Symptoms
- Constant notifications for cars, shadows, or leaves
- Alerts several times an hour with nothing actually happening
- Notification fatigue causing you to ignore real alerts
- More false alerts on windy days or at night
Likely causes
- CommonMotion zone includes the street, sidewalk, or a treePassing cars and blowing branches are among the most common false-trigger sources.
- CommonMotion sensitivity set too highHigh sensitivity picks up small movements like shadows, insects, or light changes.
- PossibleHeadlights or reflections sweeping across the frame at nightPassing car headlights are a frequent nighttime false-trigger cause.
- PossiblePerson/vehicle-only smart detection not enabledCameras with AI-based detection filters can ignore non-human/vehicle motion if the feature is turned on.
- Less commonCamera facing a busy street or a spot with a lot of ambient movementSome locations are inherently prone to frequent legitimate-but-unwanted triggers.
What to do
- Redraw motion zones to exclude the street, sidewalk, and any trees or bushes in view.
- Lower the motion sensitivity setting and test over a day to see if false alerts drop.
- Enable person-only or vehicle/person smart detection filtering if your camera supports it.
- Angle the camera slightly downward to focus on your property rather than the public street.
- Reduce or block a light source that sweeps across the frame, like a neighbor's motion light.
- Set a schedule to reduce sensitivity during high-traffic daytime hours if nighttime alerts are the main concern.
- Review a week of alerts and fine-tune settings based on what's actually triggering them.
When to call a pro
No professional needed; this is entirely app configuration.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.