How to Fix Annoying Audio Delays on Your August Doorbell Cam
The two-way audio feature on your August Doorbell Cam is perfect for speaking to visitors from anywhere. However, a significant delay or lag between when you speak and when your visitor hears you can make communication frustrating and difficult. This delay often stems from network issues, but can also be related to your phone or the app itself.
This guide provides a clear, step-by-step approach to troubleshooting and resolving two-way audio delay, helping you restore clear, real-time conversations at your doorstep.
## Common Symptoms of Two-Way Audio Delay
Understanding the specific problem you're facing is the first step. Look out for these common signs:
- Significant Lag: There's a noticeable gap of several seconds between you speaking and the sound playing through the doorbell's speaker.
- Out-of-Sync Conversations: You and your visitor end up talking over each other because of the delay, making a natural conversation impossible.
- Choppy or Broken Audio: The audio from the doorbell cuts in and out, or sounds garbled and difficult to understand.
- Smooth Video, Delayed Audio: The video stream from your camera might be perfectly fine, but the audio channel is clearly lagging behind.
- Visitors Complain: People at your door report that they can't hear you in real-time or that your voice is breaking up.
## Troubleshooting Steps to Eliminate Audio Lag
Work through these solutions, starting with the most common causes related to network connectivity.
### 1. Test Your Network Speed and Signal Strength
The quality of your two-way audio is highly dependent on your Wi-Fi network's performance, especially the upload speed.
- Check Wi-Fi Signal: Stand by your August Doorbell and check the Wi-Fi signal strength on your smartphone. If you have only one or two bars, the signal is likely too weak for reliable audio streaming.
- Run a Speed Test: Connect your phone to the same 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network your August device uses. Run a speed test using an app like Speedtest by Ookla. For stable performance, you generally need an upload speed of at least 2-3 Mbps at the location of the doorbell.
### 2. Optimise Your Wi-Fi Network
If you've identified a weak signal or slow speed as the culprit, it's time to improve your network.
- Move Your Router: If possible, move your Wi-Fi router closer to your front door. Even a few feet can make a significant difference.
- Reduce Interference: Keep your router away from other electronic devices, thick brick walls, and metal objects that can obstruct the signal.
- Consider a Wi-Fi Extender or Mesh System: A Wi-Fi extender or a mesh network (like Google Nest Wifi or Eero) is often the most effective solution for boosting the signal to your front door, ensuring the doorbell has a strong and stable connection.
- Restart Your Network: A simple reboot of your router and modem can often resolve temporary glitches that cause lag. Unplug them from power for 30 seconds, then plug them back in.
### 3. Check the August App and Your Smartphone
The issue might not be with your network, but with the device you're using to communicate.
- Update the August App: Ensure you have the latest version of the August app installed from the App Store or Google Play Store. Developers frequently release updates to fix bugs and improve performance.
- Restart Your Phone: A quick restart of your smartphone can clear its memory and resolve temporary software conflicts that might be affecting app performance.
- Close Background Apps: Other apps running in the background can consume processing power and network bandwidth. Close any unnecessary apps before using the two-way audio feature.
- Check Device Firmware: In the August app, go to your device settings and check if there are any available firmware updates for your doorbell or camera.
### 4. Reset Your August Device
If all else fails, a reset can sometimes clear underlying issues.
- Reboot the Device: Try rebooting your August Doorbell Cam first. This can often be done within the app settings or by using the reset button.
- Factory Reset: As a last resort, perform a factory reset. Be aware that this will erase all your settings, and you will need to set up the device again from scratch. Follow the specific instructions for your model in the August Help Centre.
By systematically working through these troubleshooting steps, you can identify the root cause of the audio delay and restore the seamless two-way communication feature of your August device.