Wyze cam pan v3 not working with the Alexa app

Services & Integrations
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Hi all! Not sure if this is the right place to post or if someone else posted this question (I’m new here and still trying to navigate through it all) but I just recently downloaded the Alexa app to see how it works with my pan v3 cameras before attempting to purchase a few more cameras and an Alexa echo hub to replace my janky adt system.

I have linked Alexa with wyze as I can see it on both the Alexa app and in my settings on the wyze app (both apps show that it is connected). I have asked Alexa to show my camera and her response is “sorry, cameras don’t work on this device.” When I ask Alexa to turn the camera off, she says “camera doesn’t support that.” - is there something I’m doing wrong? I am saying the cameras name (master bedroom cam) and still does not work. I have disabled and re-enabled the wyze skill but still have yet to make Alexa do these commands. I also tried setting up a routine in the Alexa app but could not since it says I need to upgrade my wyze plan. I am just trying to test this out before I take the plunge and purchase 6 other cameras, door and window sensors as well as subscribing to the annual home monitoring system wyze has to offer (hub, keypad and all).

I was thinking of purchasing the smart plugs in hopes that it would fix the problem I’m having but wyze states that these cameras do work with Alexa… I’m just not sure to what extent. I’m probably doing something wrong. I’m not extremely tech savvy like most of the wyze users I’ve come across on here in the forums when searching for answers so if anyone has some advice on how to get Alexa to work with my camera or has any other advice on what to do to make it work with Alexa, please let me know. Thank you

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I get that same response when I talk to the Alexa app, but if I navigate in the Alexa app to  Devices and tap to select my cameras, then the Alexa app will show the live stream on my phone’s screen.

I think that’s the expected behavior as a limitation of trying to use a third party to control your camera. What I mean by that is third-party platforms (Amazon Alexa, Google Home, etc.) generally have access to a limited feature set for devices from other manufacturers, so the Alexa app won’t be able to give you access to all the controls and features your camera actually has. For instance, Alexa won’t let you tilt or pan your Cam Pan v3, activate its siren, etc. What you get in the third-party app is going to be pretty basic live streaming and sometimes things like announcements (with a compatible Wyze camera and a compatible Echo device, for instance).

If you want the best experience with your cameras and access to all their features, then you’re pretty much always going to get that with the native (i.e., Wyze) app.

You’re not doing anything wrong, per se; you just need to adjust your expectations and understand that you’re seeing the limits of what the Alexa app (and other third-party integrations) can do.

What kind of routine are you trying to create, and what’s your current Wyze subscription status? I’ve found that some things (like video doorbell person detection announcements on my Echo devices) require a Wyze subscription, like Cam Plus or Cam Unlimited. Without those, Alexa won’t “see” what it needs to activate some features.

I don’t have any experience with Wyze Home Monitoring, so I can’t provide guidance about that, but I was already using Google Home when I got my first Wyze products (original Plugs) several years ago, and those have worked as expected with third-party control. Over the past year or so, I’ve also added a couple of Amazon Echo devices but not Echo Shows—so I don’t have any Echo devices with the screens—though I do use a Google Home Hub and can stream my Wyze cameras to that by asking Google Assistant to do so, and I would expect a similar experience with an Echo Show.

I hope that helps to answer at least some of your questions. Welcome to the Forum, @Jseuk! :wave:

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Hi! Thanks for the reply & giving me some great feedback to my questions! I seriously thought I was going crazy for a second trying to figure it all out. After doing a lot more reading on this forum, I came to the conclusion that although these wyze cams are compatible with Alexa, capabilities are slim like you mentioned and apparently it isn’t a wyze issue but an Amazon/Alexa issue from everything I’ve read so far. Hopefully we will have a lot more capabilities once the Alexa guard plus rolls around (if ever). For a few bucks a month, I would most likely subscribe to that just to be able to use necessary features like arm/disarm with a code or password.

My intention was to get the Alexa echo hub control panel because my current ADT setup does have a touchscreen panel and everyone in my home has been used to entering the code to arm/disarm and check the sensors, etc through that panel for the past 12 years (they don’t like using the ADT app as that has limitations too and to be honest, the app sucks… always lagging, never loading properly… we can’t see any sensors but we’re able to arm and disarm through the app and also view the cameras, turn lights on/off… the touchscreen panel has everything except viewing the cameras as we would have to do that either through the adt app). I’m trying to keep the same or at least a similar setup with wyze. Since wyze doesn’t have a touchscreen panel, I figured Alexa would be the next best thing for things like making announcements when a sensor is triggered, arming/disarming and all the other things the ADT touchscreen does so it would be a similar (if not easier) way for them to use it.

For now, I got my hands on the wyze plugs and installed them. My cameras will now turn on and off when prompting Alexa but of course they just shut the power down and don’t force it into privacy mode… at least it’s some form of a temporary workaround for now I suppose.

I did try to create a routine to ask Alexa to turn the cameras on and off but she just said it’s not supported. There is a person detection option listed but it says for person detection, I may need to upgrade my wyze subscription. However, when going into my camera settings on the Alexa app, under announcements, it says to choose Alexa-enabled devices… figured the wyze cams were part of that. I’m not sure if I was doing it incorrectly though. When trying to do a routine, I clicked on smart home, clicked on the camera and it just says “currently unavailable.” I don’t have a wyze subscription as I was planning to purchase the annual home security monitoring and use SD cards for storage so my limitations to using Alexa might be because I don’t have a wyze subscription (?). I’m just not sure.

I do see live streaming on the Alexa app though but I prefer using the wyze app for that.

I guess the wyze plugs will have to do for now. It’s just kind of a bummer because I would have to include 6 of those for the cameras I’m planning to purchase just so Alexa would work with them.

If you have any other suggestions for a workaround on this I’m more than happy to try it out! Thanks again. You’ve been a great help!

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You’re welcome. I like being helpful when I can. Let me try to address some of the other points you raised.

I get the impression from this that you have a your cameras’ power adapters connected to Wyze Plugs, which are connected to your electrical outlets. That’s one way to do it if you actually want to cut power to your cameras individually, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I think lots of Wyze Cam owners use smart plugs for this purpose, and many prefer non-Wyze plugs for power cycling when a camera is problematic and has lost its network connection. The thinking here is that if the connection back to Wyze servers is a problem, then using a different brand of plug might increase one’s chances for remotely power-cycling the device.

One thing you can do with actual Wyze Plugs, though, is use them like logical switch bridges between the Alexa and Wyze ecosystems. For instance, you could name a single Plug with a label like “Indoor Cameras”. Then you could set up a Device & Service Trigger Automation in the Wyze app and have it do something like this:

  • IF
    • Wyze Plug (“Indoor Cameras” or whatever)
      • Turns Off
  • DO
    • Wyze Cam 1
      • Turn off the camera
    • Wyze Cam 2
      • Turn off the camera
    • Wyze Cam 3
      • Turn off the camera

The Wyze Plug just needs to be plugged into electrical power. You don’t have to plug anything else into it, because you’re just using it as a logical switch. Then when you say, “Alexa, turn off Indoor Cameras,” the Plug should turn off, and then that should trigger the Wyze Automation to run and turn off the cameras (i.e., put them in their low-power state or “Privacy Mode” or whatever but not actually cut power). You could use a single Plug to control several cameras that way with Alexa.

You’d create a second Automation to turn the cameras back on whenever the Plug turns on.

I said that you don’t have to plug anything into this Plug, but you can. I do something similar with a Video Doorbell v2 and a Plug because Google Home doesn’t natively recognize the doorbell button presses, but the Wyze app does. The Plug actually has a bulb-type air freshener plugged into it and is on most of the time, but the Wyze Automation turns the Plug off whenever the Video Doorbell v2’s button is pressed, and then Google Home detects that the Plug turned off and executes a routine based on that state change. Another Wyze Automation turns the Plug back on one minute later.

I hope that makes sense.

Yeah, I think that’s right, and depending on how many cameras you’re using and what your goals are with those, a Cam Unlimited subscription might make more sense than Cam Plus if you want to have those kinds of detections enabled for Alexa to see.

Yeah, I think the Wyze app gives a better experience, though the Alexa app (or Google Home app, in my case) is an easy way to “share” access with other household members without requiring them to create their own Wyze accounts for device sharing, especially if they just want to check live streams periodically.

I can’t provide much direct input about your ideas for security systems, as I’ve never used Wyze Home Monitoring or ADT. I’ve used SimpliSafe since before I began using Wyze products, and I’ve been impressed enough with the ease of using their hardware and with the responsiveness of their monitoring service that I haven’t really felt a need to change. It’s a little frustrating that they’re essentially a closed system (like I can’t integrate entry sensors with Google Home to get announcements on smart speakers whenever a door is opened, for instance), and I’m not impressed with the SimpliCam. They also have been dragging their feet for years and finally rolled out “Additional User Access” for the app just within the past few weeks, but that still seems like an incomplete implementation that’s not satisfactory for a lot of users. :man_shrugging:

Some of what you’re saying you want to do makes me wonder if Home Assistant would be an option, but I’d have to defer to other Forum members for that kind of guidance, because I have no experience with that, either, and I know that there are ongoing complaints about Wyze’s lack of native support for Home Assistant.

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YES! That’s exactly how I did it but you just made a valid point about the whole power cycling thing. I didn’t even think of that. My whole thought process was to just keep every type of device with one brand so I could just do everything in one place aka one app. Never thought about what would happen if wyze servers were down while not being home and rebooting remotely. Darn. I always think about my internet going out instead lol. I try to keep everything as simple as possible and in one place because right now, I have to switch between different apps for my home security (ADT, wyze, D-link and it gets exhausting). What other brands of smart plugs do you suggest for something like this?

Oh wow so there is another workaround lol… okay I will try this tomorrow. So do I just create the automations/triggers only on the wyze app or do I need to do it on the Alexa app too as a routine? (Alexa app is all I have at the moment so not sure if that makes a difference when trying to set it all up). Also, I’m using a power strip for one of the cameras that’s using the wyze plug… does that make a difference when trying the method you suggested? Sorry if my questions seem dumb, this is just all new to me and I’m just trying to learn and figure it all out and make it work, somehow some way.

That’s okay! You’ve helped me plenty and I truly appreciate it. I was actually looking into SimpliSafe. Vivint, Ring and Cove even though I have two wyze cams to monitor my dog but the 24/7 monitoring monthly fee was making me think twice about switching over to one of them. I feel like ADT’s monthly fee is pretty much theft. I’d be paying way less with Wyze ($100 an entire year for their 24/7 monitoring with noonlight) compared to what I’m paying now… every company I have spoken to, compared plans with, and received estimates for couldn’t compete with wyze products or the pricing for their monitoring service. Plus, I like my little pan v3s. Wyze also offers way more options for cameras and such at a very affordable price so if something gets broken, it’s cheap to replace unlike ADT. Upgrading and adding on is also a lot easier and more affordable in my opinion. However, I did read that wyze customer service is a complete joke so that kind of scares me a little bit because with ADT, (I hate to say this but…) you actually get what you pay for when it comes to their customer service… everything else about their system is trash in my opinion… honestly though, I would rather have devices that work (when the internet doesn’t go down at least) than have excellent customer service with no problem solving skills or having to constantly fix issues with their devices. I’m pretty grateful that there is a community forum with wyze so that we’re able to ask questions and get answers so I guess that evens out their customer service or lack thereof as some users on here are saying.

I don’t even know what home assistant is… going to have to research that one as well. But yeah, ultimately I would like to have a complete setup with outdoor cams, sensors, and all the bells and whistles to keep this place like the little Fort Knox it already is without the hefty price tag that comes along with it (and to maintain it). Maybe someone who knows about the wyze home monitoring system (with Alexa/home assistant) will see this and chime in. I’m here to learn and make the most of the wyze products I already have and intend to purchase within the next couple of weeks. Thanks so much @Crease you’ve been such a big help! I appreciate it greatly!

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I get that, and I also like trying to keep things simple. That’s one of the reasons I look for Google Home compatibility with smart home things, because that’s what I started with and what I like to use for automations/routines and controlling different brands of devices. I’ve started doing similar things with Amazon Alexa, but I have a longer history with Google Home, and I think Google Assistant gives me better information, so I prefer to deal with that. Still, I think you should be able to do a lot of the same things with Alexa and Echo devices if you want to go that route.

I’ve had stable performance from TP-Link Tapo P105s that I bought last year. I also picked up some Sylvania smart plugs on clearance at a local store, and those have worked okay (one was a little finicky until I made some changes to my LAN). I’ve seen other Forum members make favorable comments about TP-Link Kasa products (and I’ve had good results with Kasa smart switches for controlling lights and a ceiling fan).

I understand why other users route their Wyze Cams’ power through smart plugs, but the only time I’ve consistently done that was after I got my first Cam Pan v3 (which was my first Wyze Cam), and that was only because it would lose its Wi-Fi connection so frequently and refuse to reconnect until it was rebooted. I got tired of unplugging it and plugging it back in, so I just routed its power through a Wyze Plug, which was what I had available at the time, and that was fine. Wyze has released several firmware updates for Cam Pan v3 which have specifically addressed connectivity, so that hasn’t been an issue for me for a long time, and I no longer have it plugged into a smart plug. I have an unrelated (I think) issue with one of my Cam Pan v3s now, but connectivity hasn’t seemed to be a problem.

If you want to route power through smart plugs, then I think that’s reasonable. I just haven’t had a routine need for it myself.

You’d do it just in the Wyze app (one each for ON and OFF), unless you wanted to use a special phrase with Alexa to call the routine. If you need help walking through setting up something like that, then feel free to let me know.

I don’t think so, but I didn’t actually start using the Alexa app until I got my first Echo device (and I did that only because at the time it was bundled with a Matter-enabled smart bulb, and I wanted to play with that). When I use the Alexa app on my phone, I’m tapping the screen; I don’t talk to it. I talk to the Echo devices for hands-free use but don’t really do that with the phone.

I wouldn’t think so. As long as the Cam and Plug both have power and Wi-Fi connections, I’d expect the Wyze Automations to work. Again, with what I described the Plug is just being used as a logical switch, so nothing needs to be powered by the Plug in that case. Once the Wyze Automations are set (if you’re doing what I described above), you could even just use the button on the Plug (if it’s in a convenient location) to turn it off, and that should turn the cameras off, etc.

No apology is necessary. Asking questions is a good way to learn, and I especially appreciate when someone asks detailed, specific questions. :+1:

I like those, too (except the one that’s being a problem child with microSD recording, but that seems to be an issue with a lot of users right now). For other applications, I’ve really liked my Cam OGs and Cam v4s, and my Video Doorbell v2 might be my favorite.

It’s hit or miss, unfortunately, but I think they’re trying to make improvements. I have an open ticket right now for a Watch issue, but I think that’s actually a server-side problem.

I’ve actually found SimpliSafe’s customer service to be quite good on the phone, but their e-mail customer support isn’t great. I’m not trying to sell you on SimpliSafe at all, just providing that as a point of comparison.

I’ve never actually called Wyze’s customer support. The human chat can be helpful sometimes, but I generally prefer to handle tickets via e-mail.

Yeah. I still tend to submit logs and open tickets with Wyze Support if I think there’s something that their engineers need to be aware of or if I have a product that has failed within a warranty period (like a color smart bulb they replaced for me last year), but I think the Forum is a good place to get questions answered because the people here actually use the products and know them pretty well.

I probably shouldn’t have mentioned that, because it may not be the kind of thing you’re seeking, especially if you want a security system that’s easy to set up and will be monitored by another service. It’s more of a roll-your-own home automation environment that’s open source and plays well with a lot of IoT products. I haven’t yet taken the time to learn a lot about it, but I like DIY stuff so that might be something I’ll dive into in the future.

You could try adding a home-monitoring tag to your topic to see if that helps with the visibility you want, or you could start a new topic using that as a tag and asking questions specific to Home Monitoring and Alexa. If I knew off the top of my head another community member who routinely uses both, then I’d tag someone like that into this topic, but no specific individual is coming to mind at the moment.

:point_up: I know that’s a lot to read, and I tend to ramble. I hope that at least some of it’s helpful. Let me know what other questions you have.

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You are awesome! I just finished up creating triggers for the plugs like you said and it WORKED! The cameras are now facing down on privacy mode when asking Alexa to turn them off. I ended up designating one plug for each camera… this way I can control which camera I want left on and which I can turn off… hopefully it will save up some electricity that way (I don’t know how much electricity is used up when using these cams and plugs… I live in California and our water & electricity bills are outrageously high for no reason except government greed).

I did notice that when plugging the cam right into the smart plug, the cam was lagging in motion tracking (I have it set to fast in motor controls and it was still lagging) so the advice you gave me to use the plugs as a switch bridge fixed that issue real quick. I will have to look into that TP-Link plug you suggested. If I ever come across a problem with the Wyze plugs, I’ll definitely purchase the TP-Link and see if it’s better. Actually, I think I will purchase those to use for the outdoor cameras when I get them.

Also, after debating between google nest and Alexa, I’ve read on numerous sites that Alexa is better for Wyze and Ring cameras… not sure if that’s true or why Alexa would be better for either systems.

Not sure why your pan cams SD card recording is giving you issues. I haven’t had any problems with mine (thankfully). I’m using amazons cheap $10 128gb and as of now, I can’t complain. Sometimes it will say “failed to load” but when I go to check, it’s there and I’m able to see everything that was saved on the SD card. It might just be a glitch for me since my connection can be unstable at times.

I will have to keep Wyze email and service tickets in mind if I ever come across any issues.

And I will definitely use that tag to see if someone else can chime in on the home security monitoring using Alexa. I’m trying to get all the info I can before I spend any more money only for things to not work the way I would want them to.

Thank you so much for everything. You’ve been a great help.

And I’ll be sure to get back in touch with you if I ever need help with triggers/automations. I’m still learning the Wyze app and haven’t explored all of its capabilities yet. I’m sure there is so much I can do but haven’t figured it out yet lol.

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Well…. :man_shrugging:

It was supposed to work! Otherwise I wouldn’t be very helpful, eh?

I can’t take credit for that kind of solution, though. Well over a year ago, when I was still relatively new here, I was directed to another post where I learned about using Wyze Plugs this way, because I wanted to get doorbell button press announcements on Google Home devices. I’ve used the work-around with Wyze Plugs to link other things from time to time when there isn’t a direct integration for some task I want to accomplish. It’s a useful tool to have in the kit. (I’ve done similar things using a Tapo camera to turn on a Tapo smart plug in order to get Google Home to execute a routine, too.)

I have no idea why routing power through a smart plug would affect your camera’s motion tracking, but I also haven’t really messed with the Rotate speed setting. (I know there was some recent discussion in another topic about that setting, but I’ve never had a compelling reason to change it.)

I do like the smaller form factor of the TP-Link plugs, and using those for other things (like fans or lights) means that I can repurpose the Wyze Plugs as logical switches if needed. I’ve been pleased with a couple of the Tapo cameras I’ve tried, too.

My hands-on experience with Ring is limited to pressing a neighbor’s doorbell button, but I’d expect Alexa integration with Ring to be fairly tight since they’re both Amazon companies. That’d be the hope, anyway. I’ve been mostly satisfied with Google Home, especially since I can ask Google Assistant to stream cameras (Wyze and others) on the Home Hub, a Chromecast, and a Google TV, even when the connected home is in another state.

I’m also not sure why only one of my Cam Pan v3s is having microSD issues, but to me it feels like an issue last year with (non-Pan) Cam v3s that seemed to affect some cameras and not others and was apparently eventually resolved with a server-side fix. Since other Cam Pan v3 users have been having issues with microSD recording, I suspect this may be a similar situation, and I’m glad yours aren’t affected.

I think you’re right to do your own research, and I get the sense that you’ve done a lot already. If I can try to answer other questions, then feel free to ask.

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:joy: I was a little too excited when I saw that the cams went into privacy mode and didn’t just shut down in its position like they were doing. I think I even thanked you out loud because it probably would’ve taken me a lot longer to figure it out (if ever). I’m just glad you found out about it. Whoever it was that wrote it in a post, I’ll gladly thank that person too because it saved me a lot of frustration. Technology and I don’t get along too well. I feel like the more advanced it gets, the more I stress out lol so I usually leave it up to those who know what they’re doing unless I get step by step instructions written down or a video tutorial.

I have no idea why the smart plug made the camera lag. It might be because of my internet connection. :woman_shrugging: I blame everything on that because that’s the main problem majority of the time. I set the rotate setting to 9 because my dog is super quick to jump and start fights with my brother’s cat (even though the cat is the instigator). If I’m not home, I can yell at her much quicker than if the setting was on default lol.

I just ran into minor issue (it’s most likely my fault). I purchased longer power cords for the cameras because I need them mounted to my wall… thankfully they work fine but I noticed that on one of the cams, the tilt motion isn’t as smooth as it was before. Not sure how to explain it but it looks like it’s having a bit of a hard time moving up. It goes up in little increments instead of just moving smoothly. I tested my other pan v3 and it moves like butter so… I may have accidentally pushed on the arm a little too hard when trying to remove the power cord and inserting the new one. I was thinking of maybe putting a dab of DW40 to see if that would help but that’s probably not a good idea lol.

And yes, I tend to do a lot of research before I make any decisions. Weigh out all the pros and cons and see if it’s something that is worth my time and the investment.

Anyway, thank you again! I’ll be sure to message you on here if I come across another road-block.

Have a great rest of your week!

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I wonder how long your power cables are and if the problematic camera is receiving enough power consistently for what you’re trying to do. Because of their motors and increased power requirements for making the cameras move, Cam Pan v3s ship with 5V/2A power adapters, whereas something like a Cam v4 or Cam OG will come with a 5V/1A adapter. If you’re using a cable that’s too long or with conductors that are too small (cross section), then you may be seeing the effects of a power drop over the length of the cable.

I’ve read about things like this on the Forum when members have used exceptionally long cables (30′+), even for other cameras, like if someone has a (non-Pan) Cam v3 at the end of a long USB cable run and activates the siren or 2-way audio (causing the camera to consume more power), then the camera might lose its Wi-Fi connection.

I think generally you want to stick with the power adapters and cables that came with the cameras and locate them closer to power sources, if possible. If an outlet isn’t convenient to where you want to place a camera, then you may need to be selective about the quality of the USB cables you use (if you seek out longer replacements) and/or consider using an appropriate extension cord to get the power source closer to the camera.

I don’t have any recommendations for replacement USB cables, though I’ve been looking at those a little because I think one of my Wyze cables has a flaky micro USB connector. I just haven’t made a decision or tried anything else yet because it hasn’t been a priority.

I would not expect WD-40 to solve this problem.

Thanks! I wish you the same!