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pueblokc / unifi-protect-recovery

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GUI + CLI to back up UniFi Protect device recovery codes from any NVR (Windows/Linux/macOS). By KCCS.

14
1
89% credibility
Found May 28, 2026 at 14 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
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AI Analysis
Python
AI Summary

This tool helps you back up the recovery codes for all your UniFi Protect devices (cameras, bridges, lights, speakers, and more) by extracting them from your NVR's existing backup files. You connect to your NVR using a simple GUI or command line, the tool finds the latest backup, pulls out each device's recovery code, and saves everything to a CSV file you can store safely. This ensures you never lose access to your devices when resetting or migrating to a new controller.

How It Works

1
💡 The Problem: Lost Camera Access

You have UniFi cameras or devices, and UniFi Protect asks for a recovery code you've never seen — leaving your devices locked out after a reset or migration.

2
🔍 Finding the Right Tool

You search online and discover this backup tool that safely extracts every device's recovery code from your NVR's existing backup files.

3
🖥️ Opening the Easy Interface

You double-click a launcher on your computer, and a friendly window appears asking for your NVR's address and login details.

4
🔌 Connecting to Your NVR

You enter your NVR's IP address, username, and password — then click 'Test Connection' to verify everything works before proceeding.

5
Two Ways to Get Started
🖱️
Point-and-Click (Windows/Mac/Linux)

Double-click a launcher, fill in your details, and click 'Backup Recovery Codes' to download and extract everything automatically.

💻
Command Line (On the NVR Itself)

Run a single command directly on your NVR to extract codes from the latest backup already stored there.

6
📦 Automatic Backup Discovery

The tool finds your NVR's most recent automatic backup file — the one created during your nightly backup routine.

7
🔓 Extracting Your Recovery Codes

The tool opens the backup, reads each device's recovery code, and organizes everything into a clean spreadsheet with device names, models, and codes.

✅ Your Codes Are Safe

A timestamped CSV file lands in your Documents folder containing every device's recovery code — ready to use whenever you need to adopt or re-adopt a device.

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AI-Generated Review

What is unifi-protect-recovery?

UniFi Protect stores a unique recovery code for every device on your network—cameras, bridges, lights, speakers, and more. If you ever factory-reset a device or migrate to a new controller, you'll need that code to re-adopt it. This tool connects to your UniFi NVR over SSH, grabs the latest nightly backup, and extracts all device recovery codes into a clean CSV file. It ships with both a Python-based GUI for point-and-click backups and a CLI for scripting or running directly on the NVR itself.

Why is it gaining traction?

The hook is simple: recovery codes are critical but completely buried. They're hidden inside NVR backup ZIPs with no UI export option in Protect itself. This tool solves that gap with a workflow anyone can follow—enter your NVR IP and credentials, click a button, get a CSV. The cross-platform GUI handles the SSH and backup discovery automatically, probing multiple known backup locations so you don't have to know where UniFi stores them on your specific hardware. For power users, the CLI can run directly on the NVR for automated nightly exports with retention policies.

Who should use this?

Home users with a handful of UniFi cameras who want peace of mind before a network overhaul. MSPs managing multiple UniFi installations who need to hand off recovery codes to clients. Anyone who has factory-reset a camera only to discover UniFi Protect demands a code they never saved.

Verdict

This fills a real gap in the UniFi ecosystem, and the dual GUI/CLI approach covers both casual and power users. At 14 stars, the credibility score sits around 0.9%—understandable for a niche tool from a small shop, but the documentation is thorough and the approach is sound. If you run UniFi Protect and have more than two devices, this belongs in your backup rotation. Just treat the output CSV like a password file and store it accordingly.

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