Troubleshooting Skybell's Vehicle Detection Feature
The vehicle detection feature on your Skybell video doorbell is a powerful tool for monitoring your property. It helps filter out unimportant motion alerts, notifying you specifically when a car pulls into your driveway or parks outside your home. When this feature fails, you might miss important events or receive generic, unhelpful motion alerts.
If your Skybell has stopped detecting vehicles, don't worry. This guide will walk you through the common causes and solutions to get this smart feature working correctly again.
Common Reasons for Vehicle Detection Failure
This intelligent feature relies on a combination of software, camera placement, and a stable internet connection. Here’s why it might be failing:
- Feature is Disabled: The setting may have been accidentally turned off in the app.
- Incorrect Motion Zone: The area where vehicles appear might not be included in the designated motion detection zone.
- Poor Camera Placement: The camera's angle or field of view may not be sufficient to properly identify a vehicle.
- Obstructed View: Physical objects like plants, walls, or decorations could be blocking the camera's line of sight.
- Network Issues: An unstable internet connection can interfere with the cloud-based analysis required to identify vehicles.
- Dirty Lens: A smudged or dirty camera lens can obscure the view, making analysis difficult.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fix Vehicle Detection
Follow these steps to diagnose and resolve the problem.
1. Check Your Skybell App Settings
First, let's ensure the feature is enabled correctly within the app.
- Open the Skybell app on your smartphone.
- Select the device you want to configure.
- Navigate to Device Settings → Motion Settings.
- Look for the smart detection options. Make sure that the toggle for Vehicle Detection is turned on.
- While you're here, check the Motion Sensitivity. If it's too low, it may not be triggering an event at all. Consider setting it to a medium or high level for testing.
2. Configure Your Motion Detection Zone
You need to tell your Skybell where to look for motion. If your driveway is outside this zone, vehicles won't be detected.
- In the Motion Settings, find the Motion Zone or Activity Zone editor.
- You should see a view from your camera with a grid overlaid.
- Adjust the zone to fully cover the area where you expect to see vehicles, such as your entire driveway and the street area directly in front of it.
- Do not include areas with constant irrelevant motion, like a busy public footpath or a tree that sways in the wind, as this can confuse the algorithm.
3. Optimise Camera Placement and View
The physical position of your Skybell is crucial for accurate detection.
- Angle of View: The camera needs to see the overall shape of a car. If it's aimed too low and only sees wheels, or too high and only sees the roof, detection may fail. Use an angled mounting wedge if necessary to get a better view of your driveway.
- Clear Line of Sight: Ensure there are no obstructions. Trim back any overgrown bushes, remove decorations, and make sure that pillars or walls aren't blocking the view.
- Lighting: At night, poor lighting can make it difficult to identify vehicles. Ensure your porch light or other external lighting provides adequate illumination.
4. Clean the Camera Lens
A surprisingly common cause of detection issues is a dirty lens.
- Use a soft, microfibre cloth to gently wipe the camera lens.
- Remove any dust, fingerprints, water spots, or cobwebs that could be obscuring the view.
5. Check Your Network Connection
Vehicle detection requires your Skybell to send video to the cloud for analysis. A poor connection will prevent this.
- Check the device health status in the Skybell app. Look for information on Wi-Fi signal strength.
- If the signal is weak, your doorbell may be struggling to upload video. Try moving your Wi-Fi router closer to the door or installing a Wi-Fi extender.
- You can also try rebooting your router and your Skybell to refresh the connection.
By systematically checking your settings, optimising your camera's view, and ensuring a clean lens and stable connection, you can restore your Skybell's ability to accurately detect and notify you about vehicles on your property.