Canary IFTTT Integration Not Working? Let's Restore the Connection
Using IFTTT (If This Then That) with your Canary camera unlocks a world of smart home automation. You can create powerful connections, like having your smart lights turn on when Canary detects motion, or logging motion events to a spreadsheet. When this link breaks, your automations fail, and it can be tricky to figure out why. This guide will help you troubleshoot and fix the integration between Canary and IFTTT.
## Understanding the Canary-IFTTT Chain of Events
For an IFTTT Applet to work with your Canary, a specific sequence of events must happen:
- Canary Detects an Event: Your Canary camera detects motion.
- Canary Mode Check: The camera checks if it's in a mode set to send notifications (usually 'Away' mode).
- Signal to Canary Cloud: Your Canary sends the event information to Canary's servers.
- Signal to IFTTT: Canary's servers notify the IFTTT service about the event.
- IFTTT Runs Applet: IFTTT receives the signal and runs the corresponding Applet you've configured.
- IFTTT Sends Command: IFTTT sends a command to the other service in your Applet (e.g., tells Philips Hue to turn on a light).
A failure anywhere in this chain will cause your automation to fail. Our goal is to find where the breakdown is occurring.
## Your Step-by-Step IFTTT Troubleshooting Plan
Let's work through the potential points of failure one by one.
### Step 1: Check the IFTTT Applet Itself
First, let's ensure the Applet is active and doesn't have any obvious errors.
- Open the IFTTT App or Website: Log in to your IFTTT account.
- Find Your Applet: Go to 'My Applets' and find the one that is failing.
- Is it Connected? Make sure the Applet is turned ON. If it's turned off, it won't run.
- Check for Errors: Sometimes, IFTTT will display an error message directly on the Applet if there's a problem. It might say 'Applet failed' or something similar.
- View Activity: Look at the Applet's activity log. Do you see entries that say 'Applet ran'? Or does it show errors or no activity at all? This is a key diagnostic clue. If there's no activity, IFTTT is not receiving the trigger from Canary.
### Step 2: Reconnect the Canary Service in IFTTT
The authorisation that allows IFTTT to talk to your Canary account can sometimes expire or become invalid. Refreshing this connection is the most common fix.
- In the IFTTT app or website, go to My Services.
- Find and select Canary.
- Click on Settings.
- You will see an option to Reconnect. Click it and follow the prompts to log in to your Canary account again. This will re-establish a secure connection.
- It's also a good idea to reconnect the other service in your Applet (e.g., Philips Hue, WeMo) while you are here.
### Step 3: Check Your Canary's Mode and Settings
The IFTTT trigger will only fire if your Canary is set to detect and notify you of motion.
- Check Your Canary's Mode: Is your Canary set to Away mode? In 'Home' or 'Night' mode, you may have motion notifications turned off, which will prevent the IFTTT trigger from firing. The automation will only work if the camera is actively looking for and reporting motion.
- Test with a Real Event: Manually set your Canary to 'Away' mode. Then, walk in front of it to create a motion event. Check your Canary app's timeline to ensure the event was recorded. This confirms the camera itself is working correctly. Now, check your IFTTT Applet's activity log again to see if this new event triggered it.
### Step 4: Rule Out Service-Wide Delays
Sometimes, the issue isn't with your setup but with the services themselves.
- Check IFTTT Status: Search online for 'IFTTT status'. IFTTT has a status page that reports any ongoing platform-wide issues or delays.
- Check Canary Status: Similarly, search for 'Canary status' to see if Canary's service is experiencing any outages that might prevent it from communicating with IFTTT.
If there is a service outage, you will unfortunately have to wait until their engineers have resolved the problem. By following these steps, you can systematically identify the issue between Canary and IFTTT and get your smart home automations running smoothly again.