Getting Too Many Alerts From Your Skybell? Here's How to Fix It
A Skybell video doorbell is an excellent way to enhance your home security, but its effectiveness can be diminished if it constantly bombards you with unnecessary notifications. If your phone buzzes every time a car drives past or a neighbour walks their dog, you might soon find yourself ignoring alerts altogether, which could lead to missing an important event.
This guide is designed to help you reclaim your peace and quiet by walking you through the simple yet powerful settings within the Skybell app. With a few quick adjustments, you can significantly reduce the number of unwanted alerts and ensure that the notifications you do receive are the ones that matter.
Why Your Skybell is Sending So Many Notifications
The core reason for excessive alerts is almost always the motion sensor's configuration. Skybell uses a sensitive motion detector that, out of the box, might be too reactive for your home's specific environment. Common triggers for these unwanted alerts include:
- High motion sensitivity settings.
- Monitoring of high-traffic areas like roads and public pavements.
- Movement from trees, bushes, or large shadows.
- Insects or other small animals near the device.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Fewer, Better Alerts
Making adjustments in the Skybell app is straightforward. Follow these steps to find the right balance for your home.
1. Reduce the Motion Sensitivity
This is the most critical adjustment you can make and will have the biggest impact on reducing alert frequency.
- Open your Skybell app and select the doorbell you wish to configure.
- Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to open the
Device Settings. - Select 'Motion Sensitivity'.
- You will see a few options, typically 'High', 'Medium', and 'Low'. By default, it may be on 'High'.
- Change this setting to 'Medium'.
- Test it out. See how your doorbell behaves over the next day. If you are still getting too many alerts, you can reduce it further to 'Low'.
2. Set Up a Custom Motion Zone
This feature lets you tell your Skybell exactly where to look for motion, and more importantly, where to ignore it.
- In the
Device Settings, find the 'Motion Detection' or 'Motion Zones' menu. - You will see your camera's view, often with a grid. You can now define a custom area.
- Draw a zone that covers only your property. This means your porch, your front garden, your walkway—but not the public street or pavement.
- By excluding these high-traffic areas, you will instantly stop getting alerts for every passing car or pedestrian.
3. Utilise the 'Do Not Disturb' Feature
This is a temporary solution for times when you know there will be a lot of motion.
- In the main
Device Settings, look for an option called 'Do Not Disturb'. - You can toggle this on to temporarily silence all motion-related alerts.
- This is perfect for when you are mowing the lawn, the kids are playing in the garden, or you are bringing in shopping from the car. It prevents dozens of alerts without you needing to change your core sensitivity settings.
- Remember to turn it off again once the activity has finished!
4. Keep the Device Clean
Sometimes the issue is physical, not digital.
- A spiderweb or piece of debris on the motion sensor can cause it to trigger repeatedly, especially when moved by the wind.
- Gently wipe the front of your Skybell with a soft, dry microfibre cloth to ensure the sensor has a clear view and is free from any obstructions.
Conclusion
You don't have to choose between being secure and being constantly interrupted. By taking a few moments to lower the motion sensitivity and define a custom detection zone, you can tailor your Skybell's behaviour to your specific environment. This will lead to a much better experience, where an alert from your doorbell is a genuine point of interest rather than just background noise.