Is Your Tend Camera Failing to Detect Motion?
It can be unsettling when you realise the security camera you rely on to protect your home isn't detecting motion as it should. A lack of notifications or recorded clips means your property isn't being monitored, leaving you vulnerable. The good news is that most issues with Tend's motion detection can be resolved with some straightforward troubleshooting.
This guide is designed to walk you through the most common causes of motion detection failure and provide clear, actionable steps to get your camera working correctly again. Whether it's a simple settings adjustment or a connectivity issue, we'll help you diagnose and fix the problem.
Common Symptoms of Motion Detection Failure
Before diving into solutions, let's identify the specific problems you might be facing. Recognising these symptoms can help you pinpoint the root cause more effectively.
- No Notifications: You know there has been activity in front of the camera, but your phone remains silent.
- Missing Video Clips: You check your event history or cloud storage, but there are no recordings of recent motion events.
- Settings Don't Stick: You enable motion detection in the app, but it seems to have no effect or turns itself off.
- Camera Appears Unresponsive: The live view might work, but the camera fails to react to any movement in its field of view.
- Inconsistent Performance: The detection works sometimes but fails to capture other obvious events.
If you're experiencing any of these issues, it's time to start troubleshooting.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide
Follow these steps in order to diagnose and resolve the issue with your Tend camera's motion detection.
1. Check Your In-App Settings
The most common culprit is often a misconfigured setting within the Tend app itself. Let's ensure everything is set up correctly.
- Enable Motion Detection: Open the Tend app and navigate to your camera's settings. Find the 'Motion Detection' or 'Alerts' section and make sure the master toggle is switched on.
- Adjust Sensitivity: If the sensitivity is too low, the camera won't pick up subtle movements. Try increasing the sensitivity level one step at a time to find a balance that captures real events without triggering false alarms.
- Review Schedules and Rules: Check if you have a schedule set up that deactivates motion detection during certain hours. This feature is useful but can be forgotten. Ensure your current time is not within a scheduled 'off' period.
- Check Activity Zones: If you have configured motion activity zones, ensure they are drawn correctly over the areas you want to monitor. An incorrectly drawn zone could mean the camera is ignoring the very area where motion is occurring.
2. Verify Power and Network Connectivity
Your camera needs a stable power supply and a strong Wi-Fi connection to detect motion and send alerts reliably.
- Check Power: Ensure the camera is plugged in securely and the power adapter is working. If the camera's status light is off, it's not receiving power.
- Assess Wi-Fi Signal: In the Tend app, go to the camera's settings and look for a 'Wi-Fi' or 'Network' status section. A weak signal can prevent the camera from uploading motion clips and sending notifications. If the signal is poor, try moving your camera closer to the Wi-Fi router or investing in a Wi-Fi extender.
- Restart Your Camera and Router: A classic but effective solution. Unplug your camera and your internet router from power. Wait for about 60 seconds before plugging them back in. The router should be powered on first. This can clear up many underlying connectivity glitches.
3. Update Firmware and App
Manufacturers regularly release updates to improve performance and fix bugs. An outdated app or camera firmware can cause features like motion detection to fail.
- Update the Tend App: Go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) and check for any available updates for the Tend app.
- Update Camera Firmware: Within the app, navigate to your camera's settings and find the 'Firmware' or 'About Device' section. If an update is available, the app will provide instructions to install it. This is a critical step for ensuring optimal performance.
4. Check Your Phone's Notification Settings
The issue may not be with the camera but with your smartphone's settings.
- Allow Notifications: Go into your phone's main settings menu, find the 'Notifications' section, and select the Tend app. Ensure that you have granted it permission to send you push notifications.
- Disable 'Do Not Disturb': Make sure your phone is not in 'Do Not Disturb', 'Silent', or 'Focus' mode, as these settings can suppress notifications from all apps, including Tend.
By systematically working through these steps, you should be able to identify and fix the reason your Tend camera's motion detection is not working. If the problem persists after trying all these solutions, it may be time to contact Tend's official customer support for more advanced assistance.