How to Fix Inaccurate Eufy Person Detection
Eufy's Person Detection feature is a powerful tool that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to differentiate between people and other types of motion, such as swaying trees, passing cars, or pets. The goal is to send you more meaningful notifications and reduce the number of false alerts. However, when this feature doesn't work as expected and you're either getting alerts for no reason or, worse, it's failing to detect actual people, it can be frustrating.
This guide will help you understand why your Eufy camera might be making mistakes and provide a step-by-step process to fine-tune its settings for much greater accuracy.
### Understanding Why Person Detection Can Be Wrong
The on-device AI analyses the video feed for shapes and movement patterns that resemble a human. However, certain environmental factors can confuse the algorithm.
Common causes for incorrect person detection include:
- Sensitivity Set Too High: The camera is triggered by minor movements like shadows, leaves, or rain, which it then tries to classify.
- Poorly Defined Activity Zones: The camera is monitoring areas with constant, irrelevant motion (e.g., a public pavement or a busy road).
- Challenging Lighting Conditions: Sudden, dramatic changes in light, such as clouds moving on a sunny day or car headlights at night, can be misinterpreted as motion.
- Insects and Cobwebs: At night, the camera's infrared LEDs can brightly illuminate insects, spiders, or dust very close to the lens, which the AI might mistake for a larger object.
- Sub-optimal Camera Placement: The camera may be positioned too low, too high, or at an angle where people are not easily distinguishable from the background.
- Outdated Firmware: The AI algorithms are constantly being improved, and running on old firmware can mean you're missing out on performance enhancements.
A Guide to Optimising Person Detection Accuracy
Follow these steps within the Eufy Security app to dramatically reduce false alerts and improve detection rates.
### 1. Set Up Your Activity Zones Correctly
This is the most important step for reducing false positives. Activity Zones tell your camera exactly where it should and should not look for motion.
- Open the Eufy Security App and select the camera you want to adjust.
- Go to 'Camera Settings' > 'Motion Detection'.
- Select 'Activity Zone'. You will see the camera's live view with a grid.
- Draw a precise zone that covers only the areas you care about. For example, trace your driveway and the path to your door, but carefully exclude the street, your neighbour's property, and any large trees or bushes that move in the wind. You can create multiple zones if needed.
### 2. Adjust the Sensitivity Level
Sensitivity determines how much motion is required to trigger an analysis by the AI.
- In the 'Motion Detection' settings, find the 'Sensitivity' slider.
- Start with a medium setting. A setting that is too high will cause the AI to analyse every tiny movement, increasing the chance of an error. A setting that is too low may cause it to miss a person walking at the edge of its range.
- Test and iterate. If you get a false alert, try lowering the sensitivity by one level. If you walk in the activity zone and it fails to detect you, try increasing it by one level.
### 3. Select the Correct Detection Type
Ensure you have the right detection mode enabled.
- In 'Motion Detection' settings, look for 'Detection Type'.
- Make sure you have 'Human Only' selected. If you have 'All Motion' selected, the camera will alert you for everything and simply label if it thinks it saw a person, which defeats the purpose of reducing alerts.
### 4. Optimise Camera Placement and Maintenance
The physical position and condition of your camera matter.
- Angle and Height: Install your camera 7-10 feet (2-3 metres) off the ground, angled slightly downwards. This provides a clear, broad view and a good perspective for identifying the human form.
- Clean the Lens: Regularly wipe the camera lens with a soft, clean microfiber cloth. This removes any dust, water spots, or cobwebs that could confuse the AI, especially at night.
### 5. Update Your Firmware
Ensure your camera is running the latest software to benefit from the latest AI model improvements.
- In the app, go to your camera's settings and look for an 'About Device' section.
- Here, you can check for firmware updates and install them if available.
By systematically working through these settings, you can train your Eufy camera to be a much more accurate and reliable security guard for your home.