Tend Secure Motion Detection Not Working?
Your Tend camera is designed to be your eyes and ears when you're away, and its motion detection feature is central to that mission. When it fails to send alerts or record clips upon detecting movement, it can leave a significant gap in your home security. Whether you've just set up your camera or the feature has suddenly stopped working, this guide will help you resolve the issue.
Most motion detection problems with Tend cameras are related to software settings within the Tend Secure app, rather than a hardware fault. By carefully checking a few key configurations, you can get your alerts and recordings back on track.
Key Reasons for Tend Motion Detection Failure
Let's look at the most common culprits that can prevent your Tend camera from detecting motion or notifying you about it.
Motion Detection is Disabled
It may sound simple, but the motion detection feature can be easily toggled off from the main screen of the app. If this switch is off, the camera will not react to any movement.
No Activity Region is Set
A unique feature of Tend cameras is the requirement to set at least one 'Activity Region'. The camera will only detect motion within the specific zones you draw. If no region is defined, the camera will not monitor for any motion at all.
Incorrect Scheduling
The Tend Secure app allows you to set a schedule to enable or disable motion alerts at specific times. If your schedule is set incorrectly, you may not receive alerts when you expect them.
Poor Wi-Fi Connection
The camera needs a stable connection to the internet to upload recorded clips and send notifications to your phone. If the Wi-Fi signal is weak or drops frequently, alerts may fail to be delivered.
App Notification Permissions
Your smartphone's operating system has its own notification settings. If you have accidentally disabled notifications for the Tend Secure app, the alerts will be blocked by your phone.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fix Tend Motion Detection
Follow these steps in order to find and fix the problem.
1. Check the Main Motion Toggle
- Open the Tend Secure app.
- On the main dashboard showing your camera's preview, look for a row of icons. One of them will be labelled 'Motion'.
- Ensure this toggle switch is ON. It should be highlighted in blue. If it's grey, tap it to enable motion detection.
2. Configure Your Activity Region
This is the most important and often overlooked step.
- Select the camera you want to configure.
- Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to open Settings.
- Go to Motion Detection.
- Select Activity Regions.
- You must have at least one active region. Tap to create a new one, then drag the corners of the box to cover the area you want to monitor (e.g., a doorway or a window).
- Make sure the region is enabled and save your changes.
3. Review the Schedule
- In the Motion Detection settings, check the Schedule.
- If you have a schedule enabled, ensure the current time falls within a period when alerts are supposed to be active. To test, you can try disabling the schedule entirely to see if alerts start coming through.
4. Check Your Phone's Notification Settings
- For iPhone: Go to Settings > Notifications > Tend Secure. Ensure 'Allow Notifications' is turned on, and that you have enabled 'Lock Screen', 'Notification Centre', and 'Banners'.
- For Android: Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps > Tend Secure > Notifications. Make sure all notification categories are turned on.
5. Reboot Your Camera and Router
A classic troubleshooting step that often works wonders.
- Unplug your Tend camera from the power outlet.
- Unplug your internet router.
- Wait for 60 seconds.
- Plug the router back in first and wait for it to fully connect to the internet.
- Plug the camera back in and give it a few minutes to come online.
By systematically checking these settings, you can resolve the vast majority of issues preventing your Tend camera's motion detection from working correctly.