Tapo Camera Motion-Triggered Smart Action and Privacy Mode Shortcut and Automation

Tapo Camera Motion-Triggered Smart Action and Privacy Mode Shortcut and Automation

Tapo Camera Motion-Triggered Smart Action and Privacy Mode Shortcut and Automation
Tapo Camera Motion-Triggered Smart Action and Privacy Mode Shortcut and Automation
2022-07-19 11:11:17 - last edited 2024-04-03 08:14:39
Model: Tapo C310  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version:

Have you tried out the new smart action features for your Tapo camera?  With the new 1.3.0 firmware released on Tapo C310 V1, now you could automate your Tapo smart plugs or smart bulbs when the camera detects a motion using the Tapo Automation function  or enable Privacy Mode for multiple cameras together with one tap by Tapo Shortcut. Let’s take a first look at this new feature!

 

What is New for Tapo camera Smart Action?

 

1. Motion detection as Trigger -> Camera Motion-Triggered Smart action 
2.  Privacy Mode as Action -> Schedule Privacy mode in automation/ Privacy mode shortcut 



What is Motion-Triggered Automation or Privacy Mode Shortcut in the Tapo app?

 

Motion-Triggered Automation utilizes the Tapo camera Motion Detection feature to turn on or off your other Tapo devices like a Tapo smart lightening or Tapo smart plugs when the camera senses a motion.

Privacy Mode Shortcut allows you to enable or disable Privacy mode for a camera or a group of cameras via a single tap.

 

Here are some triggers available with Tapo cameras that you can select to control your smart light or smart plug
Visit here to check the full Tapo Device Trigger & Action list.

 

Triggers: when motion is detected by Tapo camera

1) Motion Detected

2) Line-Crossing /Area Intrusion/Camera Tempering Detected
3) Person Detection (for models that support AI Detection or cameras subscribed to Tapo care)


Actions: when a trigger happens, then execute the below actions
1) Control Tapo device:
Turn on or turn off Tapo smart plug or bulb
Set brightness or color temperature for Tapo bulb etc,
2) Enable or Disable Privacy mode

3) Active a Shortcut or Automation: run another Shortcut or Automation event

* Optional auto-off can be set up with 'On' duration settings in the Shortcut to turn off the Smart Plug, Bulb, or Switch certain minutes after it’s been turned on. Please refer to QA-Q4 below for details. 

 

 

1. Motion-Triggered Automation ( set up the camera as a trigger) 

 

 

2. Privacy Mode Shortcut 

 

What Does Tapo Camera Smart Action Do--Examples and Scenarios Included!

 

With Tapo motion-triggered automation, you can make use of the motion detector on the camera and make your life smarter.

Examples of Camera Motion-Triggered Automation scenarios:

When the car drives in on the driveway, turn on the garage light.
       (Trigger: camera detects motion -> Action: turn on tapo bulb)

 

When someone comes back home, turn on the porch light for 5 mins.
       (Trigger: camera detects person -> Action: run Shortcut -> Shortcut: turns on Tapo smart bulb for 5 mins with ‘On’ duration settings)

 

Turn the power on to the night light when the camera detects someone walking by at the night.
       (Trigger: camera detects motion/ person ->Action: turn on smart plug)

 

Examples of Camera Privacy Mode Shortcut scenarios:

Schedule Privacy Mode 

Trigger: when at a specific time ; Action : turn on privacy mode 

When you  come back home, enable privacy mode for a batch of Tapo cameras with one tap 

 

With IOS Shortcut, when arriving home, enable privacy mode for cameras, when leaving home, disable privacy mode (*iOS device required

(Trigger: Location in IOS Shorcut > Action: turn on camera privacy Mode)

 

More scenarios that wait for you to explore.

 

 

Set Up Smart Action for your Tapo camera

 

Note: for now only Tapo C310 V1 (with 1.3.0 firmware and later firmware) and the upcoming model Tapo C420  have implemented this feature;  for other camera models, please keep an eye on the future firmware release.

 

Visit the FAQ below to learn detailed steps on how to set up automation/Shortcuts for your Tapo camera: 

How to create Smart Action (automation or a shortcut) for my Tapo device


 

Q&As:

 

Q1. How many Automation and Shortcuts entries can I set up in the Tapo App? 

 

A1:  In total 64 Automation and Shortcut rules you can set up in the Tapo APP.

 

Q2. What are the Tapo cameras that support being used as a trigger in Tapo automation? When will other Tapo cameras support the motion-triggered smart action?


 

 Tapo Camera Models that have Implemented Smart Action
  • Tapo C200 V1/V2/V3 1.3.0 and later firmware 
  • Tapo C110 V1/V2 1.3.0 and later firmware 
  • Tapo C310 V1 1.3.0 and later firmware 
  • Tapo C210 V1 1.3.0 and later firmware 
  • Tapo C320WS  
  • Tapo C420 an upcoming new model
  •  

 

 

Note: For other camera models, the estimated date is not yet confirmed, it is recommended to keep an eye on the future firmware release.

 

Q3. Can I use ‘Motion Cleared’ (the camera does not detect a motion for a period of time) or other activities of cameras as the triggers for Tapo Camera?


A3: No, only Tapo camera detection options like motion detection, line crossing, person detection, etc. can be set up as camera triggers in Tapo Automation. For other triggers or actions, you could start a feature request thread here for feature request collection and further evaluation.

 

Q4. How to do an Auto OFF (turn on the device for a time period and then automatically turn it off) for my smart plug or plug when setting up Motion-Triggered automation? 


A4: When creating Shortcuts, select Tapo smart device as an action, when set up turn on/off the device, set up ‘On’ Duration there to turn on/off smart device for a certain period of time.

 

 

More Articles: 
Automate Your Home with Smart Actions
Summary of most Popular Feature Requests for Tapo
[Troubleshooting]Tapo Camera Notification Issues 
[Troubleshooting]Tapo Camera Shows Wrong Date and Time
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#1
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50 Reply
Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Sensing Automation Comes With Tapo C310 1.3.0 Release
2022-07-22 13:47:10

  @Solla-topee this is amazing, please please PLEASE I BEG YOU PLEASE, do it for the C200 too! This is a massive MUST HAVE feature, especially because the C200 is an indoor camera, and it would be useful for turning on and off the lights automatically.

 

Please do it, the hope that this will be available in a new firmware is what keeps me from returning the C200.

 

Thanks

 

Marco

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#2
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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-08-27 02:03:35

  @Solla-topee 

 

Any updates on when these very useful features will make their way to the C200/TC70 cameras? I'm really holding out for these features...

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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-08-27 10:51:52

  @samalamadingdon not yet.

 

I am sorry to add that it is really annoying and disrespectful to customers (those who already own of these models like the c200, and they are a lot because it is an Amazon Choice for pan / tilt cameras) to develop the update only for the 310 (which is only an outdoor fixed camera) and for a new model that doesn't even exist yet!

 

This feature should be available by default on at least the c100 and c200, but my hopes are very very VERY thin that this will ever happen.

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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-09-05 16:53:54

When will this be available for c200??? We have requested this for over a year. 

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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-09-06 03:04:34 - last edited 2022-09-19 06:56:42

Update : For any updated information about this feature, please keep an eye on the device firmware update in the Tapo APP. 

  @spooker 

Hello everyone, 

Thank you for your continued feedback with Tapo camera Smart Action feature (Automation & Shortcut). 

We understand this is a feature that you have expected for long, it does take more time before this feature being implemented on other models. 

If your model is not planned listed in Q2 of this thread,kindly leave your comments or scenarios and let us know. Your feedback will be collected and shared with our team for further evaluation. 

Best Regards

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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-09-06 04:44:50

  @Solla-topee 

The fact that we cannot enable-disable privacy mode via an alexa command is missing functionality. So what you are saying is that you are not going to support this feature since it is not scheduled although we have requested this missing functionality for over a year. This is really poor product support. 

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#7
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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-09-06 09:29:52

  @Solla-topee Any update for smart feature on C210 yet ? 

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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-09-06 13:01:38

  @Solla-topee 

I don't get it.

You have about 6 Tapo cameras in your portfolio? How can it be so hard to implement all this functionality in all of those products at the same time to have streamlined user expirience?

 

Your products are very popular and even on the Amazon choice list and it feels like you have one developer working on all of your products firmware...

 

As popular as your products got you should've already hired a full developers crew to get updates faster.

 

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#9
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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-09-07 11:59:33

Good day everyone, 

Thanks a lot for your continued feedback.  We're still trying to get more information with the smart action implementing, will let you know when there is any updated news. 

 

 @spooker  As far as I know camera ON/OFF or privacy mode has not been considered voice command initially for security reason, think about an intruder may potentially shut off the camera live view via the voice command. 

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#10
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Re:Tapo Camera Smart Action: Motion-Triggered Automation & Privacy Mode Shortcut in Tapo C310 1.3.0
2022-09-07 13:13:12 - last edited 2022-09-07 13:23:39

  @Solla-topee 

we should be able to incorporate this action in an alexa routine so that when we leave home the privacy mode switches on automatically and when we arrive home it should turn off automatically. It should be up to the user to create a custom routine and be able to turn on/off the camera. We don't need a voice command to directly switch on/off the camera but we do need to be able to create alexa routines with this action.

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