How to Fix Wyze Notification Delays and Get Real-Time Alerts
Wyze cameras offer incredible value for home security, but their effectiveness hinges on receiving timely notifications. If there's a significant Wyze notification delay, you could miss seeing a package delivery or, more critically, an unwelcome visitor. This lag between motion detection and the alert on your phone is a common issue, but it's usually fixable.
This guide will help you troubleshoot the common causes of slow Wyze alerts and get your notifications back up to speed.
## Understanding the Causes of Wyze Notification Lag
Several factors can contribute to a delay in receiving Wyze notifications. The most common are:
- Weak Wi-Fi Signal: The camera needs a strong connection to quickly upload the event clip that triggers the notification.
- The "Cooldown Period": On cameras without a Cam Plus subscription, there is a five-minute cooldown period between recorded events. This is often the primary source of perceived delays.
- App and Phone Settings: Your smartphone's operating system might be "sleeping" the Wyze app to save battery, thereby delaying notifications.
- Wyze Server Load: Occasionally, high traffic on Wyze's servers can cause a system-wide delay.
Let's work through fixing these issues step-by-step.
## Step 1: Check Your Wi-Fi Connection
A poor Wi-Fi signal is a leading cause of many camera problems, including slow alerts.
- Open the Wyze app.
- Select the camera in question and go to its Settings (gear icon).
- Navigate to "Device Info".
- Check the "Signal Strength" indicator. If you only have one or two bars out of three, the weak signal is likely slowing things down.
To improve the signal:
- Move your Wi-Fi router closer to the camera.
- If you can't move the router, consider a simple Wi-Fi extender placed halfway between the router and the camera.
## Step 2: Understand and Address the Cooldown Period
For users of the free Wyze plan, this is a critical concept. After your camera records a 12-second event clip, it enters a 5-minute cooldown period. During this time, it will not record another event or send another notification.
If a person walks up to your door, triggering an event, and then a second person arrives two minutes later, you will not get an alert for the second person. This can make it seem like the notification system is delayed or has missed an event entirely.
The solution:
- The only way to eliminate the cooldown period is to subscribe to Cam Plus. This service allows for back-to-back recordings and notifications, which can dramatically improve the timeliness of your alerts.
## Step 3: Optimise Your Phone and App Settings
Your phone might be the source of the delay. To conserve battery, both Android and iOS will put apps into a "deep sleep" state, which can delay push notifications.
- Update the Wyze App: First, ensure you are running the latest version of the app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Disable Battery Optimisation for Wyze:
- On Android: Go to "Settings" > "Apps" > "Wyze". Tap on "Battery" and select "Unrestricted". The exact path may vary slightly by phone manufacturer.
- On iOS: Go to "Settings" > "General" > "Background App Refresh" and make sure it is toggled on for the Wyze app.
- Check Notification Rules: In the Wyze app, go to "Account" > "Notifications" > "Push Notifications" and ensure they are enabled for the specific devices and detection types you want.
## Step 4: Power Cycle Your Devices
When in doubt, a simple reboot can clear many temporary issues.
- Unplug your Wyze camera from its power source.
- Unplug your Wi-Fi router.
- Wait 30-60 seconds.
- Plug the router back in and wait for it to fully connect to the internet.
- Plug your Wyze camera back in.
After running through these steps, particularly addressing the Wi-Fi signal and understanding the cooldown period, your Wyze notification delay should be significantly improved, giving you the real-time information you need.