system without permission is a different matter. For evidence work, keep a record of your authority and handle the drive in a way that holds up later.
What if you only need the footage?
Plenty of people reset an XMEye recorder only to reach recordings trapped behind a login they no longer have. If that sounds like you, a softer route avoids the reset completely.
The recordings live on the hard drive, not behind the login screen. Power the recorder off, take the disk out and read it on a PC with a tool that understands the Xiongmai format, and the password never comes into it. Our guide on recovering XMEye footage walks through it, and the DVR data recovery page explains how reading the drive directly works. When the recordings matter more than the box itself, that is the route to take.
In short
- The default XMEye login is user admin with a blank password, so try that first.
- If it fails, use the key code or the QR code with the CCTV Super Password app.
- A reset restores access to the menu. It does not recover deleted footage.
- For lost or deleted footage, read the drive on a PC, which skips the login.
Common questions
What is the default password for an XMEye DVR?
The username is admin and the password is blank by default, so leave the password box empty and press Login. Some resellers set a simple code like 1234 or 123456 at install, so try those too. Change the login to a strong password the moment you are in.
How do I reset an XMEye password without losing footage?
Use the key code or QR method, not a hardware reset. Tap the question mark or Forgot Password on the login screen, turn the key code into a master password with the CCTV Super Password app, or scan the QR captcha with the XMEye app. These get you back in without touching the recordings.
What is the CCTV Super Password app?
It is a free phone app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store that turns the key code shown on a Xiongmai or XMEye recorder into a one-day master password. It is the standard tool for resetting these recorders when the default admin login no longer works.
Does resetting an XMEye DVR delete my recordings?
The key code and QR routes only reset the password, so your footage stays. A hardware or CMOS reset clears your settings and, on some models, can affect the drive, so get your footage off first if it matters. Deleted recordings are a separate issue that a reset cannot fix.
Which brands use XMEye and Xiongmai?
XMEye is Xiongmai's app, and Xiongmai makes the boards behind a wide range of budget DVRs and NVRs. Brands like QUESTEK and Vantech use it, along with many no-name recorders sold online. If your DVR uses the XMEye, vMEye or vMEyeSuper app, it is a Xiongmai-based unit.
I reset the password but my footage is gone. What now?
A password reset only restores access, it does not recover footage that was deleted, overwritten or lost when the recorder failed. For that you read the hard drive on a PC with recovery software that understands the Xiongmai format, which rebuilds the recordings the recorder no longer lists.
Need the footage, not only the login?
If you are resetting only to reach locked or lost recordings, DVRXaminer reads the Xiongmai drive directly and saves your footage as playable clips, with no login needed. Run the free trial to see what is on the drive.
Sources
- Xiongmai and XMEye recorder password reset documentation and the CCTV Super Password app
- XMEye key code, QR captcha and date-code reset references, 2026
- DVRXaminer testing on Xiongmai-based recorders and white-label units