Avoid Canary Camera Intruder Alerts: Tips For Users

The Canary home security camera is a popular choice for those looking to protect their homes and families. With motion detection, high-quality video, and automatic night vision, it's no wonder that the Canary has helped catch at least 30 serious incidents, from alleged burglaries to caretaker abuse and arson. However, users may want to prevent the camera from seeing them as intruders when they are at home. To do this, users can set their Canary device to 'Home' or 'Night' mode, which will disable motion detection alerts. Additionally, users can utilise the Privacy mode to temporarily turn off all cameras at their location.

Use black tape over the LEDs or a paper cone to block IR lights

If you want to stop your Canary camera from seeing you as an intruder, you can use black tape over the LEDs or a paper cone to block the IR lights. This will prevent the camera from detecting infrared light and thus seeing you as an intruder.

To do this, simply cover the IR LEDs with black tape, electrical tape, or another type of opaque tape. Alternatively, you can make a cone out of black paper and place it over the camera lens, creating a barrier that blocks the IR light from reaching the lens. This method can be especially useful if you want to use your Canary camera to monitor the outside of your home through a window, as the IR lights can cause glare and affect the camera's performance.

It is important to ensure that the tape or paper cone completely covers the IR LEDs, leaving no gaps for IR light to escape. Additionally, keep in mind that covering the IR LEDs will disable the night vision feature of your Canary camera, so you may need to provide alternative lighting if you want to monitor areas with low light conditions.

By following these simple steps, you can effectively prevent your Canary camera from detecting you as an intruder by blocking the IR lights using black tape or a paper cone.

Set up the camera to switch between modes automatically when users leave or arrive home

To set up your Canary camera to switch between modes automatically when users leave or arrive home, you will need to enable auto-mode switching. This will allow Canary to detect when you are home or away and switch modes accordingly. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

• Enable location services on your phone: This is necessary for Canary to detect when you are coming and going. On an iPhone, you can do this by going to "Settings" and then "Location Services". For Android devices, navigate to your phone settings and move the slider at the top of the screen.
• Open the Canary app: This is where you will adjust the settings for your Canary camera.
• Tap the three lines in the top right corner of the Home Screen: This will open a menu with various options.
• Scroll down and tap "Take Action": This will allow you to manage your modes and customise your Canary's behaviour.
• Tap "Manage My Modes": Here, you can enable auto-mode switching and customise your preferences for each mode.
• Tap the switch next to "Auto-Mode Switching": Make sure it turns green, indicating that it is enabled.
• Customise your modes: You can set Canary to one of three modes: Away, Home, and Night. Tap on each mode to adjust the settings according to your preferences. For example, in Away mode, you can choose to record all motion, people only, or no video. You can also enable or disable notifications.
• Adjust your Home/Away detection: If you encounter any issues with auto-mode switching, you can try adjusting the size of your geofence (the virtual perimeter around your location) to "Large". This may improve Canary's ability to detect when you are Home or Away.

By following these steps, your Canary camera will automatically switch between modes when users leave or arrive home, ensuring that your camera is always in the appropriate mode without any manual input required.

Use the Canary app to watch live from anywhere at any time

The Canary app allows you to watch live from anywhere at any time. It connects your home to your phone in HD video 24/7. You can use the app to check in or respond to an alert, giving you live and direct access to your Canary Camera from anywhere.

To enable Watch Live, you may need to manually switch to Away mode, switch off Privacy mode, or customise Home or Night mode to record video. You can also customise Home mode to make Watch Live available. If you're a Premium Service Plan user, you can also stream Watch Live video on your desktop via the web app.

To view a livestream of your home on the Home Screen, tap Watch Live on a device. You can switch between devices by swiping from right to left on the live video. You can also use Picture-in-Picture Viewing to watch your Canary video clips or watch live while using other features on your phone.

To access your Canary, log in to your account at my.canary.is. Select your location, if you have more than one, and then select the device you would like to access to stream live video.

Canary automatically changes modes when you enter and leave your home

The Canary home security system is designed to make your life easier and more secure. With its geofencing capabilities, the Canary app can automatically switch between modes when you enter and leave your home. This means that you don't have to worry about remembering any complicated keypad codes or even about manually arming the system when you leave – it does it for you.

The Canary system has three modes: Away, Home, and Night. When the last user leaves the house, Canary will automatically switch to Away mode and arm itself. When a user returns, it will switch to Home mode and disarm. At night, when a user is home and asleep, it will switch to Night mode. You can also put the system into Privacy mode at any time, which will turn off all cameras at your location.

The app will also auto-populate the phone numbers for your local emergency responders, so you can reach them with one button press if needed.

Canary's geofencing capabilities are not without their flaws, however. One user reported that the system had trouble determining when they were away, so it didn't consistently arm itself when they left the house. Another issue is that the app doesn't notify you when it's changing modes, so you have to check your phone to be sure that the system is armed when you leave.

Canary's motion sensor is very sensitive and can be triggered by pets

Firstly, it is important to note that Canary cameras can be used as pet cameras. This means that you can monitor your pets' activities while you are away, and even speak to them through the two-way talk feature. If you want to avoid being detected as an intruder by the motion sensor, you can adjust the sensitivity slider on the app to reduce the number of alerts you receive based on motion detection. You can also try to place the camera in an area where your pets are less likely to wander, or use activity zone masking to set areas for the camera to ignore.

Additionally, you can try to cover the infrared (IR) lights on the camera with black tape or paper. This will prevent the IR lights from reflecting off surfaces and triggering the motion sensor. However, keep in mind that this might also affect the camera's night vision capabilities.

If you have a wired camera, you might also consider adjusting the wires or cables to position the camera in a different location, further away from your pets' reach.

By following these suggestions, you can reduce the chances of your Canary camera being triggered by your pets and improve the overall functionality of the device.

Frequently asked questions