I hadn’t updated the firmware on any of my Wyze cameras for over a year because I’d had problems in the past. Foolishly, I decided to give it a go. I guess I like a challenge because, as expected, all the updated cameras went offline. I was able to get two cameras back online by removing, resetting, and re-adding them. Sadly, one of the cameras is already back offline.
I had vowed in the past to never again do a firmware update, but this isn’t the first time I broke a vow. I’m curious how often a firmware update goes well versus how often it doesn’t. What has been your experience? Is there ever a good reason to update the firmware if your cameras are working properly?
I look at it as a balancing act. New firmware or App versions should offer increased security. The new software can be buggy and reduce functionality. I usually wait until I see good reviews on this forum before updating.
I have found it to be less risky to update firmware when it is available than to not update at all. I also Beta test firmware. Rarely have I had an update situation that requires a manual flash of the firmware.
Best practice would be to watch all FW releases threads for your cam to get an idea of the feedback and issues a release version is producing. That way you can make an informed decision on update rather than having quarantines cams that probably have none of the new features or functionality that have been developed.
Depending on the age of the FW that was on the cams and the types of cams, they would most likely need to go thru stepped updates to get to current. If they stalled during that, they may need a factory reset or a flash install.
I have about 50 Wyze devices and am in the beta program for all of them. I essentially install every beta update that comes out on all of them. That means that I have done well over 1,000 firmware updates. Out of all of those I have had exactly one V2 camera that was bricked due to a firmware update. And that one was recovered with a uSD card firmware update. I have had updates that failed (camera came up in the same version it had before the update) and had to be done again.
Other than the one I mentioned before, I have NEVER had a camera take anything more than a power cycle to recover after a failed firmware update - and seldom is that required.
Thanks for the input, folks. I’ve still got a couple of cameras that are offline but hope to work on them today or tomorrow. Simple things like a power cycle, reset, and router reboot have been unsuccessful. Wish me luck.
All cameras are currently back online. For future reference, one of the cameras was a real bugger. It kept going offline so I kept removing, resetting, and re-adding. This problem appears to have been solved by reformatting the SD card using my computer. Fingers crossed.
