Sky Q Recordings Deleting Themselves – Your Top 5 Questions Answered
Filled to the brim with revolutionary tech like voice control and multiscreen viewing, Sky Q packs an impressive punch. That’s before we even mention the content itself. TV, box sets, movies, music, sport – you name it, it’s on there. Handily, so are a host of recording capabilities to keep you up-to-date with it all. Can’t choose between Marvel and Bake Off? We’ve all been there. That’s why they made the red button, after all. But what happens when you sit down to watch your show, only to find it’s disappeared? Are your Sky Q recordings deleting themselves? Can you get them back? Can you stop it happening?
Why might you be drawing a blank? Let’s find out.
How to record on Sky Q
Before we delve into your lost shows, we’ll quickly recap how to record on Sky Q.
How do you record on Sky Q?
- As you watch – to record the programme you’re watching, you simply need to press the red button on your remote control. Thanks to Sky’s default setting, if the show is part of a series, the system will automatically record all further episodes. To stop this happening, press the button a second time and only the current episode will be recorded.
- From the TV Guide – if you already know what you’d like to record, there’s an option for you too. Head to your TV Guide and find the listing for your chosen programme. Schedule a recording by pressing the red button at any point up to a week before the show airs.
- Recording on the go – if you’re out and about and suddenly realise you’ve forgotten to set that schedule, Sky’s got you covered there as well. As long as you’ve downloaded the Sky Go app, you can use your phone or device to record programmes to your Sky Q box.
How many programmes can you record at once?
- Sky Q 1TB box – allows you to watch one programme whilst simultaneously recording up to three others.
- Sky Q 2TB box – you can record up to an impressive six programmes and still watch live TV at the same time.
It’s not working?
If your Sky Q light is showing but your shows don’t appear to be recording, don’t worry, we can help you there as well. Check out our handy guide on how to get your Sky system back up and running.
All sorted? Fantastic! That’s your favourite programmes nicely lined up.
But if you’ve noticed your Sky Q recordings deleting themselves, the question is, why?
Why does Sky Q automatically delete recordings?
There are three common reasons for a programme to suddenly vanish:
- Licensing terms and deletion date (unfortunately unavoidable)
- Lack of disk space (this you can change)
- The accidental one where you deny all knowledge and blame your housemate (and should be able to retrieve the programme at the end of it!)
So, first to consider – licensing terms and deletion dates.
What do these mean for your Sky Q recordings? Do shows have an expiry date?
Do Sky Q shows expire?
Unfortunately, the answer is a very firm yes, some Sky Q recordings can – and do – expire.
Updates to box sets, and changes made to licensing rights, can result in Sky needing to remove certain programmes. This means that some shows will have an expiry date.
How do you know when a Sky Q recording will expire?
If there’s no visible expiry/deletion date on the screen, you’ll have at least 31 days’ grace to cram in your viewing. Sky Q should notify you on-screen when you’re down to 30 days or less.
Alternatively, a quick swipe of the Sky app on your phone or tablet device can provide you with the expiry date of your downloads in Sky Q recordings.
If the programme deletion date doesn’t seem to be the issue, then your lost Sky recordings could be down to a lack of available space.
Can I stop Sky Q recordings deleting themselves?
What happens when Sky Q gives you the ability to watch, record and download all the latest shows and movies at the touch of a button? You almost certainly make the most of it and watch, record and download all the latest shows and movies at the touch of a button! Fantastic for keeping up-to-date with the latest box sets, not so great for storage space.
When programmes suddenly disappear, it could be that you’ve hit your storage limit. When your hard drive is full, Sky automatically deletes items to free up room for necessary basic functions and new recordings.
If you’re fast reaching that storage limit and space is the problem, we’ve got some good news. A few simple steps can help stop Sky Q recordings deleting themselves before you’ve had a chance to watch your favourite shows.
You just need to have a bit of a clear-out.
How do you manage your Sky Q disk space?
Simply hit the Sky button on your remote, head to Recordings in the main menu, and select Disk Space. Here you’ll find a list of everything you’ve got stored. Delete the items you no longer want and you’ll free up a chunk of space ready for your new recordings.
Which brings us neatly to the third possible reason your Sky Q programmes might disappear; accidental deletion.
Sometimes it’s not so much a case of Sky Q recordings deleting themselves, but more a case of “oops”.
Which leads us to possibly the most pressing question of all…
Can you retrieve deleted programmes on Sky?
If you (or someone definitely not you) find you’ve gone a bit overboard on your content clear-out, you’re in luck. It’s very simple to retrieve a mistakenly deleted recording.
- Head to your Planner, followed by Recordings.
- Scroll to Manage and choose Deleted.
- Here, you can opt to Undelete any items recently erased in error.
(Be aware that this section also allows you to permanently delete your items, so take care with the swiping)
That’s your favourite programmes returned and housemate harmony restored!
If you need a hand keeping it that way, why not check out our guide to troubleshooting Sky. Or swing by and let us know how you’re getting on with your tech.
