Wyze cameras have undoubtedly become one of the most popular smart home cameras on the market. This is due in part to their ease of use, compact size, and affordability. But just as with all technology, sometimes, things go wrong.
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One issue that some Wyze users have run into is their camera footage not displaying as it should – such as upside down, which is obviously not an ideal vantage point! Sometimes this issue starts from the first time people start using their Wyze cameras, and in other cases, it just randomly occurs after some time.
So what do you do if your camera decides to give you a bat’s view of your videos? Fortunately, there are a few ways to fix this.
What are Wyze Cams?
If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re either already familiar with or perhaps even own a cheap Wyze camera yourself. But just to establish a basis of what will be covered, it’s good to get an overview of what Wyze has to offer in terms of cameras. This also helps to get an idea of what cameras may be affected by this ‘upside-down’ blurry video issue.
Wyze cameras are a brand of smart home cameras that capture footage of motion and sound-detected events inside and outside of your home – basically wherever you decide to place your Wyze cams. Their line of cameras includes the Wyze Cam v.2, Wyze Cam v.3, Wyze Cam Pan, Wyze Outdoor cams, and even the Wyze Video Doorbell.
All of these are controlled via the Wyze app, which is typically installed on your smartphone or tablet.
They’re small, so they’re easily placed wherever you may need them. And because they’re so lightweight, they’re easy to mount as there isn’t much weight on the walls or wherever you plan on putting them.
In addition, Wyze cams’ affordability has made them very popular with many smart home owners. Compared with other smart home cameras in the same class, they’re much cheaper, without sacrificing quality and functionality.
Nevertheless, as is common with other smart home technology, sometimes problems will arise. One such, is related to the display of your camera footage.
But to further understand how display problems occur, it’s important to look into how Wyze cams record in the first place.
How Wyze Records and Displays Video
Wyze uses motion and sound to detect events that should be recorded. These parameters can be set up in the Wyze app in Settings.
Start by opening the Wyze app, then choose the camera you want to adjust the settings for. On the next screen, go into Settings, then Event Recording, and choose whether you want your camera to record when either Motion or Sound is detected – or both.
In Detection Settings, you can even set the sensitivity of Motion and Sound detection.
You also have options such as Motion Tagging, which will place a green box around the source of motion in your video.
Motion Tracking, which is only available on the Wyze Cam Pan, is also an option. It can track movement by rotating on its swivel base, helping you keep an eye on things.
Your cameras will record 12 second videos, unless you’ve opted for the paid subscription service Wyze Cam Plus, which allows for longer recordings. Event alerts can be sent to your device, and some even give you a small preview in the notifications bar of your smart device.
Users typically view their videos on smartphones and tablets, which gives you the option of viewing them in either the standard portrait mode, or in the much wider Landscape mode if you select the full screen icon.
Some Wyze users occasionally use laptops and desktop computers, depending on their preference and where they can gain access to their Wyze account. While there are typically no issues and the screen adjusts to the type of device you’re viewing footage on, there have been occasions where the display is, well, less than adequate.
What Happens If Your Image is Upside Down
Imagine you’ve got notice of a motion, or sound-detected event, or you simply want to check on your camera feeds to make sure all is well. So you go to your Wyze app to view the video and…it’s upside down.
Now this situation of course, is less than ideal. It’s not going to be very easy to decipher what you’re looking at if you have to crane your head at a weird angle.
There are a few reasons this might occur. For starters, there could have been damage to the camera itself from a fall, or perhaps internal settings in the app went awry, as can be the case when it comes to anything electronic. Fortunately, there are ways to help remedy this.
One, is a simple fix. In Settings, there is a slider that says ‘rotate image 180 degrees’.
Some users reported that this slider was moved into the ‘on’ position after one of Wyze’s firmware updates, giving them that bat’s view of their videos. They simply had to move this slider to the ‘off’ position (illustrated above), and the problem was solved.
Another reason your display may be upside down is due to internal workings not doing what they should. Sometimes a refresh and reset is all your camera needs. Go into your camera’s Settings and select the button to turn your camera off. Wait about 30 seconds, then turn it on again.
If this doesn’t work, go into ‘Advanced Settings’ and select ‘Restart Camera.’ This option is actually able to help with more than just display issues. Many users report that this can also help with connection issues as well.
Our cameras are typically on and working 24/7/365 with little to no downtime. It’s no wonder then that a good restart often helps issues resolve themselves.
If the problem persists, however, software issues may be at fault. You may have to force close the app, or uninstall it altogether, then reinstall it.
Another Wyze Display Issue: Wyze Footage Rotated 90 Degrees
Seeing your videos upside down is no doubt annoying, and unfortunately may not be the only display issue you may run into. While the Wyze footage may display perfectly on your smartphone or tablet – what about other devices that you access your videos from?
Other devices you may view your footage on, besides the main device your Wyze app is installed on, may not display your video footage as intended. These devices include desktops, laptops, Amazon Echos, and even certain smart watches.
Many Wyze cam users have Amazon Echos which they use as a smart home hub for their Wyze cameras, as well as other smart home devices. However, some have lamented that their Amazon Echo flips their videos 90 degrees, giving them a weird side view, as opposed to displaying the videos in Landscape mode.
Some users of the Wyze video doorbell have even reported that their video footage was flipped at a 90 degree angle when viewed on their smart watches, such as the Apple Watch. Still others have reported that their videos won’t display in Landscape mode on their smart devices, even after they’ve selected the Full Screen icon.
Ideally all footage should display properly, even on different devices. However sometimes settings, hardware, or software issues may cause images to flip, or display incorrectly.
In most cases, simply restarting your camera, or other device you’re using to view your videos can help solve the problem. In other cases, however, the solution may be out of reach of normal troubleshooting, and may merit contacting Wyze to help solve the issue.
Getting The Right Side of Things
While Wyze cameras are no doubt useful, indispensable tools in the smart home security circuit, they are prone to a couple of display issues. One often reported, is videos being seen upside down.
Seeing your video upside down is less than ideal. Fortunately, these relatively simple fixes can help get your videos back to the right side of things.
