Foscam Motion Detection Not Working? A Step-by-Step Guide
Your Foscam camera's ability to detect motion and alert you to activity is its most vital security function. If you're finding that your Foscam motion detection is not working, it can be a major concern. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the troubleshooting process to get this critical feature working again.
Whether you're not receiving alerts, no videos are being recorded, or motion is being missed entirely, the solution usually lies within the camera's settings.
## The 3 Core Pillars of Foscam Motion Detection
For motion detection to work, three key things must be configured correctly. Let's check each one.
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Enable Motion Detection: First, you need to ensure the feature is actually turned on.
- Using the Foscam app or by logging into your camera's web interface, navigate to the Settings or Configuration menu.
- Find the Motion Detection (or sometimes 'Alarm') section.
- Make sure the main checkbox to Enable Motion Detection is ticked.
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Set the Detection Area: You must tell the camera where to look for motion.
- Within the Motion Detection settings, there will be an option for Detection Area or 'Detection Zone'.
- You will see your camera's view. You need to click and drag to draw one or more boxes over the parts of the image you want to monitor.
- This is a critical step. If no area is defined, the camera will not detect any motion. Be sure to cover doorways, paths, and other sensitive areas.
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Adjust the Sensitivity: This setting determines how much movement is needed to trigger an alert.
- The sensitivity is usually a slider (e.g., Low, Medium, High).
- If the sensitivity is too low, it may not pick up a person walking by. If it's too high, it might be triggered by shadows or insects.
- Start with a Medium setting and test it. If it misses real events, increase it. If you get too many false alarms, decrease it.
## Troubleshooting Alerts and Recordings
If you've confirmed the three pillars above are correctly set, but you're still not getting notifications or recordings, the issue lies in the 'Action' or 'Linkage' settings.
### If You're Not Receiving Notifications
When motion is detected, you need to tell the camera what to do. In the settings, look for Alert Settings or Action Settings.
- Push Notifications: Ensure the option to send push notifications to the Foscam app is enabled. Also, go into your phone's main settings and confirm the Foscam app has permission to send you notifications.
- Email Alerts: If you want email alerts, you must enable this option and correctly configure your email server (SMTP) settings.
### If Videos Are Not Recording
- Check Recording Schedule: In the camera's settings, find the Recording Schedule. Make sure it is set to record on 'Alarm' or 'Motion'. If it's set to 'Manual' or is blank, it won't record automatically.
- Check Storage:
- SD Card: If you are using a local microSD card, check its status. Is it full? Is it correctly formatted? An unhealthy or full SD card will prevent new recordings.
- Foscam Cloud: If you have a cloud subscription, log in to your Foscam Cloud account online to ensure your plan is active and there are no payment issues.
## Final Checks
- Firmware: Check the Foscam support website for your camera model to see if there is a new firmware version available. Firmware updates often fix bugs that can affect motion detection.
- Reboot: Don't underestimate the power of a simple reboot. Unplug your camera for 30 seconds and plug it back in to clear any temporary glitches.
By methodically working through these configuration steps, you can pinpoint the cause of your Foscam motion detection issue and restore your camera's full security capabilities.