Wyze Night Vision Not Working? Here's the Easy Fix

Wyze Night Vision Not Working? A Troubleshooting Guide

When the lights go out, your Wyze camera's night vision is supposed to take over, providing a clear black and white image of your surroundings. If you're seeing a pitch-black screen, a blurry or foggy image, or your camera is stuck in colour mode in the dark, then this crucial feature isn't working correctly. Don't worry, these are common problems that can usually be fixed with a few simple steps. This guide will walk you through the troubleshooting process to get your Wyze camera seeing in the dark again.

Common Causes for Wyze Night Vision Problems

Understanding why your night vision is failing is the first step. The issue usually boils down to one of these causes:

• Night Vision Mode is Off: The setting may have been accidentally turned off in the app.
• IR Lights are Blocked or Disabled: The small infrared (IR) LEDs that illuminate the scene might be turned off or physically obstructed.
• IR Bounce-Back: The camera is positioned too close to a surface (like a windowsill or wall), causing the IR light to reflect back and blind the lens.
• Firmware Glitch: A temporary software bug could be preventing the night vision from activating.
• Power Issues: The camera may not be receiving enough stable power to activate the IR lights.
• Hardware Failure: In some rare cases, the IR sensor or LEDs may have malfunctioned.

How to Fix Your Wyze Camera's Night Vision

Let's go through the solutions one by one, starting with the easiest and most common fixes.

Step 1: Check the Night Vision Settings in the App

First, let's make sure the feature is actually turned on and configured correctly.

1. Open the Wyze app and select the camera you're having issues with.
2. Wait for the live stream to load.
3. Tap the Settings gear icon in the top right corner.
4. Go to Advanced Settings.
5. Find the Night Vision Mode setting. Ensure it is set to Auto. This allows the camera to automatically switch to night vision when it gets dark.
6. Below this, make sure the IR Lights toggle is switched ON. If this is off, the camera can enter night mode, but it won't have any light to see, resulting in a black image.

Step 2: Power Cycle the Camera

A simple reboot can clear many temporary software glitches.

1. Unplug your Wyze camera from its power adapter.
2. Leave it completely disconnected from power for at least 30 seconds.
3. Plug the camera back in and wait for it to fully restart (the status light will become solid blue).
4. Check the live stream again in a dark room to see if night vision now activates.

Step 3: Test for IR Bounce-Back

If your night image is foggy, hazy, or completely white, IR bounce-back is the most likely cause.

1. Look at the camera's position. Is it looking through a window? Is it sitting on a windowsill? Is it tucked tightly under a soffit or eave?
2. Move the camera. Try moving the camera to a more open location, even temporarily. Take it into a dark room and hold it in your hand. If the image becomes clear, you've confirmed that the previous location was causing reflection issues.
3. Clean the lens. A smudged or dirty lens can also cause IR light to scatter, so wipe it gently with a microfibre cloth. Note: Night vision will not work when the camera is pointing through a pane of glass. The IR lights will simply reflect off the glass, blinding the camera.

Step 4: Manually Turn Night Vision On

You can use the app to force the night vision on, which can help determine if the hardware is working.

1. From the camera's live stream, tap the More icon.
2. You will see an icon for Night Vision. Tap this icon.
3. You can cycle between Auto, On, and Off. Set it to On.
4. Look at the front of the camera. In a dark room, you should now see a faint red glow from the IR LEDs. If you see the glow and the image is black and white, the hardware is working, and the problem is likely with the 'Auto' sensor.

Step 5: Update Firmware and App

An outdated firmware version can cause performance issues.

• App: Go to your phone's app store and check for updates to the Wyze app.
• Firmware: In the Wyze app, go to the Account tab > Firmware Update. If an update is available for your camera, proceed with the installation.

If you've tried all these steps and your night vision still doesn't work, it's time to reach out to Wyze Support. There may be a hardware issue with your device that requires a replacement.