Im also having issues with 3 of my outdoor cameras. I feel like I am recharging them every few weeks. I live in North NJ and it’s been pretty cold so that might be a big factor.
Maybe Wyze can come up with profiles for the cameras to preserve the battery life.
I think people are expecting far too much from a tiny battery. Perhaps they’ve been given too optimistic battery life expectations? The only simple solution (no software update can create energy!) I would attach an external battery pack with 4 batteries in parallel in a weather proof companion box.
I don’t think this is a case of users having expectations that are too high.
The expectation was set for us by Wyze.
The specs listed on the Wyze site says 3-6 months of battery life on a charge depending on usage.
I live in a pretty low-traffic foot area, and no vehicle traffic, Even with the limited events to trigger the camera, it was still dying well before 3 months of usage.
I do think cold temperatures may be the culprit. Warmer weather in the last few weeks has led to my camera battery not dropping so quickly.
May not help with cold weather battery performance but there is a new relase:
4.17.1.027 (February 10, 2021)
So, I was a pre-order customer of a WCO Base Unit Package and 3 additional WCO’s. 2 of them (CAM1 & CAM2) are mounted side by side to cover a side driveway/pole building and 2 of them CAM3 and CAM4) are mounted side by side on a tree to cover the woods as wildlife cameras. From day one I have had issues with CAM4 it always goes dead way before any of the others. All of them have the exact same settings. I have created support tickets (first ticket 963773) and current ticket 1039044 on both occasions I received a “canned” response from Ryan saying make sure I am using the supplied cable and the base station to charge the camera. I am using the 5v/2A adapters that came with the 3 additional WCO’s as well as the supplied cables. All of the cameras take a charge and will go to 100% BUT while CAM3 is around 80% CAM4 right next to it looking at the same area is DEAD it happens over and over. I always charge all of them at the same time currently CAM1 is at 60%, CAM2 is at 75%, CAM3 is at 84%, and CAM4 is again at 0% it seems obvious that there is an issue with the battery in CAM4 and I have replied multiple times to Ryan on support ticket 1039044 saying as much but I get ZERO response from anyone. I am becoming very frustrated, I have purchased over 10 cameras (v1, v2, pan cam) not including the WCO’s, have 2 bands, a scale, and 2 watches on pre-order. But the lack of help resolving the issue with WCO #4 really has me questioning my commitment to WYZE it seems they are more interested in selling new products than supporting their customers that helped them get from zero to where they are today.
Have you tried calling support and seeing if you get a better respose?
Live support is available:
+1-206-339-9646
Monday - Friday 5 am - 6 pm PT
Saturday 8 am - 4 pm PT
@aaronramsdell according to today’s firmware update, your line of thinking isn’t productive. By reporting bad stuff, it leads to investigations and software updates. " [4.17.1.027] (February 10, 2021)
Yep even though I have an open ticket that clearly instructs me to reply to their email, I did try to call today and I sat on hold for about 20 minutes before giving up.
It’s been an open issue with 2 separate support tickets since January 4th I have performed the tests they asked and proved there is an issue with the camera which is under warranty and should be repaired or replaced BUT we never seem to get past the make sure you are using our cable and power supply.
Should I really have to call into support again and start the process a third time?
Well in utopia, the answer would be no there is no need to call as your issue is being resolved as I type. Unfortunately, we do not live in utopia since that evil serpent screwed everything up long long ago. Therefore the answer is yes, if you want it resolved once and for all you will need to call. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I’ve learned the only way to get “real” support from WYZE is to pick up the phone and call them. The good news is everyone that has answered the phone thus far has been extremely helpful and polite. When you do call, be sure you have your existing case #'s and the email address tied to your WYZE account handy.
So logging into my WYZE account and generating a support ticket in their support system on a product I purchased directly from them is not the proper way to get assistance?
In utopia that’s the way to go! 
Honestly, don’t waste your time with that or chat or email. If you want your issue resolved, take the time to make the phone call. (Particularly in this instance since you now have several cases created through the other methods.) That’s been my personal experience anyway.
Crazy thing is you are 100% correct
I called right at 5AM and immediately got Kayla who after a few questions put me on the path to a replacement camera 
Funny thing is when you call in the first message you hear is “for faster service please us our chat” oh this is so not true.
Thanks to you and Jason21271 for sending me down the proper road 
Excellent news and I am glad to hear that your issue is finally being resolved. Now that you’re in the know, you’ll likely just call when you require support. I know that’s what I do.
With that said, I think email, chat, or using the app to submit logs is great if you simply have a question. However, if you have a real problem that needs to be addressed you’re best served by using the phone.
I’ve also found that certain issues can be addressed here on the forums, but those issues are typically related to very specific on going problems.
All the best to you and yours,
Known1
Email support has been terrible. It seems they staff that with people who only know how to copy/paste. I opened a ticket about a month ago to try and get feedback to engineering about the thermostat installation instructions and they kept pasting a reply saying they cannot assist me with complex HVAC issues. I kept saying I had successfully installed the thermostat and I don’t need installation assistance. I tried to make it clear I wanted to help improve their product. They stopped responding. As someone who owns every possible wyze product, this makes me very disappointed.
This update did not fix my problem. I am on 4.17.1.027, had the camera charging for about 4 days since it would go to 100% way too quickly. Today it is down to 8% in about 4.5 hours. But while I type this it has gone up to 16% and now 26%, without power being connected!
FWIW, I never got a fully charged notification telling me to disconnect and I didn’t get a low battery message today, but I did get the 20% and !0% messages the first time this happened a couple of weeks ago.
This did start a couple of weeks ago and I have installed at least one firmware update since it started.
BTW, I have two outdoor cams and update them at the same time. The other one has been fine.
Sounds like you may have a defective camera. I would call WYZE and request a replacement if I were you. You can try email or chat if you enjoy frustrating yourself to no end.
Hold times vary quite a bit. The longest I have ever waited to speak to someone is 38 minutes.
WYZE Support:
(206) 339-9646 Available Monday - Friday 5 am - 6 pm PT and Saturday 8 am - 4 pm PT
I’m trying reverting to 4.17.0.183 first. So far (5 minutes) good results. With the camera switched off last night it only charged to 15% over 8 hours. Today in 5 minutes it’s up to 27% with the camera switched on.
BTW, I did submit a ticket back on 2/10/21 (ticket 124922) but have heard nothing since receiving the ticket number. That’s why I searched out this thread.
Also, I do have another outdoor cam and it’s been fine with any firmware.
Edit: It crapped out overnight, going from 27% to 0%, plugged in.
One thing I discovered:
If the camera has the internal LEDs on, and it looses connection, the LEDs stay on, killing the battery over a very short time-frame. I killed the LEDs on my camera, and all charging and time of life issues ended.
I’m also frustrated at the battery life or lack thereof. My WCO is in a very low traffic area… pointed at my backyard. The power is on all the time, but detection is only on at night and while we are away from home. Rarely use it for live streaming. I charge it on the base station using the provided charging cable. A very occasional recording. The charge lasts at most 4 days. Can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.
Check to be sure the IR lights are off… I get well over a month on my camera with the lights off.