Tapo Camera Night Vision Not Working [Quick Fix]

If your Tapo camera night vision is malfunctioning, this post contains some handy troubleshooting tips to help resolve the issue.

First off, your Tapo camera night vision might not be working because the infrared (IR) LED on the camera is not coming up, hence the camera is not automatically switching to night mode. The LED light comes up automatically in the dark and goes off when it detects light.

A quick way to fix this is to manually switch the camera to night mode. And if you have bright lights in the area, you might need to remove them to allow the night vision to work properly.

However, if this doesn’t help, keep reading for more details on how to troubleshoot the issue.

Table of Contents

How to Fix Tapo Camera Night Vision Issue

Activate Night Mode

While your Tapo camera should automatically switch to night mode when it’s dark, users will need to enable the feature to get it to work this way.

If your Tapo camera is not turning on at night, chances are you’re yet to enable the night vision mode.

So, check to be sure which mode your camera is in and then switch to night mode if it’s not automatically making the switch.

This is how to switch to night mode:

Open the Tapo app on your phone.
On the top of the Live View page, there are three different options there; Auto, Day mode, and Night mode.
Try to switch to the night mode option. If you hear a click sound from the camera, night vision mode is activated.

Now take the camera to a dark room to test the night vision.

If this doesn’t fix this issue, continue to the next step.

Remove Bright Lights from the Area

Remember, I mentioned that your camera IR LED only comes up in the dark. That’s what enables the camera’s night vision to work at its best. If the camera detects bright lights in the area, it will automatically turn off night vision.

So, if your Tapo camera night vision is not working, check if the area is too illuminated at night or if there is a bright light shining directly into the camera. If that’s the case, you may need to reduce lighting in the area or reposition the camera if possible.

Additionally, it is not recommended to point the camera directly at a glass window at night. The infrared light coming from the camera may reflect light, resulting in poor or fuzzy images.

Check for Power Issues

Power issues could be another reason your Tapo camera’s night vision isn’t working properly. Security cameras need a sufficient supply of energy to activate night vision.

If your camera is battery-powered, like some newer models of Tapo cameras, you may need to replace the batteries. Check the user manual to figure out what the camera’s battery requirement is, so you can get the right type of battery. When you do, completely replace the batteries.

However, if your camera is hardwired, check if it’s getting a power supply from the outlet. You may also need to check your breaker box to see if there is a tripped switch.

Reset the Camera

Incorrect settings or glitches can also be another reason your Tapo camera night vision isn’t working. If you have tried all the fixes above and the problem persists, you might need to reset the camera to fix the issue.

Factory resetting your Tapo camera can help correct many glitches, including some malfunctions like night vision.

However, note that resetting the camera will remove all your custom settings, meaning you’ll have to set it up again after the reset.

Follow these steps to reset your Tapo camera:

Make sure the camera is powered on.
Locate the reset button on the camera.
Now press and hold the reset button (for about 5-10 seconds) until the LED blinks red. Once it does, the camera will reset and restart itself.

Next, set up your camera again. The night vision problem should be resolved now.

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Final Thoughts

One major reason your Tapo camera (Tapo C310, C200, C100, etc.) night vision isn’t working is that the IR LED on the camera is not automatically switching the camera to night mode when it’s dark. So, you may need to manually switch the camera or reduce lights in the area at night.

I have highlighted some possible fixes for the issue in this post. If none works after trying them all, you may need to contact the Tapo customer support team for help.