Are You Getting Too Many Motion Alerts From Your August Device?
The motion detection feature in your August Doorbell Camera or Smart Lock is designed to alert you to important activity at your doorstep. However, when it's overly sensitive, it can quickly become a source of constant, unnecessary interruptions. A flood of notifications for passing cars, pedestrians on the pavement, or even swaying trees can lead to 'alert fatigue', causing you to ignore notifications that might actually be important.
If your phone is constantly buzzing with alerts from your August device, it's a sign that the settings need to be fine-tuned for your specific environment. This guide will walk you through the simple steps you can take within the August app to reduce false alarms and make your motion alerts meaningful again.
Why Your August Device Might Be Too Sensitive
August devices primarily use pixel-based motion detection. This means they analyse the video feed for changes in the scene. While effective, this method can be triggered by a variety of non-threatening events:
- High-Traffic Areas: If your door faces a busy street or public pavement, the camera will naturally detect a lot of movement.
- Lighting Changes: Rapid changes in light, such as shadows from clouds moving on a sunny day or the headlights of a car at night, can be misinterpreted as motion.
- Moving Trees and Plants: Branches, leaves, or flags swaying in the wind are a very common source of false alerts.
- High Sensitivity Setting: The device may simply be set to its highest sensitivity level by default, making it react to even the smallest changes in the environment.
How to Adjust August Motion Detection Settings
The key to reducing unwanted notifications is to adjust the sensitivity level. This controls how significant a change in the scene needs to be before a motion event is triggered and an alert is sent.
Step 1: Navigate to the Correct Device Settings
First, you need to access the settings for the specific device you want to adjust.
- Open the August app on your smartphone.
- From the home screen (your keychain), select the house that contains the device.
- Tap on the gear icon next to the Doorbell Camera or Smart Lock in question to enter its settings menu.
Step 2: Access the Motion Sensitivity Controls
Once you are in the device's main settings menu, you can find the motion controls.
- Scroll down and select the 'Motion Detection' option.
- Inside this menu, you will see a setting for 'Motion Sensitivity'.
Step 3: Lower the Sensitivity Level
This is where you will make the adjustment. August typically offers a few levels of sensitivity.
- You will likely see options such as Low, Medium, and High.
- If you are receiving a large number of false alerts, your setting is probably on 'High'.
- Change the setting to 'Medium'. This is often the best balance for most homes, as it will detect people approaching your door but is less likely to be triggered by cars on the street.
- If you still receive too many alerts on 'Medium', you can try changing it to 'Low'. This is most suitable for environments where you only want to be alerted to activity happening very close to your door.
Step 4: Test and Monitor
After making an adjustment, it's important to see how it affects the device's performance.
- Observe the number of notifications you receive over the next 24 hours.
- Walk in front of the camera yourself to ensure it still detects your presence at the new, lower sensitivity setting.
- The goal is to find the sweet spot where you are alerted to genuine visitors without being bothered by irrelevant background activity. You may need to try both 'Medium' and 'Low' to see which works best for your home.
By following these simple steps, you can significantly reduce the number of unwanted notifications from your August device, ensuring that when you do get an alert, it's one that deserves your attention.