Have you tried changing the detection zone and sensitivity?
This is true for most Wifi connected devices. It’s not a Wyze only issue.
If you keep your original SSID and Password you won’t have an issue.
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I generally avoid long-form content, but I thought this might call for it. I tried to break my thoughts down in to relevant sections for easier reading. And I tried to make each section readable independent of the others.
Intro: My Journey with Wyze
It all started at the turn of 2019 into 2020, in an unexpected place - Home Depot. That’s where I first stumbled upon the v1 Wyze Cam (correction, might have been v2. Can’t remember at this point). The moment I saw it, it was like finding a hidden gem. The price was unbeatable - just $20! But it wasn’t just the price that caught my attention; the features it boasted were exactly what I was looking for. It was like ticking off every item on my wishlist without even knowing I had one.
That initial encounter was just the beginning. I quickly found myself diving headfirst into the Wyze ecosystem. From scales to the v1 home sensors, then moving on to v2 home monitoring, the pan camera, the first outdoor cameras, and even the Wyze car – you name it, I was on board. I even got my hands on some Wyze merch. I became a big fan, a true Wyze enthusiast. Sure, I haven’t reached the heights of Carver, with his immense investment and the special recognition he’s received, like being invited to employee-only events. But my journey with Wyze is no less significant.
I’ve never been one to mince words or carefully curate my speech to maintain every possible connection. Frankness has always been my approach, and I believe in being straightforward. This is especially true when it comes to matters I’m passionate about, like Wyze. I deeply care about the future of this company, and because of that, my feedback may not always come across as the kindest. But it’s driven by a genuine concern and a desire to see Wyze thrive.
In sharing my thoughts, I aim to highlight my unique perspective, adding to or perhaps contrasting with some of Carver’s points. This isn’t just about echoing another fan’s sentiments; it’s about bringing my own experiences and opinions to the table. I sincerely hope that my feedback will be received in the spirit it’s given – not as criticism for the sake of it, but as constructive input from someone who truly values what Wyze stands for. After all, feedback, even when it’s tough, is a form of care, and I hope it’s taken as such.
Company Ethos: From Inspiration to Concern
The Beginning: A Refreshing Ethos When I first encountered Wyze, what truly resonated with me were the company’s guiding principles. Phrases like “Be friends with users,” “make great technology accessible to everyone,” “too good to be true,” “move with incredible speed,” and “maximize every component” were not just words; they represented a philosophy that seemed to break the mold of the typical tech company. In a landscape where companies often move cautiously, delivering what they believe customers want rather than what they ask for, Wyze’s approach felt like a breath of fresh air.
This ethos was palpable in my early interactions with Wyze. Reaching out on various platforms, I was often met with genuine feedback from employees, a testament to their commitment to being in touch with their users. It was evident in their product launches and their ability to extract maximum value from something as simple as a white-label camera. This wasn’t just a company selling products; it was a company striving to innovate and connect.
Current State: Drifting from Core Values Fast forward to the present, and I sense a shift in direction that’s hard to ignore. One of the more noticeable changes is in communication. The vibrant, open dialogues that once marked Wyze’s interactions with its community now seem reserved for moments bathed in praise. The readiness to engage in tough, critical conversations – a hallmark of a company that truly “befriends” its users – appears to have waned.
This feeling of change extends beyond communication. There’s a noticeable deceleration in the company’s pace. While a certain degree of slowing down is understandable – after all, spreading oneself too thin is a real risk – the extent of this slowdown feels excessive. I’ve noticed that some of my devices, which aren’t officially at the end of their life, haven’t seen updates in months. It’s a concerning sign, suggesting a potential shift away from the principle of “maximizing every component.”
Even the product launches that do take place now seem to lack the “too good to be true” factor that once defined Wyze. The price points, while still fair, no longer seem to punch above their weight in terms of features offered. These features, rather than setting new industry standards, often feel like they’re playing catch-up to existing norms.
In essence, what I’m observing is a departure from the very values that drew me to Wyze. The ethos that once seemed to permeate every aspect of the company’s operations – from product development to customer engagement – feels diluted. And it’s this shift that prompts me to reflect more critically on each of Wyze’s stated values and how they resonate with my experiences as a long-term user.
Products: Balancing Innovation and Focus
The Height of Innovation There was a time when Wyze’s product launches were the highlight of my tech experience. The company was expanding its reach across multiple categories, truly living up to its mission of making smart home technology accessible. The sheer variety and innovation in products were a testament to this commitment. This diversity not only showcased Wyze’s versatility but also its dedication to bringing the smart home experience to a broader audience.
Missteps in Product Strategy However, not every product launch hit the mark for me. My main contention was with the introduction of non-smart products. Items like the handheld vacuum and spotlight lamp, though potentially useful, strayed from Wyze’s core ethos of focusing on ‘smart’ technology. It felt like a deviation from the path that had initially drawn me to the brand.
Another concern was the occasional release of what seemed like quick-win, white-labeled products. These items, which appeared to be rushed to market with just a “Wyze coat of paint,” lacked the deeper integration and software enhancement that characterized the best of Wyze’s offerings. I understand that white labeling was part of Wyze’s origins, but the magic was in how you previously expanded and improved on those foundations with innovative software – a trait that wasn’t consistently evident in these launches.
Praise for Responsiveness and Pre-Order Handling On a positive note, I must commend Wyze for its responsiveness to user feedback, particularly regarding the “pre-order era.” You’ve shown a capacity to listen and adapt, evident in the absence of recent delays or broken promises. This agility and willingness to learn from feedback are qualities I deeply respect.
Concerns about Fragmentation and Retreat to Safety However, the product lines began to feel increasingly fractured. The lack of integration between different product categories – for example, having separate climate sensors for the v2 Home Monitoring system and the smart thermostat – creates a disjointed experience. This fragmentation goes against the notion of a seamless smart home ecosystem.
I also share Carver’s concern about what seemed like a retreat to focusing primarily on cameras. While I understand the inclination towards proven revenue streams, this move felt like a step back from the innovative spirit that defined Wyze. It’s as if in trying to consolidate, Wyze lost a bit of its adventurous edge.
Limited Interoperability and Missed Opportunities The limited interoperability of Wyze products with broader ecosystems like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri further compounds this issue. The decision not to engage with the Matter platform, citing its lack of support for cameras, felt like a missed opportunity. This stance not only contradicted the ethos of creating the smartest products but also seemed like a self-imposed limitation. In focusing too narrowly on cameras, Wyze inadvertently sidelined the broader vision of comprehensive smart home integration.
In conclusion, while I admire Wyze’s journey and its many successes, these concerns about product strategy and ecosystem integration are areas where I believe there’s significant room for growth and re-alignment with the company’s original values.
Software / Firmware: Technical Debt and Missed Opportunities
Concerns Over Technical Debt and AI Focus The issue of technical debt within Wyze’s software and firmware is a glaring concern. The company’s ambition to revamp its AI capabilities – what you’re calling AI 2.0 – is an admirable goal. However, it raises a critical question: why prioritize this when the foundation, like the app, is struggling? The app, in its current state, seems to lag behind in usability and stability, making the leap to advanced AI ventures feel like a misstep. Addressing existing issues should be a prerequisite to pursuing new technological frontiers.
Resource Allocation and Update Challenges I’ve noticed your discussions about focusing engineering resources on select projects. However, the effectiveness of this strategy is questionable. The staggered rollout of something as fundamental as dark mode, page by page, indicates a lack of cohesion in your app’s architecture. And more concerning are the reports of device-bricking updates. This points to a significant flaw in your development and testing processes, raising doubts about the reliability of your software updates.
Neglecting Core Infrastructure The slowdown in product launches, I assumed, would be an opportunity for Wyze to address and revamp its core infrastructure. Yet, this hasn’t been the case. Updates have decreased in frequency, and longstanding issues remain unaddressed. Discussing new features feels premature when your user base is grappling with issues that have persisted for years. The disconnect between the company’s forward-looking statements and the actual user experience is becoming increasingly apparent.
Vision for Advanced Interconnectivity I find myself in agreement with Carver’s “to the moon” vision, which emphasizes the importance of making the smartest products and maximizing hardware capabilities. This vision includes ambitious features like voice commands for cameras and leveraging the potential of LLMs. Such innovations could set Wyze apart, but instead, there’s a sense of stagnation, with updates seemingly prompted more by external pressure than proactive innovation.
Concerns with Security Updates and Product Lifecycle The approach to security updates is reactive, often spurred by negative press rather than proactive measures. The trend of quickly EOL’ing (End-of-Life) products post-launch is also concerning. It gives the impression of a company slowing down and losing sight of its innovative edge.
Subscriptions and Software Synergy Subscriptions are another area where the software’s shortcomings become evident. The existence of mutually exclusive subscriptions necessitating multiple accounts is a clear sign of a fractured ecosystem. The introduction of Cam Protect, seemingly aimed at boosting security monitoring revenue, feels more like a detriment than a benefit.
Moreover, the shift to cloud-dependent products, despite the high server costs and subsequent limitations imposed on free camera functionalities, seems counterintuitive. It’s a self-created predicament that shifts financial burden onto customers. Here, again, Carver’s perspective resonates. I believe emphasizing local processing would not only improve user experience but could also potentially reduce server costs.
In summary, while the ambition behind Wyze’s software and firmware developments is evident, the execution appears misaligned with user expectations and the company’s original ethos. Addressing these core issues in software stability, innovative feature rollout, and a cohesive subscription model seems crucial for regaining user trust and maintaining the innovative spirit that defined Wyze.
Community and Support: Between Dedication and Disconnection
Appreciation for Social Media Engagement Firstly, I want to acknowledge the tremendous effort put in by Wyze’s employees across various social media platforms. Their dedication to collecting and forwarding feedback is commendable. The responsiveness and active engagement I’ve seen from them have been nothing short of impressive. This level of dedication is a clear indicator of the hard work behind the scenes, and for that, they deserve every bit of gratitude.
Concerns About Leadership’s Responsiveness However, despite this frontline dedication, I’m increasingly concerned about whether the higher echelons of Wyze’s leadership are truly listening. There was a time when I believed they were – I’ve even given credit to Wyze for this in my previous notes. But as revenue becomes more of a focal point, it feels like genuine care for user feedback has diminished. A comment from one of the co-founders in this thread was particularly revealing to me. The mention of investors giving patience “while we burned money” seems to hint at a shift in priorities, suggesting that the original mission of being friends with users might be getting overshadowed by financial pressures and external influences.
Support Teams: Courteous but Not Always Effective On the customer support front, I’ve always found the teams to be respectful and courteous, which is greatly appreciated. However, this doesn’t negate the fact that there have been notable failures in the support process. As someone who could be considered a power user, I tend to exhaust all possible troubleshooting steps and conduct extensive research before reaching out for help. I meticulously document these steps when contacting support, hoping for a nuanced and informed response.
Frustrations with Support Interaction Yet, my recent experiences have been frustrating. Despite providing a detailed account of the steps I’ve already taken, I often find that the responses I receive are templated, seemingly ignoring the information I’ve provided. It’s as if the support agents are not truly engaging with the specifics of my situation but rather defaulting to a scripted response. This approach not only feels impersonal but also ineffective.
Speculations on Support Strategy I’ve speculated recently in the secret Discord room, that this robotic response pattern might be due to an overemphasis on response time SLAs (Service Level Agreements). If agents are pressured to prioritize quick responses over meaningful engagement, it could explain the lack of personalization in their replies. I strongly believe that focusing more on metrics like time to resolution or first-call resolution would be far more beneficial. These metrics would likely improve if support staff took the time to read and personalize their responses, genuinely trying to understand and address the specific issues presented by users like myself.
In summary, while I recognize and appreciate the efforts of Wyze’s social media and support teams, there’s a growing concern that the feedback and insights provided by the community are not being fully heard or acted upon by the leadership. For a company that once prided itself on being closely connected with its user base, this perceived shift could be detrimental to maintaining the trust and loyalty that have been built over the years.
Outro: A Passionate Plea for Wyze
As I draw my thoughts to a close, I want to reaffirm my position as a steadfast supporter of Wyze. It might sound ironic, but even as I pen down my most critical insights, I often find myself clad in Wyze merchandise. This isn’t just a quirky coincidence; it’s a testament to the deep connection and commitment I feel towards the brand.
My critiques, as pointed as they may be, stem from a place of genuine care and concern. I have witnessed firsthand the remarkable feats this team is capable of achieving, and it’s this very excellence that has fueled my belief in Wyze’s potential. My desire to see growth and innovation isn’t just a wishful thought; it’s grounded in the reality of what Wyze has accomplished in the past.
I stand today as a committed member of the Wyze community, not just as a consumer but as a believer in what this team can do. The path ahead may have its challenges, but I am here, ready to support, engage, and witness the resurgence of the innovation and user-centric focus that originally defined Wyze.
In essence, my appeal is one of hope and encouragement. To the Wyze team, know that your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and your ability to inspire and innovate is still a driving force for many of us. Here’s to looking forward to the future with optimism and an unwavering belief in the potential of Wyze to redefine the smart home experience once again.
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I think I can agree with a lot that is listed here. For example, I do not see a reason to upgrade to a cam OG since the V3 has free 15 sec clip storage. if anything I feel it would be a downgrade
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@Green_Cafe Thank you for responding in such depth, you have also given us a lot to think about and take action on.
Anyone else who may be reading this thread and thinking they cannot follow up on the long responses provided by others. We want to hear from you also, it can be as small as one sentence or pointing out something you agree with that someone else said. Let your voice be heard.
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I was a complete fanboy, but the complete inability to repair and/or replace items that got bricked by a firmware update (e.g. no, you can’t buy a replacement Lock gateway for the one we trashed the serial number of, so sorry, buy another entire lock…and no that plug that died in a firmware update is out of warranty, tough sh*t)
If the don’t come out with a WiFi/Matter enabled version of the Lock Bolt, I probably never buy another Wyze product.
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I won’t pay for a subscription when it feels like wyze will eventually be bought out by another large conglomerate. Happened with blink and nest. The nest doorbell was my favorite because it allowed scrubbing and the subscription was very reasonable. Now, it’s not. It’s doubled in price in 2 years. But what to do? Wyze doesn’t have scrubbing nor can I put a microSD card in the doorbell like I can with the other cameras. The best camera that wyze makes, imo is the pan cam 2. I can go forward and backward as fast as my thumb can hit the stupid 30sec arrow to see somewhat of a scrubbed video. Can’t do that with the outdoor pan cam…huge delay every time I hit that arrow…the other og outdoor cams work just fine with this function. All have the same microSD cards.
I mainly use my cameras to watch the cats inside the house and the wildlife outside the house. Secondary is package delivery. I turned off all notifications because otherwise I’d get notifications every 5 minutes from 8 cameras. It records the light changes that come from the window when the sun comes up. Very annoying.
If wyze allowed for scrubbing AND a microSD card in the doorbell… I’d consider paying for a subscription as long as I could back out of it if the price was raised astronomically. I didn’t realize the nest subscription was up for renewal before my card got charged and I canceled it but it was too late. Once you pay…you paid for a year and they won’t prorate. I’m stuck with the subscription for a year whether I want it or not or whether the camera dies.
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This is very well said, and I love that you provided thoughts focusing more on the current state and issues, whereas Carver thought more about the future. I agree with you both, and its nice to have 2 different angles of things.
I know its hard to choose a route to take, you can never please everyone. In the past there were many complaints about non camera products, and people would commonly say, “Wyze should just focus on what they are good at, cameras”. And i agree with this, wyze has always been great at making good cameras and making them interconnect and communicate well. But wyze is not a camera company, they are a smart home company. Wyze takes decent camera hardware and levels it up with their software. Yes, its buggy, slow, etc, but it provides the integration and connectivity that you could never get with OEM cameras or other cheap cameras like them. However, now that wyze is not doing other non camera products, that took away a huge part of the integration. Theres on so much ai and rules and smarts that can go on when the only interfaces are cameras.
Wyze said this year (2023) was the “Year of the Camera”. They didn’t lie, lots of amazing cameras were released this year. However, they also said they would be slowing down on new products and features to fix long term bugs and clean up the app, etc. I do not feel like they lived up to that goal. Yes, the new camera app UI was released, and all the new cameras have it, but even it feels like a patch on the already disasterous app. They fixed a lot of bugs, but most of them were only bugs that they also created this year. I dont feel like many of the old, still existing, bugs were fixed. Also, the app is still slow, unreliable, buggy, and crashes frequently.
I do think wyze should “focus” on cameras and ai, which is their core product line. However, focus does not mean put 100% of resources into it. The cameras need a supporting ecosystem, app, and everything else. The Wyze app is the gateway into wyze, one of the first things you see. And it sucks. Everyone knows it, and everyone wants it fixed. I understand its a massive project to do that, but it needs to be done. The app gets worse every update, and old app bugs randomly appear, new ones are created easily and hard to fix.
Lastly, I am not happy about the EOL that keeps coming to other products. The wyze routers for example. They are great routers, and amazing for the price. But they havent received many updates at all, and 0 feature requests/improvements have been implemented. Even the NAS thing they said was “coming soon”, they basically confirmed in an AMA that its not happening at all. And all requests for non camera products are marked probably not, even ones that were already in development. I dont expect any product to last 10 years, but it should at least get frequent feature updates and fixes for the first 3 years, and after that it should still get bugs fixed and occasional feature updates. There have been so few updates to non camera products compared to camera products, that I would not feel comfortable starting an ecosystem with wyze products, except for cameras.
Focusing on cameras does not mean dropping support for everything else.
I am trying my best to offer constructive critisism, and not just bash on wyze. Wyze is still my #1 choice for cameras, and I would recommend them to everyone. If they turn this EOL thing around and start updating and developing more non camera products, I will continue to recommend those lines as well. I really appreciate this thread and that wyze is listening, that makes it so much easier to support them. Im just worried for the future. Thank you for reading.
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You hit on something I was tempted to write about, and I think you’re right. Wyze got feedback to return to their camera roots, and they did! They listened to feedback and tried to adjust. And they release some great cameras this year. However, as much as we were wanting a bit of a cool down and return (at least for me), we were still hoping for something else. Big bug improvements, other major changes. So I don’t want leadership to think we’re upset with everything they do. I truly did appreciate the cameras, but that wasn’t everything that was wanted. (Again I can only really speak for myself but that’s the meaning I took away, along with all your other great points).
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I’m so glad you agreed. I think you did a better job wording it also.
Your right, the fact that they focused so heavily on cameras is a good sign that they are listening to our feedback. Unfortunately, as the customer, our feedback is not always the best, and often times its very biased/one sided. I hope the new feedback we are leaving now is more accurate and well thought out. I think when we all post our feedback together like this is helps us as well as the employees see all sides of the problem, and make a smart decision.
We are definetly not upset with everything leadership and wyze as a whole does, but this is a feedback and complaint thread, so it can easily appear that way. Thank you to all the wyze employees, volunteers, and community members for what they have achieved so far. Its pretty dang awesome that you can get such a feature rich camera delivered to your door for $15 and a cheap subscription. 
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I would like to get Camplus but I not going to pay $9.99 a month or $99 a year for 2 or 3 cameras. Also, I don’t like the limitation you have of only at 1 location. I would like to see a limit of 10 cameras and no limit on locations with a lower price.
In terms of the type of cameras you offer I would like to see cameras that have higher resolutions like 4k or 8k with motion tracking and pan and zoom. The higher resolutions are needed to get better face and readable license plate pictures.
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That’s odd I have cameras at several places on different networks, and they all work on my account.
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While they may “work”, the Terms and Conditions limit Cam Plus to residential use only and prohibit Business or Commercial use. Because the license is on a per cam basis, however, location is not an issue.
The conditions of Cam Plus Unlimited further limit use to:
“Cam Plus Unlimited Plan applies up to 99 Wyze cameras at a single residential location and on the same Wyze account.”
This was previously found within the Services site prior to the transition to the portal. I am now searching for where they re-shelved this after the move.
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Interesting, while my cameras are on single residence property they are on different networks.
My long driveway out by the entrance has it’s own network for several cams.
I actually have 4 cellular data based networks on my property. 2 networks dedicated to camera’s from multiple brands including Wyze and 2 networks for home/office usage.
I work in telecommunications for several government entities and enjoy deeply discounted cellular data services 
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I don’t think Wyze is too much concerned with the multi-location use of cams on individual license plans since their assignment to the licenses are all paid on a per cam basis.
And, knowing that users do post about using these in business applications, I don’t think they can “actively” enforce that restriction either. I think that may just be more of a Privacy Law CYA to indemnify them of any legal issues. In fact, I just took this shot last week when servicing one of my business clients:
Where the issue of location comes in is the Unlimited plan. And, everyone knows this goes on. Even Wyze. But, how hard are they enforcing it? It is also prohibited to have multiple Wyze Accounts… but users do. If they were being abused, I’m sure Wyze would start zapping accounts. But, I haven’t heard of that happening yet.
I just searched again for the previous paragraph regarding CPU in the new services site and only found this, so perhaps that has changed. I will ask around.
UPDATE: See post below Wyze has lost it way - #78 by SlabSlayer
I would like better resolution and better night vision. Currently in the process of changing some of the 15 wyze cameras out with ring. they are focused on the subscriptions. i feel they make the cameras give false alerts so one is forced to buy the subscription plan
@carverofchoice gets the assist on this one as he located its new location for me. The Unlimited Plan single residential location restriction still exists.
At the bottom of this page:
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Me too… SD card storage would be nice for the doorbell. Or at least integrate it with optional Bell chime box. I am limited to 12secs which sucks. There is also a delay with authentication of a couple secs which is annoying.
@mrcmisch
We were able to get microSD card recording into the Wyze Video Doorbell v2.
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I don’t have V2. I chose the cheaper one since it fit into my $40 budget.
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