August Doorbell Cam Not Detecting Motion? A Troubleshooting Guide
Your August Doorbell Cam is your first line of defence, alerting you to visitors, deliveries, and any unexpected activity at your front door. When it fails to detect motion, it leaves a significant gap in your home's security. If you've noticed that you're missing notifications or that your activity feed is empty despite clear movement, it's time to troubleshoot.
This guide is designed to help you systematically identify and fix the reasons why your August motion detection might not be working. We'll walk you through the settings, connectivity checks, and other potential issues in a professional and easy-to-understand manner.
## Essential First Checks in the August Home App
The majority of motion detection issues can be traced back to a setting within the August Home app. Let's start there.
1. Ensure Motion Detection is Enabled It might seem simple, but it's always worth checking first.
- Open the August Home app.
- Select your Doorbell Cam from the keychain.
- Tap the Settings gear icon.
- Go to Motion Detection and make sure the "Motion Detection" toggle is switched on.
2. Adjust Motion Sensitivity If the sensitivity is set too low, the camera may not pick up on subtle or distant movements.
- In the same Motion Detection settings menu, you will find "Motion Sensitivity".
- August provides several levels (e.g., Low, Medium, High). If it's on a low setting, try increasing it to Medium or High.
- Test the new setting by walking in front of your door.
3. Check Your Notification Settings It's possible the camera is detecting motion but not sending you an alert.
- In the Doorbell Cam settings, go to Notifications.
- Ensure that "Motion" notifications are enabled.
- Also, check your phone's main settings to be sure that you haven't accidentally disabled notifications for the August app.
## Checking Connectivity and Power
For motion detection to work, your doorbell needs a stable connection to your Wi-Fi and to August's servers.
### Verify Wi-Fi Signal
A weak or intermittent Wi-Fi connection can prevent motion events from being uploaded and processed.
- In the August app, go to your Doorbell Cam's settings and find the Network Settings or Wi-Fi Settings section.
- Check the signal strength. If it's poor or weak, this is likely the source of your problem.
- To improve the signal: Try moving your Wi-Fi router closer to the door. If that's not possible, consider installing a Wi-Fi range extender to boost the signal.
### Check Device Power
August doorbells need sufficient and stable power to operate all their features correctly, including motion detection.
- Wired Doorbells: Ensure the doorbell transformer is supplying the correct voltage. If the power is insufficient, features like motion detection can become unreliable. You may need to consult an electrician to check or upgrade your transformer.
- Battery-Powered Doorbells: If your model is battery-powered, check the battery level in the app. A very low battery can cause the device to enter a low-power state where non-essential features are disabled to conserve energy.
## Advanced Troubleshooting
If the app settings and connectivity seem fine, consider these additional factors.
1. Reboot Your Doorbell and Router A simple reboot can often resolve underlying software glitches.
- Router: Unplug your Wi-Fi router from power for 60 seconds, then plug it back in.
- Doorbell: If your doorbell has a removable battery, take it out for a minute. If it's hardwired, you can turn it off at your home's circuit breaker for a minute, then turn it back on.
2. Check for Physical Obstructions
- Make sure nothing is blocking the camera's lens or the passive infrared (PIR) sensor. This could be dirt, a spiderweb, or even a decorative wreath on your door. Gently clean the front of the doorbell with a soft, dry microfibre cloth.
3. Update Firmware August periodically releases firmware updates to improve performance and fix bugs.
- In the app, go to your Doorbell Cam settings. The app will usually notify you if a firmware update is available. Ensure your device is running the latest version.