Wyze Motion Detection Not Working? Here's How to Fix It
One of the most crucial features of your Wyze camera is its ability to detect motion and alert you to potential intruders, visitors, or deliveries. When you stop receiving these notifications, or find that your camera isn't recording motion events, it can undermine your entire security setup. Don't worry, this is a common issue with a number of straightforward solutions. This guide will help you diagnose the problem and get your Wyze camera's motion detection working reliably again.
Why Isn't My Wyze Camera Detecting Motion?
Before diving into the fixes, it helps to understand what might be causing the problem. Most issues stem from a few key areas:
- Incorrect App Settings: Motion detection might be turned off, sensitivity could be too low, or your detection zones might be improperly configured.
- Notification Issues: The camera might be detecting and recording motion, but the notifications are not being sent to your phone correctly.
- Firmware or App Bugs: An outdated Wyze app or camera firmware can lead to performance issues.
- Poor Camera Placement: The camera's view might be obstructed, or it could be positioned in a way that makes detecting motion difficult.
- Connectivity Problems: If your camera has a weak Wi-Fi signal, it may struggle to upload recorded clips and send notifications.
- Cam Plus/Subscription Issues: Sometimes, a problem with your Cam Plus subscription can affect how events are recorded and categorised.
Step-by-Step Wyze Motion Detection Troubleshooting
Work through these steps methodically to identify and solve the problem.
Step 1: Check Your Detection Settings in the Wyze App
This is the most common culprit. Let's ensure everything is configured correctly inside the app.
- Open the Wyze App and select the camera you're having trouble with.
- Tap the Settings gear icon in the top right.
- Go to Detection Settings.
- Make sure the Motion Detection toggle is switched ON. If it's on, try toggling it off for 10 seconds and then back on to refresh it.
Step 2: Adjust Motion Sensitivity and Detection Zones
If detection is on but not working, its sensitivity might be too low or the zones might be incorrect.
- Motion Sensitivity: In the same Detection Settings menu, you'll see a 'Motion Sensitivity' slider. If it's set too low, it won't pick up smaller or more distant movements. Try increasing it to a higher level for testing.
- Detection Zones: If you have a detection zone active, you are telling the camera to only look for motion inside that specific area. Any movement outside the box will be ignored. Ensure your zone covers the area you want to monitor. Try turning the Detection Zone off completely to see if general motion detection starts working. If it does, you know the issue lies with how your zone is drawn.
Step 3: Ensure Your Firmware and App are Up-to-Date
Running old software can cause unexpected glitches.
- Update the App: Go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) and check if there is an update for the Wyze app.
- Update Camera Firmware: In the Wyze app, go to the Account tab, then Firmware Update. This screen will show you if any of your devices have pending updates.
Step 4: Power Cycle Your Wyze Camera and Router
A classic "turn it off and on again" can resolve many temporary issues.
- Unplug your Wyze camera from its power source.
- Leave it unplugged for at least 30 seconds.
- While it's unplugged, it's also a good idea to reboot your home Wi-Fi router.
- Plug the camera back in and wait for it to fully reconnect to the network.
Step 5: Review Your Notification Settings
It's possible the camera is recording events, but you just aren't being told about them.
- In the camera's Settings, go to Notifications.
- Ensure that Push Notifications are enabled.
- If you use Cam Plus, ensure that Wyze AI Events are toggled on if you only want to be notified about people, pets, etc. If you want notifications for all motion, toggle on All Other Motion Events.
Advanced Solutions
If the above steps haven't solved the problem, you can try a couple more things:
- Reformat the MicroSD Card: If you use a microSD card for continuous recording, it can sometimes become corrupted. From the camera's Settings, go to Advanced Settings > Manage MicroSD Card > Format. Warning: This will erase all footage on the card.
- Factory Reset: This is a last resort as it will completely reset the camera and you will have to set it up again from scratch. To do this, find the physical setup/reset button on your camera. Press and hold it for 10-15 seconds until the status light changes and you hear a confirmation sound. Then, re-add the camera in the Wyze app.