So, I see under the Sensor Device Settings > Sensor Videos that there is a really cool option to pair the sensor trigger with my cameras. I love that feature, but desire more clarification of the description, which says, “Select a camera to record a video clip when the Contact Sensor is opened. Only cameras that are online will record.”
Does this mean that cameras I have turned off will then turn on and record a video, despite having been purposefully turned off? Because, when I look at the list of cameras, I see that my currently turned off cameras show as being “online”.
This is an issue, because I have automations set for my internal cameras to turn off when I am home, and don’t desire for them to record at all, for privacy reasons. I don’t want the cameras to then turn on when a door opens and record a video when I am home and they are turned off. Again, this would be a privacy issue. But, I would love if the sensor video triggered when a sensor is triggered while “Away” mode is set, just in case the camera sensors don’t kick in right away or whatever. It’s an extra failsafe that is neat.
If my suspicion is true, and Wyze has it set to record for online cameras, despite being on or off at the time, I ask why??? Why wouldn’t Wyze set this pairing feature to trigger for cameras that are turned on, and not just online? It seems to me that nobody would ever have any reason to set this feature to override a turned-off camera.
I haven’t used any of the Wyze Sense stuff and don’t know where you’re seeing the description you quoted, but the key phrase seems to me to be “Select a camera”. In my thinking, that’s kind of like Automations of Device & Service Trigger type, where you can select multiple Actions (and multiple cameras for Actions), including Upload a short video to the cloud. I imagine what you’re referring to is kind of a duplication of that feature.
Since you ask the question that way, I wonder if it’s possible to select a camera and have it activate just for those few seconds to upload a clip and then go back to being in an “off” state. That seems potentially useful, especially if you’re using a contact sensor or other device to trigger a camera action instead of having the camera be actively “on” and triggering off its own motion detection. Still, I think the key is back in the original description, where you, as the user, get to select which cameras record/upload videos based on some kind of trigger. That’s how I interpret it, anyway.
Okay, so this gets even stranger after testing. Even though the camera list in that setting says the indoor cam is “online”, when I set it to that camera, it did not turn on the cam and record a clip. Even more strange is that, when I went into the cam view while it was turned off, it said “offline” on the cam screen. So, the camera settings register turned off as also offline, but the entry sensors simultaneously detect the turned off cam as still being online. Sounds about right for Wyze UI imo , especially in relation to the integration (or lack thereof) of their cams with their home security features.
This being said, the setting apparently works as would make sense: it theoretically only takes clips on cams that are turned on and online. Then again, I’d rather not Wyze update this setting to actually accurately match the description, without telling me (or with me missing an update bullet point), and later find out my privacy has been totally violated for months on end. For this reason, I’m still hesitant to turn on the feature, even though I’d like it on.
Cam “off” in app is not powered off, it’s a more sleep state with the live view/recording features being disabled, while the camera is still online so it can receive commands to turn “on” etc.
, especially in relation to the integration (or lack thereof) of their cams with their home security features.