Is Swann's Facial Recognition Feature Not Working for You?
Facial recognition is a powerful smart feature that transforms your security camera from a simple motion detector into an intelligent guard. It allows you to receive specific alerts for familiar and unfamiliar faces, reducing unnecessary notifications and providing more meaningful insights. However, when it doesn't work correctly, it can be frustrating. This guide will help you troubleshoot and optimise your Swann camera's facial recognition capabilities.
## How Does Swann Facial Recognition Work?
Before troubleshooting, it's important to understand the basics. The feature generally works in two stages:
- Face Detection: The camera's software first identifies a human face in the video stream. This is a form of person detection.
- Face Recognition: It then compares the detected face against a database of faces that you have saved and named in the app. If it finds a match, it recognises the person. If not, it flags them as an 'Unfamiliar Face'.
Problems can arise at either of these stages.
Troubleshooting Steps for Facial Recognition Issues
Let's break down the solutions based on the problem you're experiencing.
### Symptom: The Camera Isn't Detecting Any Faces
If the system isn't even picking up that a face is present, the issue is likely with camera placement or settings.
- Enable the Feature: Double-check that 'Facial Recognition' or 'Face Detection' is turned on in the camera's settings within the Swann Security app. This feature can sometimes be disabled by default.
- Optimise Camera Placement: This is the most critical factor for success.
- Height: Mount the camera at a height of 2-3 metres. A camera mounted too high (e.g., under the eaves of a two-storey house) will only see the top of people's heads, making facial recognition impossible.
- Angle: The camera should be angled to capture people walking towards it, so it gets a clear, head-on view of their face. A camera that only captures the side of a person's face will struggle.
- Improve Lighting: The camera needs good, even lighting to see facial features.
- Avoid pointing the camera directly at a light source, as this will create silhouettes.
- Ensure the area is well-lit at night. The camera's night vision must be strong enough to illuminate faces clearly, not just create a blurry image.
### Symptom: The Camera Detects Faces but Doesn't Recognise Known People
If you get 'Unfamiliar Face' alerts for people you have already saved, the problem lies in the recognition database or the quality of the captured image.
- Build a Robust Face Database: One saved image is not enough.
- Go to the 'Face Recognition' management area in your app.
- Select a named person.
- Use the option to add more photos. Find recordings of that person in different lighting, with and without glasses, etc., and add these clear facial images to their profile. The more data the AI has, the more accurate it will become.
- Check for Obstructions: Things like hats, face masks, scarves, and even heavy shadows can obscure key facial features (eyes, nose, mouth) and prevent a positive match.
- Clean the Camera Lens: A smudged or dirty lens can soften the image just enough to prevent the algorithm from finding a confident match. Ensure the lens is clean.
### Symptom: Not Receiving Facial Recognition Notifications
If you know the feature is working but your phone isn't alerting you, check your notification settings.
- Navigate to the Notifications menu in the Swann app.
- Ensure that notifications are enabled for your camera.
- Look for specific smart alert settings. You may need to individually enable notifications for 'Familiar Face Detected' and 'Unfamiliar Face Detected'.
By optimising your camera's physical setup and carefully curating your database of known faces, you can dramatically improve the accuracy and reliability of the Swann facial recognition feature.