Yi Camera IFTTT Integration Not Working? Let's Troubleshoot
Yi cameras offer a fantastic feature for smart home enthusiasts: IFTTT (If This, Then That) integration. This allows you to connect your camera to a whole universe of other services and devices, creating powerful automations (or 'applets'). You can set up rules to have your smart lights turn on when motion is detected, or log every motion event to a Google Sheet.
However, when these applets suddenly stop working, it can be tricky to diagnose the cause. Is the problem with Yi, IFTTT, or the service you're trying to trigger? This guide will help you pinpoint and fix the most common points of failure.
## The Most Common Culprit: A Broken Service Connection
The link between IFTTT and your Yi Home account is not permanent. It relies on an authentication token that can expire or become invalid, most commonly if you have recently changed your Yi Home account password. When this happens, IFTTT no longer has permission to see events from your camera, and your applets will fail silently.
### How to Reconnect the Yi Home Service
Refreshing this connection resolves the issue over 90% of the time.
- Log in to IFTTT: Open a web browser and go to the IFTTT website. Log in to your account.
- Go to Your Services: Click on your profile icon in the top-right corner and select My Services from the dropdown menu.
- Find the Yi Service: You will see a list of all the services you have connected to IFTTT. Scroll down and find Yi Home Camera.
- Open Settings: Click on the Yi Home Camera service. You'll see the applets that use it. In the top-right of this box, click the Settings cog icon.
- Reconnect: You should see an option to Reconnect or Edit Connection. Click it.
- Re-authenticate: A pop-up window will appear, asking you to log in with your Yi Home account credentials. Enter your username and password and authorise the connection.
This process generates a new, valid token and should immediately restore the functionality of your applets. It's a good idea to test the applet afterwards to confirm it's working.
## Checking the IFTTT Applet Itself
If reconnecting the service didn't work, the problem might be with the applet's configuration or status.
### Is the Applet Connected?
- In your IFTTT account, go to My Applets.
- Find the problematic Yi applet and click on it.
- Ensure that the applet is toggled to the Connected state. Sometimes applets can become disconnected or disabled.
### Check the Activity Log
The activity log is your best diagnostic tool within IFTTT.
- On the applet's page, click on the Activity tab.
- This log will show you if the applet has run, or more importantly, if it has failed.
- Look for error messages like "Applet failed" or "There was a problem with the Yi Home Camera service". This can give you clues about the point of failure. If the log shows the applet isn't even trying to run, the problem lies with the trigger from the Yi camera itself.
## Verifying Your Yi Camera Settings
IFTTT can only act on a trigger it receives from the Yi camera. If the camera never sends the "motion detected" signal, IFTTT can't do its job.
### Is Motion Detection Enabled?
- Open the Yi Home app on your smartphone.
- Select the camera in question.
- Go into its Settings.
- Under the Smart Detection section, ensure that Motion Detection is turned on.
### Check Sensitivity and Alert Frequency
- Sensitivity Level: If the motion detection sensitivity is set to 'Low', it might not be picking up the events you expect it to. Try increasing it to 'Medium' or 'High' for testing purposes.
- Alert Frequency: Check the alert frequency settings. If this is set to a long interval, the camera will only send one motion alert within that time period, which means it will only trigger IFTTT once during that window, even if there are multiple motion events.
### Is the Camera Armed?
Some users set a schedule or use geofencing to arm/disarm their camera. If the camera is disarmed, it will not detect motion or send triggers to IFTTT. Ensure the camera is active during the times you expect the applet to run.
By systematically checking the connection between the services, the applet's status in IFTTT, and the camera's own detection settings, you can quickly get your smart home automations working again.