A Guide to Fixing Reolink Facial Recognition (Person/Vehicle Detection)
Reolink's smart AI detection is a game-changing feature that transforms your security system from a simple motion detector into an intelligent guard. By distinguishing between people, vehicles, and other motion, it drastically reduces false alarms and ensures you are only alerted to what truly matters. If you're finding this feature isn't working as expected, this guide will help you troubleshoot the common issues.
## Understanding Reolink's AI: Person and Vehicle Detection
It's important to know that Reolink's smart feature is Person and Vehicle Detection, not true facial recognition. The system's AI is trained to identify the general shape and characteristics of a person or a car. It is not designed to learn and recognise specific faces or license plates. The goal is to eliminate alerts from things like falling leaves, rain, or stray animals.
This feature is built into specific Reolink camera models and does not require an ongoing subscription fee.
### 1. Check for Compatibility and Firmware Updates
Before diving into settings, ensure your hardware and software are ready.
- Model Compatibility: Not all Reolink cameras have on-board AI capabilities. Check the product page or specifications for your specific model (e.g., RLC-810A, RLC-520A) to confirm it supports Person/Vehicle Detection. Older models may only support standard motion detection.
- Update Your Firmware: Reolink regularly releases firmware updates that improve the performance and accuracy of their AI algorithms.
- Open the Reolink App.
- Go to Device Settings for your camera.
- Tap on Device Info.
- Tap 'Upgrade' or 'Check for the latest version'. Install any available updates.
### 2. Configure Your Detection Settings in the App
This is where most issues can be resolved. You need to tell the camera exactly what to look for and when to alert you.
- In the Reolink app, go to Device Settings > Detection Alarm.
- Enable Smart Detection: Make sure the toggles for 'Person' and/or 'Vehicle' are turned on.
- Set the Sensitivity: You will see a sensitivity slider (e.g., from 1 to 50). A higher value makes the camera more sensitive and more likely to trigger an alert. If you are missing events, try increasing the sensitivity. If you are getting false alarms (e.g., a tree is mistaken for a person), try decreasing it.
- Configure Push Notifications: Go to the Push Notifications settings. Ensure that the schedule is set correctly and that the notification types are enabled for Person and Vehicle detection. You can choose to only be alerted for smart events and ignore standard motion.
### 3. Optimise Your Camera's View and Position
The AI is only as good as the image it sees.
- Detection Zone: This is a powerful tool. Under the Detection Alarm settings, you can set a 'Detection Zone'. This allows you to draw boxes on the screen, telling the camera to only analyse motion within that area. For a camera facing the street, you can exclude the road to avoid vehicle alerts, while still detecting people walking up your path.
- Alarm Delay: This setting (sometimes called 'Object Size') can help reduce false positives. By setting a short delay (e.g., 1-2 seconds), you tell the camera to only trigger an alert if the person or vehicle remains in the detection zone for that duration. This is excellent for ignoring fast-moving shadows or birds flying past.
- Good Lighting and Clear View: Ensure your camera has a clear, unobstructed view. Trim back any tree branches that might blow in the wind and trigger alerts. For nighttime detection, make sure the camera's infrared LEDs are not being blocked and are providing a well-lit scene.
By ensuring your camera is up-to-date and by carefully configuring the sensitivity, detection zones, and notification settings, you can fine-tune your Reolink system for incredibly accurate and reliable smart alerts.