Understanding and Solving Doorbird Pet Detection Issues
It can be frustrating when your Doorbird video doorbell either bombards you with notifications every time your pet wanders by or fails to detect them when you want it to. Unlike systems with dedicated AI-powered pet detection, Doorbird relies on a sophisticated passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor. This guide will help you understand and configure your device to better handle the presence of pets, giving you more accurate and meaningful notifications.
This guide will walk you through the common causes of pet detection problems and provide actionable steps to fine-tune your Doorbird's performance.
Common Symptoms of Pet Detection Problems
If you're experiencing issues with how your Doorbird interacts with your pets, you might notice one or more of the following:
- Constant False Alarms: You receive a motion alert every time your dog or cat moves into the camera's field of view.
- No Detection at All: Your pet can move freely in front of the doorbell without ever triggering a notification.
- Inconsistent Alerts: The doorbell sometimes detects your pet but misses them at other times, making the system feel unreliable.
- Delayed Notifications: You receive an alert long after your pet has already passed by the sensor.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting for Pet Detection
Follow these steps to diagnose and resolve issues with your Doorbird's pet detection capabilities. We recommend testing the system after each adjustment.
1. Adjust the Motion Sensor Sensitivity
The most common cause of poor pet detection is an improperly configured sensitivity level. The setting determines how much movement is required to trigger an alert.
- If you get too many alerts from pets: You need to decrease the sensitivity. A lower setting requires more significant movement to trigger the sensor, which can help ignore smaller animals.
- If your pet is not being detected: You may need to increase the sensitivity. This makes the sensor more responsive to smaller movements.
You can find the sensitivity settings within the Doorbird app under Settings → Motion Sensor. Try adjusting it one level at a time and observe the results for a few hours.
2. Configure Motion Detection Zones
Motion zones allow you to define specific areas within the camera's view where motion should be detected. This is incredibly useful for excluding areas where your pets frequently roam.
- Open the Doorbird App: Navigate to the administration section and find the motion sensor settings.
- Define the Active Area: Draw one or more polygons on the screen to cover the areas you want to monitor, such as a pathway or doorstep.
- Exclude Pet Zones: Carefully draw the zones to exclude the ground level where your pets are most active, like a section of the garden or patio. This can significantly reduce unwanted alerts while still capturing approaching people.
3. Check for Physical Obstructions and Camera Angle
The performance of the motion sensor can be affected by its physical environment.
- Clean the Lens and Sensor: Ensure the camera lens and the small domed PIR sensor are clean and free from dust, cobwebs, or grime.
- Review the Camera Angle: If the doorbell is mounted too high, it may not effectively detect movement on the ground. If it's too low, it might be overly sensitive to pets. The ideal height is typically around 1.25 metres from the ground.
- Remove Obstructions: Large plants, decorations, or furniture can block the sensor's view, creating blind spots where your pet may not be detected.
4. Update Your Doorbird's Firmware
Doorbird frequently releases firmware updates that include performance improvements for the motion sensor and its analytical algorithms. An outdated firmware version could be the source of your issues.
- Check for Updates: In the Doorbird app, go to Settings → Administration → Firmware Update.
- Install the Latest Version: If an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to install it. This process can often resolve unexpected behaviour and improve detection accuracy.
By systematically working through these steps, you can significantly improve how your Doorbird device handles pet detection, leading to a more reliable and less intrusive security experience.