Life Hacks

How to Charge VTech Kidizoom Camera – Replace Batteries

How to charge Kidizoom camera

Vtech Kidizoom digital camera was one of my daughters’ favorite toys ever. She was a little young for the digital camera (Kidizoom is recommended for 3-9 years) but loved playing with it. It is easy to operate the camera. It takes good-looking pictures and lets you add pre-installed graphics to the photos taken. It was a cool feature at the time. She used to love seeing her photos inside those picture frames created by the camera.

How Do I Charge the Kidizoom Camera?

After a few months, the battery turned dead. I tried to find a way to charge the batteries but couldn’t figure it out. I’ve never read the camera manual (you know how we are :p). It was thrown into a recycling bin the day it was delivered.

Then, I found a USB port on the VTech Kidizoom digital camera. I thought it was just like other digital cameras. I connected it to my PC, and it quickly regained power. I let it charge for the entire day, but the camera became dead again after disconnecting the USB connector. Hmmmm!?

That was when I found the two screws on the bottom of the camera. It doesn’t say anything about batteries on the outside. I forgot this camera was a “toy.” Toy battery housings are enclosed with screws, as you may know. I completely forgot about that. Eventually, I unscrewed them and found the hidden batteries!

Yes! It used regular AA batteries…

I felt stupid not spotting the battery compartment sooner and charging the digital camera using the USB port. I’m sure I’m not the only one! Here is how to replace VTech Kidizoom digital camera batteries.

VTech Kidizoom – How to Replace the Batteries

vtech kidizoom2
Find two screws & open the bottom casing
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Replace old batteries – uses four AA batteries

Easy enough right? I hope it helps you.

You are not alone!

NOTE: This post was originally written in 2010, and the camera is no longer available. I’m still shocked by the number of visitors trying to charge this camera a decade later!

I’ve compiled some of the comments (2010-2020) here to make you feel better that you weren’t the only one!

Comments

I just joined the knucklehead club! My 4-year girl was right all along!

Super ! So glad I found this post, thought I was going crazy after charging it for hours day and night!

Omg thank you!! I was going crazy trying to charge this camera and my son was so upset lol. Thank you thank you!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! YOU ARE AN ANGEL I TOO HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR VTEC CHARGER REPLACEMENT TO FIND NOTHING REALLY. RIGHT OFF TO FIND MY SONIC SCREWDRIVER!!!

What a silly Billy I am lol thanks to all I ad just taken it out of the bin. thanks lol

Exactly the info I was looking for, and I loved the write up about it. Thanks Much!

We have had this camera for about 4 years. Another granddaughter was interested in it, but it wouldn’t work. We opened the battery compartment. The batteries were corroded. We tried to clean the corrosion out, replaced the batteries, but it still won’t work. Any suggestions.

Someone is selling it for $5. My husband is going to pick up but I was wondering if anyone knew what type of screwdriver he should bring. I don’t want to buy if the batteries have exploded or anything. Ild sooner buy a new one off eBay since the camera has since been upgraded only to be discontinued!! However, my son is only 2.5 and has been looking for my camera and eliciting his speech so found this $5 one at a garage sale!

I too tried to plug this in to charge it several times…. I can’t imagine how I didn’t think of this…. yeah, it’s a kids toy they are not going to put in rechargeable batteries!…. 4 AA batteries and we are good to go again…!

Picked one up for my daughter at Goodwill for $1 (a few days ago). Apparently, the original owner used it until memory was full/battery dead and wasn’t able to charge it. After plugging it into different computers for hours, and my husband telling me that the battery symbol was showing “full” so “if it dies when you unplug it, apparently you just wasted your dollar and it is never going to hold a charge,” I had given up. Thanks for the info! Can’t wait to put new batteries in and have my husband see my daughter using it!

Phew! So glad to have found this! Have been trying to charge all day whilst getting increasingly baffled. No screws on ours though – just open up the side and there the batteries are!

Wow thank you I’ve been looking everywhere for the cord!! My daughter just realized the camera didn’t actually work and has been begging me to fix it.

This really helped me! My son had been complaing about his camera for about a wek untill I found this! 🙂

I too have had this camera for 4 years and today got exited when I plugged a USB cable into an iPhone charger! It didn’t work. So I googled chargers for Vtech kids cameras and found this site! I have just changed the batteries!! Thank you!!!!!

Thank you all now i know how to make the Grandchildren Happy again just buy a life time supply of batteries 🙂 🙂 🙂

Thank you! I have a newer version but this helped me figure it out!!!! I have a very happy little girl now!

We bought our grandson the Kidizoom Camera Connect for Christmas. He went to use it yesterday and we discovered he had not only removed the batteries at some point but ALSO there are no longer any battery covers (the bottom on this camera is different from the one in the picture and there are two pieces). I found a site for replacement parts at vtechkids.com/ but this model isn’t listed. Any ideas???? Thank you!

Thank you so much for your post!! Batteries have been changed and camera is working! Thank you again:)

Worst part is I Just opened the battery compartment and it has Costco batteries in it – so someone already changed them once. I know it wasn’t me but why let me suffer for sooo long. Guess my wife likes a sick joke. Atleast she hasn’t said anything so neither will I. Let her think it is thru the comp.

Thanks for the post. My son’s has been dead for months. I too tried to charge for over 24 hours. But it didn’t seem to work. He even brought me a screwdriver but I didn’t take it. Lesson learned when it comes to technology trust the kids.

I also tried to charge for over 24 hours and had no luck so i googled it and found your blog. I do feel like an idiot as my 5 yr old son was telling me it needed batteries and even brought my a screwdriver. Oh well lesson learned when it is technology go with the child.
Thanks, for the help

I’ve been trying to charge the bloody camera for weeks, convinced that I had lost the “proper” charger that’s why the USB wasn’t working!! I’ve just been googling “vtech camera charger” trying to buy a fictitious item!!!!
Thanks for this!

Thanks so much for this! My daughter was given this camera months ago and its been sitting around since the girl who gave it to me didn’t give me a manual or any cords. I thought I’d have to order one. She came across it the other day and I used several phone chargers to try to charge it. Then I found out that the USB cord that goes with my daughter’s LeapFrog Violet dog fit and have had it plugged in to the computer…. didn’t work. Then used my phone charger outlet and plugged in the USB port, still nothing. Just got online to figure out what I needed to buy and now I know…nothing! So off to rummage the house for a screwdriver and batteries 🙂

Thank you. haha This saved our camera from certain doom.

THANK YOU for posting this. I thought my daughter’s camera was a goner for sure.

Wondered why I couldn’t find any chargers for these on Amazon, ebay etc – this answers the question! Can sleep tonight!

Thank you for this information. I was getting ready to throw our camera away not realizing it has batteries. I thought the same as you about the USB charging it. When that didn’t work I was about to toss it. Thanks for keeping me from throwing it away for no reason! 🙂

Me Too!!!! Thanks a bunch now my kids can take beautiful photos 🙂

Oh my goodness! This page is a lifesaver. I too, connected the USB and waited for power to come back on. Then I decided to Google some info and was led to this page. THANK YOU! My son is now able to continue taking photos of anything that is about 36″ high. 🙂 Thanks so much!

Thank goodness Google led me to you!! haha. I was so confused… My sons just died, and it is his favorite toy!! I now have a question, does this camera take an SD card?

Thanks! I tried charging through the USB port also and thought the camera was broken. My daughter will be very happy about this!

I was in exactly the same boat as you. Thanks for enlightening me now we know how to get our little photographer back on track.

Just started to do the same thing, then Googled “changing batteries in a Vtech camera” and found your post. Thanks for saving me from your mistakes.

Argh. Charged it w/the USB cable at least 5x before hitting the web and finding this post.

I’ve been letting my daughter’s camera just sit there for three months as I couldn’t figure out how to recharge it. I hooked up the USB all day and found the battery was still dead. Thankfully I’m not the only one who’s apparently clueless about this…your post really helped me out! Usually there’s a picture of a battery on the outside of something so you know where they go. This many people should not have had a problem with something as simple ad recharging/replacing the batteries. Sheesh….

Now that I don’t feel like a complete idiot!!! I did all of the EXACT SAME THINGS! LOL….. THANKS!!!

Thank you! I tried charging using the usb and was taken aback when it did not work. Thank you for telling me about the batteries.

This is getting funnier how we all did the same thing with the camera. 🙂

Why do kids electronics have to be soooo complicated!!!

I just don’t understand why the government requires toy makers to use screws on battery cases.

LOL it’s so funny how we all did the same thing with trying to recharge via USB. Thanks for posting these instructions on your blog!

I did the exact same thing. I tried it with the usb port several time and eventually gave up. My 3 year old just asked me if I can fix her camera and I looked it up online and found this post. It saved me, however, when I put new batteries in it still didn’t work. Now I am going to call them and see what they can do.

lol i did the same thing then we thought that we would have to get the screwdriver but was scared that something would fall out of it and we would have to buy a new camera lol

haha, this is getting funny!

Thank you so much, having tried the USB (without success) I thought we must have a power adapter lying around in a box somewhere. So after looking at the Vtech site (without success) I came across you posting. Phew! Peace will be restored with 4 AA batteries.

You were more creative than any of us here. Some of us almost threw it away. 🙂

Thank you so much for your post. Just like many others here I had been trying to charge through the usb port smh now ill just get the handy dandy screwdriver. 🙂

Thank you so much for your blog. My daughter got the same camera for Christmas and we are getting ready to leave for vacation and the batteries are almost dead on my daughter’s camera. I plugged it into my compter to “charge”. Thank you so much for helping me not pull out my hair trying to charge this thing!!!!

I’m glad you still have your hair 🙂

Thank you! Like you and many others I tried USB charging- my daughter LOVES her camera and when it “died” she was very disappointed. Thanks to your blog I now know how to “fix” her camera and save the day!! Thanks again!

I’m glad you found it useful. One thing that annoys me is that this camera is a battery hog. It doesn’t last long 🙁

I just have to THANK YOU! This happened to us and we almost threw it out and got a new one! Batteries changed and it works great!

Thank you so much for sharing. I am trying to recharge using the USB as I am typing this! I am now going to look for the screwdriver. 🙂

Thank you so much for this info. My 3 year old daughter got this camera for a Christmas gift and she loves it also. We had the same issues with the batteries. I too hooked up the USB Port to charge! Batteries are now replaced and more pics are being taken. Thanks again!

Thank you so much i baught one for my daughter and could not figure it out. I had also plugged in the USB lol! so Thanks !!: )

Thank you sooo much for showing how to charge my daughter’s camera. It was Great help. Thanks so much :>

LOL Don’t feel bad at all i bought my son the same camera for Christmas and had the same challenge it wasn’t until i found your blog that i learn where the batteries were located, but i’m i the only one that think it was pretty crazy that they didn’t have any sign to warn use that it doesn’t have rechargeable batteries???

Don’t feel so bad. I took the exact same steps as you, even using the USB port for 24 hours with no result! Thanks to your post, you saved me any further grief, but I too now feel like an idiot!

THANKS EVERYONE IT WAS SO FUN TO READ YOUR COMMENTS!

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