Wyze Cam since its launch has nailed the pricing of its product lineup, with respect to the features it offers. Compared to the competition, Wyze offers great value for money.
However, one of the common issues Wyze users face is vehicle detection, which at times constantly triggers notifications when viewing a parked car, or even when the light gets reflected.
Since the feature comes enabled by default with a cam plus subscription, users assume it can't be disabled and that the Wyze hardware is faulty.
So I made this guide on how to turn off Wyze cam vehicle detection without sacrificing other features.
To turn off Wyze cam vehicle detection, link the camera and log in to its individual settings. Then tap on event recordings and select the smart detection option to configure and toggle vehicle detection on or off.
How Does Vehicle Detection Work?
Vehicle detection works similarly to motion detection. It constantly monitors any change in the pixels over each video frame.
Since motion is movement, the Wyze camera simply looks for a preset large cluster of pixels that undergoes change and thus sends a notification that motion is detected.
This detection also works in night conditions as all the camera needs is a little bit of light to detect pixels, which it does with its excellent night vision capabilities.
But due to the Wyze camera's terrible AI implementation, the sensitivity is haywire and it either reports the vehicle multiple times or completely ignores all movement.
This can be a serious hazard to lives, especially since it is marketed to be a security camera for garages and front doors.
You could also include an additional accessory, the Wyze spotlight, to go with your Wyze cam for better lighting and capture of footage. Issues with the spotlight are minimal and easily identifiable.
How to Turn Off Wyze Vehicle Detection
The Wyze app thankfully has the option to turn off vehicle detection. But it is far buried in the mess of a settings page that most users will have a hard time finding it.
You can turn off Wyze vehicle detection on the Wyze app, by following the steps below:
- Link the Wyze App with the Wyze camera.
- Open the Wyze app and tap on the Account tab from the homepage.
- Click on Services.
- Select Cam Plus.
- Tap on Camera.
- Toggle the AI preferences tab and deselect the Vehicle Detection option from the resultant list of AI settings.
This will disable the vehicle detection feature on Wyze and will stop sending notifications relating to the feature.
Since the settings are constantly reshuffled, and with the beta app adding even more Ui tweaks and features, the settings can sometimes be in a different position.
As per some users who received Wyze app updates, their vehicle detection settings have once again been moved, which you can find by following the steps below:
- Link the Wyze App with the Wyze camera.
- Open the Wyze app.
- Select the Wyze camera to configure and log into its live stream.
- Select the settings icon.
- Tap on Event recording.
- Click on the Smart detection option.
- From the resultant list of smart detection features, toggle the vehicle detection option.
To enable the vehicle detection feature on Eyze while having the notifications disabled, follow the steps below:
- Link the Wyze App with the Wyze camera.
- Open the Wyze app and tap on the Account tab from the homepage.
- Click on Services.
- Select Cam Plus.
- Tap on Camera.
- Make sure the Vehicle detection setting is enabled under the AI preferences tab.
- Toggle the AI notifications tab and deselect the Vehicle Detection option from the resultant list of AI settings.
RTSP is a major part of AI detection, which also applies to the vehicle detection feature of Wyze cams. Make sure to check whether RTSP is working properly on your Wyze cam to avoid further issues.
Possible Wyze Vehicle Detection Fixes
In spite of the Vehicle detection being off at times, the notification relayed at crucial times can be a key factor and something one term a necessity in their home or office.
With the only issue being proper filtration of notification that needs to be relayed, the issue can be blamed completely on the AI service Wyze uses for their camera gear.
Even though 2023 is a very futuristic year when looked at from the perspective of technology, the fact remains that AI is still an emerging tech.
Therefore, it's imperative that one applies human knowledge and troubleshooting skills to effectively negate the issues caused by the AI program.
Although these aren't major fixes, they may help in relaying better notifications regarding vehicle detection for Wyze cameras.
Adjust Sensitivity and Detection Zones
Setting up detection zones manually can drastically help in relaying accurate vehicle detection information, as they are user-configured.
Although for vehicles, the detection boxes are squared off, unlike the more precise person detection zone figures, they can still give better results than motion across the sensor.
The high sensitivity of detection is also another key thing regarding which the notification spam bug effectively thrives.
If the motion sensitivity can be properly configured manually, then the rate of notifications can be suppressed to effectively match the true results of detection.
This when paired with the proper setup of detection zones can yield amazing results in providing much more accurate vehicle detection data.
To enable proper detection zones of the Wyze camera, follow these exact steps:
- Link the Wyze App with the Wyze camera.
- Open the Wyze app.
- Select the Wyze camera to configure and log into its live stream.
- Select the settings icon.
- Click on the detection settings.
- Tap on Detection Zone.
- Toggle the Detection Zone option from the resultant screen.
- After enabling the detection zone option, drag and set the required detection zones from the live stream coverage.
To set up the detection sensitivity of the Wyze camera, follow these exact steps:
- Link the Wyze App with the Wyze camera.
- Make sure the detection toggle is enabled and the detection zone is set up.
- Open the Wyze app.
- Select the Wyze camera to configure and log into its live stream.
- Select the settings icon.
- Click on the detection settings.
- From the sensitivity slider that ranges from 1 to 100, adjust the sensitivity of motion detection according to the needs.
Update Wyze App
The Wyze app is the primary brain behind most AI functions that the Wyze cameras execute and relay to the users.
Therefore it is key to always keep it updated to the latest versions available, as Wyze tends to push bug fixes and feature updates onto the Wyze app.
The detection zone features were added by Wyze on the Wyze App versions 20.19 and above.
Make sure the app is at least on this to ensure the proper functioning of detection.
To properly update the Wyze app, follow the steps below:
- Open the Apple App Store or Google Play store, depending on the operating system (iOS and Android respectively) the phone or tablet runs.
- From the search bar on top of the application store home page, search for the Wyze app.
- From the resultant page, click on the search result that leads to the official Wyze app store page.
- Tap on Update if the option is present. If no such option is visible, then the Wyze app on the phone or tablet is already on the latest version.
One can also download the beta app to make sure the bug fixes relating to a particular issue like vehicle detection have been officially claimed to be fixed.
Do note that the beta version, as the name suggests is supposed to be pre-release and tester software that might have other temporary bugs and stability issues with the app.
To download the beta version, follow these exact steps:
- Open the Apple App Store or Google Play store, depending on the operating system (iOS and Android respectively) the phone or tablet runs.
- From the search bar on top of the application store home page, search for the Wyze app.
- From the resultant page, click on the search result that leads to the official Wyze app store page.
- Scroll down the store app page to an option Join the beta or Enroll for the public beta, depending on the operating system of the phone or tablet.
- Click on the option to enter if it is enabled. Wyze can restrict people from entering the Beta program if there are too many users than they deem necessary.
Send Feedback to Wyze
User feedback is something most companies swear by, as they can effectively gauge the reception and improve upon their products either by software or product updates.
Sending feedback and diagnostic data can help Wyze figure out bugs and related issues on which they can work and make proper bug-fix patches.
Despite this being a troubleshooting step solely based on luck and trust one has for the Wyze company, it is something that can potentially bring forward changes nonetheless.
Wyze also has an effective feedback solution for their range of cameras in the form of video feedback, where one can manually record events and send them to Wyze.
Video feedback and diagnostic data can include personal user data. If you are concerned about privacy, read the terms and conditions properly before sending the video feedback.
To provide Wyze with video feedback to improve upon their vehicle detection AI, simply follow these steps:
- Link the Wyze App with the Wyze camera.
- Record an event with the Wyze camera that the Wyze camera usually misjudges vehicle detection.
- Open the Wyze app.
- Click on the Event tab and select the recorded event.
- At the bottom of the page, click on the option Help us improve AI by sharing this one video with Wyze.
- Specify the vehicle on the footage and give the necessary information to improve upon the results usually provided by the AI.
Final Thoughts
Wyze cameras are notorious for their weak AI implementation and messy application layout, amongst many other things.
But it is very easy to forget that Wyze cameras are one of the most affordable IP cameras one can buy that has this many features crammed into it.
The hardware is solid for its price, and their Cam Plus subscription enhances the range of utility the camera provides, albeit with some drawbacks.
These minor setbacks do not hinder it much in my humble opinion and are still the brand I would recommend for anyone looking into an IP camera option on a tight budget.
Apart from the detection zone issues on Wyze Cam, which are easily fixable, Wyze Cam does perform well and is definitely a bang for your buck deal.
I hope my article on disabling vehicle detection on Wyze cameras has been a knowledgeable read and helped solve all your related issues.
Have a good day!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the maximum range for vehicle detection for Wyze cameras?
A Wyze camera mounted at 6 feet from ground level can potentially detect vehicles between 2 and 20 feet.
Can vehicle detection work on Wyze cameras without a Cam Plus subscription?
Most of Wyze's AI features are barred behind the Cam Plus subscription and hence are not accessible to other users without using third-party integrations.
Can Wyze Cameras be preset to ignore a specific model of the vehicle during vehicle detection?
As of now, no such feature of blacklisting specific vehicle models is available for Wyze users.
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