The Wyze Outdoor Camera is pretty good for the price, especially for the wide suite of features it has. But what good is it if your Wyze Cam won't get charged?
I enjoy using my Wyze Cams, and that's precisely why I had to figure out a fix when my Wyze Cam Outdoor stopped charging out of the blue.
Here's the fix that I found:
If your Wyze Outdoor Camera is not charging, first, power cycle your Camera and Base Station. Check the cables and the power supply of the device. Inspect the charging terminals of the camera. Only charge the Cam via the Base station. In extreme cases contact Wyze Customer Support for further assistance.
So what causes Wyze outdoor camera to stop charging?
Scenario | Causes and Fixes |
---|---|
Wyze cam Outdoor stops charging abruptly | Software issue; power cycle the Cam and the Base Station |
Wyze Cam Outdoor not charging via Base Station | Faulty Cables/Terminals; Check the cable and the terminal for damage. Replace the cable if damaged |
Wyze Cam Outdoor LED comes ON but does not charge | Dead battery; get the battery replaced by an authorized professional |
Other Scenarios | Contact the Wyze Customer services |
More information on these steps is detailed below along with some tips to increase battery life on Wyze Outdoor Camera.
Power Cycle Wyze Cam and Base Station
A power cycle test is one of the most rudimentary yet at times the most effective fixes for most issues on a modern-day gadget.
And it's quite simple to execute. Think of it as a more dexterous method of rebooting your Cam.
A power cycle test may also come in handy for various other issues on your Wyze Cam like with Wyze Error code 3001 or when your Wyze Cam stops connecting.
Once you execute a power cycle of the device, let it rest and charge for a while. After some time, check the charging status of your Outdoor camera.
To power cycle the camera, follow the steps given below:
- Turn off the power switch on the back of the camera and pluck out the batteries. If the camera is plugged into an outlet, unplug it.
- Wait for at least 30 seconds before powering the device back on.
This will power cycle the Wyze Outdoor Camera.
To reboot your Wyze Base Station, follow the steps given below:
- Unplug the Wyze Base Station from the power source.
- Wait for around 30 seconds before plugging the device back into the power source. This should power cycle the Wyze Base Station.
If your Outdoor camera is still not charging, move on to the next step.
Check the Cables and the Power Supply
The power supply and the cables that supply power to the Wyze Outdoor Camera are critical to the proper functioning of the battery.
By deploying a base station, you can use other power sources and cables to charge your Outdoor camera, and the base station will match the power required.
So if you are not using a base station, make sure that you are using the right cables and power source as there could be a difference from the optimal power requirement of your outdoor camera.
The same holds true for power outlets.
It can be difficult to know which adapter and cable are right for your setup. So stick to the company-suggested setup with a base station.
Doublecheck the Connections
Ensuring that your connections are sound is the next step.
Wyze Outdoor cameras charge using a micro USB cable. If you have not secured the connection in place, it can lead to improper charging.
Make sure that the cable has not been exposed and stretched out of its sleeves.
If you have an older cord that has been exposed to harsh conditions for a long period it is best to replace it.
The end of the USB cable at the charging block is less likely to be in trouble in contrast to the other end. Give it a check anyway.
Use the Right Charger
The next step is to make sure that you are using the right charging block. The adapter from Wyze is known to be a bit slow, making the charging process tedious.
So be patient with the device and let the device charge for a while after you do each of the troubleshooting steps as the device might not reach an operable power level in a short period of time.
There is no proof that using charging blocks with higher amps makes any difference.
You can use a higher-capacity charger but the Outdoor camera will only pull the amount of current it can accept.
Ideally, use the charging cable and block that comes with the Outdoor Camera and buy the same when you want to replace these.
If you are using a third-party cable or charging block for your Outdoor camera while facing these issues, try replacing it with the original cable and adapter.
Ensure the cable is inserted firmly into the charging block.
However, if you have been using the Wyze charging cable or you've switched to the original cable without success, try using another cord that meets the charging requirements (5V/2A).
If the cable works on replacement, it means your Wyze Outdoor Camera charging cable/adapter is faulty.
Unfortunately though, if your device still isn't charging even after a new set, then the battery is most likely the culprit.
Check the Charging Terminals on the Wyze Cam
Another likely cause of charging issues with your Wyze Outdoor Camera is damaged or obstructed charging terminals.
Your camera won’t charge if there is any obstruction in the charging terminal or if the cable is not inserted firmly.
Ensure that the charging port is free of any obstruction or corrosion. If you do see corrosion on your battery terminals, here are some tips to restore the terminals:
You can use a brush and gently brush away any loose corrosion from the battery terminals and cable connectors.
You can also dip the brush or Q-tip in vinegar to help clean the terminals. Make sure that you do not use the device right away after cleaning it with vinegar.
Instead, you can leave the device near a window so that the vinegar evaporates. Once you have dried the terminals, you can give them a wipe with a cloth and then install the batteries.
It could be that the LED indicator on your Outdoor Camera is not working and as a result, you are not able to identify that the device is charging.
To make sure that this is not the case, you can connect the Outdoor Camera to the Wyze app installed on your phone. When connected to the app, you can identify if the device is indeed charging or not.
The Wyze Cam Outdoor also puts on various other LED indications like when the Wyze Cam yellow light to indicate travel mode is enabled.
Charge Only Through the Base Station
One of the most common causes of Wyze Cam outdoor battery issues is when you don't charge the Cam through the Base Station.
The base station houses a charging circuitry that manages the charging process.
So, ideally, you should power the base station with a power source and use the base station to charge the outdoor camera for the best battery life.
This setup eliminates most charging issues and your Outdoor camera will show progress on checking back on it after a while.
Make sure the camera is turned off when you're trying to charge with the base station.
Ensure you have plugged the base station into a power source that works well and the connections are sound.
Once you have confirmed that your base station is charging and yet the Outdoor Camera connected to it is not charging, continue to the next step.
Contact Wyze Customer Services
If you have exhausted all options and solutions mentioned in this article, your next best solution is to contact Wyze customer support.
Once the battery has drained and fails to get charged over a reasonable amount of time, it could be due to having a defective component in your Wyze Outdoor Camera.
Check if your device is within the parameters for claiming a warranty. If you have recently purchased the Outdoor Camera, contact customer support for a replacement.
You can open a support ticket on the Wyze customer support website.
Keep a note of all the troubleshooting steps you have already attempted and convey the same to the support staff to help bring everyone up to speed.
The battery in the Outdoor camera is not replaceable without voiding the warranty. If your Outdoor camera is no more than a year old, it is likely you receive a replacement.
Tips to Increase Wyze Cam Battery Life
The Wyze Camera Outdoor v1 and v2 with minimal recording lasts for about a year, and at the other end, in a high-traffic area, it lasts for around 3 months.
The time the device takes to charge is also not impressive. The duration makes the charging process feel like a major task.
Additionally, the inability to replace the batteries of the device makes the experience even more awful.
Relocate the Cam to a Low Traffic location
The battery life of the Outdoor Camera is dependent on how often it detects activity.
Therefore, placing the camera at a low-traffic location will lend higher battery life as opposed to a high-traffic location.
If you have enabled motion detection on your Outdoor Camera, then it is prudent to place the device in a low-traffic area.
You can review the recordings or events of the outdoor camera to figure out how often the camera is being activated.
If there are a high number of events, it could result in the battery draining quickly.
Additionally, you can review your recording settings. Persistent time-lapse videos can also affect the battery life of your device.
Relocating the Cam is a good way to increase signal strength, which helps you prevent issues like Wyze Cam update failed.
Reduce Motion Sensitivity
Motion detection along with Passive Infrared (PIR) effective area determines whether to classify a motion as a detection event.
The sensitivity of motion detection helps detect people or vehicles that move in the field of view of the camera.
The PIR sensor detects heat signatures, which trigger a pixel comparison algorithm that compares key frames from the stream and looks for differences between two consecutive frames.
However, due to the placement of the PIR sensor, it is optimized to detect side-to-side motion in contrast to top-down movement.
If you intend to detect motion alerts triggered by person-sized or car-sized figures moving across the frame, you can lower the motion sensitivity.
To change the Sensitivity settings for the Wyze Outdoor Camera, follow the steps below:
1. Access the Wyze app, tap on Home, and then your Wyze Cam outdoor.
2. Now, tap on the Settings icon on the top right and then Detection Settings.
3. Move the slider left or right to lower or increase the sensitivity respectively.
4. Changes will be saved automatically.
You can also change the recording cooldown settings on the Wyze app by following the instructions below:
- In the Wyze app, tap on Home and then your Wyze Cam Outdoor.
- Tap the Settings icon located on the top right.
- Tap on Event Recording.
- Under Recording settings, tap on Recording Cooldown.
- Choose the cooldown interval you prefer and then tap on Save.
Changes in this setting prevent the camera from recording events back to back as it can drain the battery quickly.
Altering the motion sensitivity could also come in handy for tackling issues like Wyze Cam not recording events.
Create Rules to Schedule Arm the Cam
Another way you can optimize the battery life of Wyze Outdoor Camera is by creating rules to schedule Arm the device.
This method of operation helps keep the battery functioning over long periods. Create rules to arm and disarm your Wyze Camera automatically with the scheduling feature.
To create rules or set up a smart schedule, follow the steps below:
1. Access the Wyze app and tap on the Monitoring tab.
2. Tap on the Settings icon.
3. Tap on Rules and then create a schedule.
4. Here, you can tap on Mode and Time.
5. Now, select a mode (Disarmed or Armed)
6. Choose the time you would like your system to enter into the mode you have chosen.
7. Tap on Save.
8. Select the days of the week you want the schedule to be active.
9. Tap on Save.
Ensure to routinely check Schedules and create rules to prevent associated errors like Wyze events disappeared.
Install The Camera Near a Power Outlet
The wireless functionality of the Outdoor camera is one of the primary reasons why customers go for it.
However, using the device wirelessly can lead to battery life issues. You can place the device near a power source to eliminate this problem.
Place the camera near an outlet so you can plug it into a charger full-time.
Alternatively, you can use extension cords if there is no power source near the spot where you want to keep it.
Final Thoughts
The fixes suggested here are easy to do, even without much technical knowledge. If I can do it, you, too, can do it!
Since the device is meant to be used outside where it is exposed to above-moderate levels of environmental changes, it is worthwhile to inspect the camera from time to time.
If the suggestions in this article have not brought relief to your battery issues with the Outdoor Camera, the issue likely lies with the camera hardware. Wyze Customer Support is the next best stop.
If you have been using your Outdoor camera for well over a year without any issues, it might be time to go for a battery replacement to rejuvenate the device.
Hope the solutions in this article have resolved your battery issues.
Have a good day!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Sensitivity different from Wyze Cam v2 and Pan?
Yes, the hardware of the Wyze Cam Outdoor incorporates an integrated Passive Infrared Light (PIR) sensor which functions by detecting heat. The Pan version however does not have this feature.
How do I Know If my WYZE Outdoor Cam is Charging?
When Wyze the Outdoor Camera is charging, the LED indicator will show solid a red light. If there is no light, it could mean that the camera is in power-saving mode or the battery is below 20%. If the LED indicator is broken, you can check the Wyze app to see whether the cam is charging.
How long does WYZE Outdoor take to Charge?
The Wyze Outdoor Camera takes up to 4 hours to completely charge. However, if the device is not recording videos while charging, the charging process will take much less time.
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