Reolink Vehicle Detection Failed? Here's How to Fix It

How to Fix Reolink Vehicle Detection Failures

Reolink's smart vehicle detection is a powerful feature that helps eliminate false alerts from things like swaying trees or shadows. When it fails to detect an actual car, however, it can be a significant security concern. This problem is almost always caused by a misconfiguration in the camera's settings or an issue with the camera's view.

This guide will walk you through the most common solutions to get your Reolink camera identifying vehicles accurately and reliably once again.

## Step 1: Verify Smart Detection Settings are Enabled

First, you need to ensure that you have told the camera to specifically look for vehicles and to notify you when one is seen.

1. Open the Reolink app and go to the live view for the camera in question.
2. Tap the settings icon (gear) to open Device Settings.
3. Navigate to Detection Alarm > Smart Detection.
4. Make sure the toggle for "Detect Vehicles" or "Vehicle Detection" is turned on.
5. Under the Alarm Type settings, ensure that "Vehicle" is selected as a trigger for recordings and push notifications. If it's turned off, the camera may see the vehicle but won't alert you or record.

## Step 2: Adjust Vehicle Detection Sensitivity

The sensitivity setting controls how "sure" the AI needs to be before it flags an object as a vehicle. If the sensitivity is too low, it may ignore cars that are far away or only partially in view.

• In the Smart Detection menu, you should see a sensitivity slider specifically for vehicles.
• The default is often in the middle. Try increasing the sensitivity by 10-15 points.
• Avoid setting it to the maximum immediately, as this can sometimes lead to false positives. Make small, incremental adjustments and test the results.

## Step 3: Check Your Motion Zones

Motion zones are essential for telling your camera where to look for activity. If a vehicle does not pass through a configured zone, it will be ignored.

1. In the camera's Detection Alarm settings, find the Motion Zone menu.
2. You will see the camera's view with a grid. You can "paint" the areas where you want the camera to be active.
3. Ensure that the zone fully covers the road, driveway, or any area where you expect to see a vehicle. If the zone only covers your front path, a car driving on the street will not trigger an alert.
4. Conversely, if you want to exclude a busy street, make sure the motion zone does not cover it.

## Step 4: Optimise Camera Placement and View

The AI algorithm works best with a clear, unobstructed view.

• Angle is Key: The camera should have a clear view of the vehicle's typical shape. A camera positioned too low and looking straight at the front grille of a car may have more trouble identifying it than a camera positioned higher up, looking down at the entire car body.
• Lighting: Ensure the area is well-lit, especially at night. While Reolink's night vision is excellent, heavy shadows or glare from streetlights can sometimes interfere with detection accuracy.
• Obstructions: Trim back any tree branches or bushes that might be partially blocking the camera's view of the detection area.

## Step 5: Update Firmware and App

Reolink frequently releases updates that improve the performance of their AI detection features. An outdated firmware version could contain bugs that have since been fixed.

• App Update: Go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and check for any updates to the Reolink app.
• Firmware Update: In the Device Settings, go to Device Info. The app will usually show if a new firmware version is available. Follow the prompts to download and install the update.

By systematically checking these settings, you can resolve the vast majority of issues with Reolink's vehicle detection and ensure you are being alerted correctly.