Is Your Reolink Camera's Battery Draining Frustratingly Fast?
One of the best features of Reolink's battery-powered cameras is the freedom to place them anywhere without worrying about cables. However, that freedom comes with the responsibility of managing battery life. If you're finding that you have to climb a ladder to recharge your camera every few days, something is wrong.
Rapid battery drain is a common issue with a few likely causes. This guide will help you identify what's using up your battery's power and show you how to optimise your settings to dramatically extend the time between charges.
1. Reduce Motion Detection Sensitivity and False Alerts
By far, the biggest consumer of battery power is the act of waking up, recording, and sending a notification. If your camera is being triggered constantly by irrelevant motion, its battery will drain very quickly.
How to optimise your motion settings:
- Lower Sensitivity: In the Reolink app, go to your camera's Device Settings -> Detection Alarm. You will see a sensitivity slider. If it's set very high, it will be triggered by things like swaying trees, shadows, or passing cars. Try reducing the sensitivity level one step at a time.
- Use PIR Motion Zones: For some models, you can define specific zones to monitor and ignore others. Set your zones to cover only the areas you care about, like your walkway or driveway, and exclude the busy street or your neighbour's garden.
- Enable Smart Detection (Person/Vehicle): If your Reolink model supports it, enable Person and/or Vehicle detection. This is a game-changer for battery life, as the camera will only wake up and record when it detects a relevant object, ignoring all other types of motion.
2. Check Your Wi-Fi Signal Strength
Just like a mobile phone searching for a signal, your Reolink camera will use significantly more power if it has a weak Wi-Fi connection. It has to work harder to maintain a stable link with your router.
How to check and improve your signal:
- Go to the camera's Device Settings -> Network in the Reolink app.
- Look for the Wi-Fi signal strength indicator. If it's only one or two bars, the signal is weak.
- To improve it, you can try moving your Wi-Fi router closer to the camera or, if that's not possible, installing a Wi-Fi mesh system or extender to provide a stronger signal to the camera's location.
3. Limit Live Viewing and Manual Recordings
Every time you open the app to watch the live stream, the camera has to wake up and transmit video, which consumes a lot of power. While it's tempting to check in frequently, doing so for long periods will have a noticeable impact on the battery. Be mindful of how often and for how long you are live viewing.
4. Consider Environmental Factors (Especially Cold)
Batteries perform best in mild temperatures. If your camera is exposed to extreme cold (below freezing), its effective capacity will be temporarily reduced, and it will drain much faster.
- Placement: If possible, install the camera in a location that offers some shelter from the harshest elements, such as under the eaves of your roof.
- Charging: Never attempt to charge a frozen battery. Bring the camera inside and allow it to warm up to room temperature before plugging it in.
5. Optimise Your Reolink Solar Panel Setup
If you are using a Reolink Solar Panel, its effectiveness depends entirely on its placement.
- Direct Sunlight: The panel needs several hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. A spot that seems bright but is in the shade for most of the day will not be effective.
- Angle and Direction: Angle the panel to face the sun's path. In the UK, this generally means facing south.
- Keep it Clean: Wipe the panel's surface regularly to remove dust, pollen, and bird droppings, which can block sunlight.