How to Fix Reolink Camera Notification Lag
One of the most important features of a security camera is receiving timely notifications when motion is detected. A significant delay between an event happening and you receiving an alert on your phone can defeat the purpose of having a security system. If you're experiencing a frustrating lag with your Reolink camera notifications, this guide will walk you through the common causes and how to fix them.
Common Symptoms of Notification Delay
You know you have a notification lag issue if you are experiencing the following:
- You see an event happen on the live view, but the push notification on your phone doesn't arrive for many seconds or even minutes later.
- You receive a notification, but when you check the footage, the person or vehicle is already long gone.
- The timing of notifications is inconsistent; sometimes they are instant, other times they are heavily delayed.
- You receive a batch of old notifications all at once.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Reolink Notification Lag
Notification delivery is a chain of events: the camera detects motion, sends the data to the server, the server sends a push notification to your phone, and your phone displays it. A delay can happen at any point in this chain.
1. Check the Network Connection (Camera and Phone)
A weak or unstable network connection is the number one cause of notification delays.
- Camera's Wi-Fi Signal: For Wi-Fi cameras, a poor signal to the router can delay the upload of the motion event. In the Reolink app, go to your camera's settings and check its Wi-Fi signal strength. If it's weak, try moving your router closer to the camera or using a Wi-Fi extender.
- Your Phone's Connection: The delay might not be the camera's fault. If your smartphone has a poor cellular (4G/5G) or Wi-Fi signal, it can be slow to receive the push notification from the server. Check if the delay still happens when your phone is on a strong, stable Wi-Fi network.
- Network Congestion: If many other devices are using your home network (e.g., streaming 4K video, online gaming), it can slow down the camera's ability to send the alert.
2. Optimise Your Camera's Motion Detection Settings
Receiving too many unnecessary notifications can sometimes overwhelm the system. Fine-tuning your settings can improve performance and ensure you only get the alerts that matter.
- Adjust Sensitivity: In the Reolink app, go to
Device Settings > Detection Alarm > Sensitivity. If it's set too high, it might be triggering on minor events like shadows or leaves, creating a backlog. Lower the sensitivity slightly. - Set Up Motion Zones: Create motion zones to focus only on critical areas, such as walkways or doorways, and exclude areas with constant irrelevant movement, like a busy street or a swaying tree.
- Utilise Smart Detection: If your camera supports it, use the Person/Vehicle/Pet detection features. This reduces the number of alerts from non-important sources and can lead to faster processing of genuine events.
3. Check App and Phone Settings
The issue could be with the Reolink app or your phone's operating system.
- Update the Reolink App: Go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and ensure you have the latest version of the Reolink app.
- Check Notification Permissions: On your phone, go to
Settings > Apps > Reolink > Notificationsand make sure all permissions are enabled. - Disable Battery Optimisation: Modern smartphones aggressively manage apps to save battery. This can delay push notifications. On your phone, go to the battery settings for the Reolink app and set it to 'Unrestricted' or 'Do not optimise'. This allows the app to run in the background and receive notifications instantly.
4. Reboot Your Devices
A classic but often effective solution is to restart everything.
- Reboot the Camera: Use the 'Reboot' function in the Reolink app settings, or simply unplug the camera from power, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in.
- Reboot Your Router: Unplug your Wi-Fi router, wait a minute, and plug it back in.
- Reboot Your Phone: A simple restart of your smartphone can clear up temporary glitches.
By systematically working through these network, camera, and app settings, you can significantly reduce or eliminate notification lag from your Reolink camera.