Getting Too Many Wrong Alerts from Your Wyze Camera?
The person detection feature on Wyze cameras is a fantastic tool for cutting down on unnecessary notifications. It's designed to let you know about the things that matter most—people approaching your property—while ignoring less important motion from pets, cars, or swaying trees. However, when the technology gets it wrong, it can be frustrating and even diminish your trust in your security.
If you're getting alerts for your dog as a "person" or, even worse, no alert when a delivery driver drops off a parcel, don't worry. This guide will help you troubleshoot and fine-tune your Wyze camera's settings for more accurate person detection.
Why Wyze Sometimes Gets Person Detection Wrong
Wyze's person detection relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse motion and identify human shapes. This technology is constantly improving, but it's not perfect. Inaccuracy can be caused by:
- Poor Camera Placement: If the camera is too low, too high, or angled poorly, it can distort the shape of people or pets, confusing the AI.
- Challenging Lighting: Strong backlighting, deep shadows, or lens flare can obscure details and lead to misidentification.
- Firmware Issues: An outdated camera firmware can have less effective AI algorithms.
- Detection Zone and Sensitivity: If your settings are too broad or too sensitive, the camera will analyse irrelevant movements.
How to Fix Inaccurate Person Detection
Follow these steps to systematically improve the accuracy of your camera's person detection.
1. Optimise Your Camera's Placement and Angle
This is the most critical step. The camera needs a clear, unobstructed view of the area you want to monitor.
- Height is Key: Mount your camera between 7 and 10 feet (about 2-3 metres) off the ground.
- Angle it Down: Point the camera slightly downwards. This provides a clearer view of a person's entire body and reduces the chance of misidentifying pets.
- Avoid Obstructions: Make sure there are no tree branches, window frames, or other objects partially blocking the view.
- Minimise Backlighting: Try not to point the camera directly at the rising or setting sun, or at bright security lights.
2. Adjust Your Detection Settings in the App
Fine-tuning the software settings tells your camera what to focus on.
- Set a Detection Zone: In the Wyze app, go to your camera's Settings > Detection Settings > Detection Zone. Draw a specific zone around the area where you expect people to be, such as a walkway or doorway. Turn off the zone for areas with constant irrelevant motion, like a busy street or a neighbour's garden.
- Adjust Sensitivity: Under Detection Settings, you'll find a Sensitivity slider. If you're getting too many false alerts, try lowering the sensitivity. If the camera is missing people, try increasing it slightly.
3. Keep Your Firmware and App Updated
Wyze frequently releases updates that include improvements to their AI detection models.
- Update Firmware: In the Wyze app, go to Account > Firmware Upgrade to see if any of your cameras need an update.
- Update the App: Check your phone's app store to ensure you have the latest version of the Wyze app installed.
4. Help the AI Learn
When you get a wrong notification, you can provide feedback. Some versions of the app allow you to submit specific video clips to Wyze to help improve the AI for everyone. This helps the system learn from its mistakes over time.
Advanced Troubleshooting
If you're still having issues after trying the steps above, here are a couple more things to check.
- Check Your Cam Plus Subscription: Ensure your Cam Plus subscription is active and correctly assigned to the camera in question. The most reliable AI features are tied to this service.
- Power Cycle the Camera: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary software glitches. Unplug your camera from the power source for 30 seconds and then plug it back in.
By systematically working through these steps, you can significantly improve the accuracy of your Wyze camera's person detection and start receiving notifications that you can trust.