Xiaomi Facial Recognition Not Working? Let's Fix It.
Xiaomi's facial recognition feature is a powerful tool, transforming your security camera from a simple motion detector into a smart device that can tell you who it has seen. When it works, you can receive specific alerts like "Dad has been seen" or "A stranger has been detected." However, when it fails to identify people correctly or doesn't work at all, it can be mystifying.
This guide is here to help you troubleshoot and resolve issues with the facial recognition feature on your Xiaomi smart camera. We'll cover the necessary settings, how to improve its accuracy, and what to do when it gets things wrong.
Common Symptoms of Facial Recognition Problems
If you're struggling with this feature, you're likely experiencing one of these common frustrations.
- The camera sends a generic "Motion Detected" alert instead of identifying a known person.
- The feature is greyed out or missing from your camera's settings menu in the Xiaomi Home app.
- You have tagged a person's face multiple times, but the camera still fails to recognise them.
- The camera incorrectly identifies one person as another who is also a known contact.
- No faces are ever detected, even when people are looking directly at the camera.
- The "Manage Faces" section of the app is empty or does not update with new faces.
How to Troubleshoot Xiaomi's Facial Recognition
Most issues are related to settings, environment, or how the AI has been trained. Follow these steps to get it working reliably.
1. Check Your Cloud Subscription
Facial recognition is an advanced AI feature that requires cloud processing. Therefore, it is only available if you have an active cloud storage subscription for your camera.
- Open the Xiaomi Home app and navigate to your camera's settings.
- Look for a section related to "Cloud Storage" or "Purchase".
- Ensure that you have an active, paid subscription. If your subscription has lapsed, the facial recognition feature will be disabled.
2. Enable the Facial Recognition Setting
Even with a subscription, the feature needs to be turned on.
- In the camera's settings, go to "Device Settings" or "Management Settings".
- Find the "Facial Recognition" or "AI Settings" option and make sure the toggle is switched to the 'on' position.
3. Build and Manage Your Face Database
The camera needs to be taught who is who.
- Go to the "Facial Recognition" or "Manage Faces" section in the app.
- Here, you will see thumbnails of faces the camera has detected but not yet identified.
- Tap on a face and choose to "Tag" or "Note" it. You can then either assign it to an existing person or create a new profile (e.g., "John", "Sarah", "Delivery Driver").
- Do this for several different pictures of the same person to build a reliable profile. The more angles and lighting conditions you tag, the more accurate the AI will become.
4. Optimise Camera Placement and Lighting
The performance of any facial recognition system is highly dependent on the quality of the image it receives.
- Placement: For best results, the camera should be placed at or slightly above eye level. A camera pointing down from a high ceiling will see the top of people's heads, not their faces.
- Lighting: The person's face must be well-lit. Strong backlighting (like a camera pointing towards a bright window) will create a silhouette and make recognition impossible. Ensure there is adequate, even lighting in the area you want to monitor.
- Distance: The person should be within a reasonable distance of the camera, typically no more than 5-7 metres (15-23 feet), for the details of their face to be clear enough for the AI to analyse.
By ensuring you have an active subscription and by carefully managing your face database and camera position, you can dramatically improve the reliability of this powerful feature.