Getting Too Many Abus Alerts? Here Is How to Fix It

How to Stop Receiving Too Many Abus Security Alerts

An Abus security camera is a powerful tool for protecting your property, but its effectiveness is diminished if you're bombarded with constant, unnecessary notifications. This "alert fatigue" can cause you to tune out your security system, potentially leading you to miss a genuinely important event.

If your phone is constantly buzzing with alerts from passing cars, swaying trees, or pets, it's time to fine-tune your camera's settings. This guide will walk you through the essential adjustments in your Abus app to ensure you only receive notifications that matter.

## The Problem: Overly Sensitive Detection

The root cause of too many alerts is almost always the same: the camera's motion detection settings are too broad or too sensitive for its environment. The camera is doing its job—detecting motion—but it hasn't been told how to distinguish between important motion (like a person on your property) and irrelevant motion (like headlights sweeping across the lawn).

We will fix this by focusing on three key areas:

1. Motion Detection Zones: Defining where the camera should look for motion.
2. Motion Sensitivity: Defining how much movement is needed to trigger an alert.
3. Notification Scheduling: Defining when you should receive alerts.

## Step 1: Create Precise Motion Detection Zones

This is the most critical step. A motion detection zone, or Area of Interest (AOI), is a specific area within the camera's field of view that you designate for monitoring. Any motion outside this zone will be ignored.

1. Open your Abus app (e.g., App2Cam Plus) and select the camera you wish to configure.
2. Tap the Settings icon.
3. Find the menu for Motion Detection or Event Detection.
4. Look for an option named Detection Zones, Activity Zones, or Areas of Interest.
5. You'll likely see the entire screen highlighted by default. You must clear this default setting.
6. Now, carefully draw one or more new zones that only cover critical areas.
   • Focus on entry points: Draw tight boxes around your front door, back door, garden gate, or windows.
   • Monitor specific assets: Draw a zone around your parked car or a garden shed.
   • Exclude public areas: Critically, ensure your zones do not cover public footpaths, roads, or your neighbour's property.
   • Avoid environmental triggers: Do not include large trees or bushes that sway in the wind.

## Step 2: Adjust the Motion Sensitivity Level

Once you've defined where to look, the next step is to control how much motion is required to trigger an alert within those zones.

1. In the same Motion Detection settings menu, find the Sensitivity setting. This is often a slider or a numbered list.
2. If you are getting too many alerts, the sensitivity is set too high. Lower the sensitivity level by one or two steps.
3. The goal is to find a balance where the camera ignores small movements (like insects or rain) but still reliably detects a person walking through the zone.
4. This often requires some trial and error. Lower the setting, wait a day, and see if the number of false alerts decreases. If you find the camera is no longer picking up real events, you've lowered it too much.

## Step 3: Set Up a Notification Schedule

A great way to reduce unwanted alerts is to simply not receive them when you don't need them. A schedule allows you to automatically arm and disarm notifications at specific times.

1. In the camera's settings, look for a Scheduling or Arming Schedule option.
2. Create a schedule that matches your routine. For example:
   • Disable notifications during the day when you are home and moving about the property (e.g., 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM).
   • Enable notifications overnight and when you are typically away from home.
3. This prevents you from being spammed by alerts caused by your own activity and ensures you only get notified when the system is armed.

By combining these three strategies—precise zones, appropriate sensitivity, and smart scheduling—you can eliminate the vast majority of false notifications. This will restore the value of your Abus security system, ensuring that when you do get an alert, you know it's worth your attention.