Troubleshooting Amcrest Camera Pet Detection
The Pet Detection feature on Amcrest AI cameras is a great way to keep an eye on your furry family members, capture their playful moments, or get notified if they're in a place they shouldn't be. However, when the feature doesn't work as expected—either missing your pets entirely or sending you false alerts—it can be frustrating.
This guide will help you diagnose and fix the most common issues with Amcrest's Pet Detection, ensuring you get reliable and accurate alerts.
How Does Amcrest Pet Detection Work?
Unlike basic motion detection, which triggers on any movement, Amcrest's AI-powered Pet Detection specifically analyses the shape and movement patterns of four-legged animals. The camera's processor tries to distinguish pets from people, vehicles, and other moving objects. The performance of this AI can be affected by camera settings, placement, and the environment.
Step-by-Step Guide to Improve Accuracy
If you're having trouble, follow these steps to fine-tune your camera's performance.
1. Confirm Your Camera Supports Pet Detection
First and foremost, ensure your specific Amcrest model includes this feature. Pet detection is part of Amcrest's "Smart Detection" or "AI" suite and is not available on all models. Check your camera's product page or user manual to verify compatibility. If the option is missing from your app settings, your camera likely does not support it.
2. Enable the Feature Correctly
Make sure the feature is turned on in the Amcrest Smart Home app.
- Select your camera in the app and go to Settings.
- Navigate to Motion Detection or a similarly named menu like AI Detection.
- Inside this menu, you should find a specific toggle for Pet Detection. Make sure this is enabled.
- Note that on some models, you may need to enable general 'Motion Detection' first for the specific AI detection types to become active.
3. Adjust Sensitivity and Threshold
These settings control how "sure" the AI needs to be before it triggers an alert.
- Sensitivity: This determines how much movement is needed to trigger an analysis. If your pet is small or you're getting no detections, try increasing the sensitivity. If you're getting false alerts from irrelevant objects, decrease it.
- Threshold: This setting relates to the AI's confidence level. A lower threshold means the camera will be more likely to flag an object as a pet, even if it's not very certain. If you're missing detections, try lowering the threshold.
4. Optimise Camera Placement
The position of your camera is crucial for good results.
- Distance: The pet should take up a reasonable portion of the frame. If the camera is too far away, a small pet may be too tiny for the AI to analyse accurately.
- Angle: Avoid mounting the camera too high and pointing straight down. An angle that captures the side profile of your pet is often more effective.
- Lighting: Ensure the area is well-lit. The AI will struggle in very low light or in scenes with heavy backlighting that creates silhouettes.
5. Create Activity Zones
Use Activity Zones to tell your camera where to look for pets. This is an excellent way to reduce false alarms. For example, you can draw a zone around your dog's bed or the living room floor while excluding a window where moving tree branches might cause false triggers.
6. Update Your Camera's Firmware
Amcrest periodically releases firmware updates that can include improvements to their AI algorithms. Check for and install any available updates through the app to ensure your camera is running on the latest and most accurate software.
By carefully working through these settings, you can significantly improve the reliability of your Amcrest camera's pet detection feature.