How to Fix Kasa Motion Detection Not Working
Your TP-Link Kasa smart camera is a powerful tool for home security, but only if it reliably detects and alerts you to motion. If you've noticed that your camera is failing to record events or send notifications when there's clear movement, it's time to do some troubleshooting. The good news is that the problem is almost always related to a setting in the Kasa Smart app, not a hardware failure.
This guide will walk you through the common causes of motion detection failure and show you exactly how to configure your camera to capture the events that matter.
Common Reasons for Kasa Motion Detection Issues
Let's look at why your camera might be failing to record or send alerts. The issue usually comes down to one of these four areas:
- Detection is Disabled: The main motion detection setting for the camera is simply turned off.
- Incorrect Sensitivity: The sensitivity level is too low, causing the camera to ignore all but the most dramatic movements.
- Misconfigured Activity Zones: You've told the camera to only watch specific spots, and the motion is happening outside of these defined areas.
- Notification Settings: The camera is actually recording, but the notifications are turned off either in the Kasa app or in your phone's main settings.
Step-by-Step Guide to Troubleshooting
Follow these steps within the Kasa Smart app to diagnose and resolve the problem.
1. Check the Master Motion Detection Setting
First and foremost, you need to ensure the core feature is enabled.
- Select Your Camera: Open the Kasa Smart app and tap on the camera you need to fix.
- Go to Camera Settings: Tap the cogwheel icon in the top-right corner to open the device settings.
- Navigate to Detection & Alerts: Find and select the Detection & Alerts menu option.
- Enable Motion Detection: The very first option should be a toggle for Motion Detection. Make sure this is switched to the on (blue) position. If this is off, nothing else will work.
2. Adjust Motion Sensitivity
If motion detection is on but still not triggering, the sensitivity is your next stop.
- Stay in Detection & Alerts: In the same menu, tap on Motion Sensitivity.
- Increase the Sensitivity: You will see a slider ranging from 'Less' to 'More'. If you are missing events, this is likely set too low. Move the slider further to the right towards 'More'. A setting around the midpoint or slightly higher is a good starting point for most environments.
3. Review Your Activity Zones
Activity zones are a fantastic feature for reducing false alarms, but they can also cause missed events if not set up correctly.
- Select Activity Zones: From the 'Detection & Alerts' menu, tap on Activity Zones.
- Check Your Zones: The app will display your camera's view with any active zones highlighted. The camera will only detect motion that occurs inside these highlighted areas.
- Edit or Remove Zones: If the motion you want to capture is happening outside a zone, you need to edit the zone to include it. You can have multiple zones. For troubleshooting purposes, you can also try deleting all zones. This will force the camera to monitor its entire field of view, which can help you determine if the zones were the problem.
4. Check Notification Settings
Is the camera recording but you're just not getting the alerts?
- Check App Notifications: Back in the 'Detection & Alerts' menu, ensure that the Push Notifications toggle is turned on. You can also set a schedule for when you want to receive them.
- Check Phone Settings: This is a crucial and often-overlooked step.
- On iPhone: Go to Settings > Notifications > Kasa Smart. Make sure 'Allow Notifications' is on.
- On Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Kasa Smart > Notifications. Make sure all notification categories are enabled.
- Also, ensure your phone is not in a 'Do Not Disturb' or 'Focus' mode that is silencing app alerts.
5. Check Your Recording Schedule
Some Kasa plans allow for 24/7 recording. If you have this, ensure it's enabled under the '24/7 Recording' section in the camera settings. If you rely solely on event-based recording, the motion detection settings above are what control it.
By methodically checking these app-based settings, you can almost certainly solve any issues with your Kasa camera's motion detection and ensure you're always aware of what's happening at home.