Request: Option to Disable IR Light in Night Mode
The red dots of the IR light, while potentially useful for alerting anyone approaching, can be too conspicuous and inadvertently reveal the camera’s location. I understand that these red dots cannot be turned off as they are integral to the IR light’s function.
Therefore, I would like to request an option to turn off the IR light in night mode.
In situations with sufficient ambient light, additional illumination from the IR LEDs may not be necessary.
Disabling them would also offer energy savings (around 1.5W in my case). This could be a significant saving over time, especially if multiple cameras are in use.
Additionally, this feature would allow users to position cameras indoors behind windows for nighttime surveillance without the glare caused by IR reflection.
I am not certain if this feature is technically feasible.
However, the ability to choose between discretion and night clarity would provide greater flexibility for TP-Link camera users.
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Hi,
Generally, if you have selected the Auto mode for Video Mode on the camera's Live View page, the camera will switch between Day/Night mode according to the light condition in the environment. If the camera switches to the Night mode, the IR LED will light up to help the camera capture more detail and clear images. If the IR LED is turned off in the Night mode, the camera may capture blurry or black images because of the low light or no light conditions.
Currently, to make the camera display a clear image in the Night mode, there is no plan to add the feature to turn off the IR light when the camera works in Night mode. However, we will keep logging the feature requests and forward them to the related team to evaluate.
Best Regards
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Hi,
The IR light on the Tapo C520WS can't be turned off in the night mode. The IR light on the Tapo C520WS provides additional illumination to help the camera's image sensor capture more detail and perform better in low-light environments. If the IR LED is off in the night mode, you may see a black screen on the camera's live view page.
In situations with sufficient ambient light, you can set the camera to Day mode rather than night mode.
We have some camera models that support the invisible IR LED, such as the Tapo C225 and Tapo C120, and you can check if they meet your requirements.
Best Regards
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In an environment that is not bright enough for Day mode, but still bright for Night mode, I think it would be beneficial to have the option to turn off the IR light in night mode for the reasons mentioned above (I also dislike attracting a lot of bugs at night with the IR lights on!).
Do you think it would be possible to add such a feature to existing cameras?
By the way, I own the Tapo C120. Since it cannot see outside through glass windows when the IR light is on, I cut and placed a thick layer of paper around the lens to block all the light emitting from the front.
This way, the camera can see outside even in Night mode without any issues, but I really don’t like the idea of wasting electricity on the totally unnecessary IR light.
I am sure there is a certain demand for the ability to turn off the IR light in night mode.
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Hi,
Generally, if you have selected the Auto mode for Video Mode on the camera's Live View page, the camera will switch between Day/Night mode according to the light condition in the environment. If the camera switches to the Night mode, the IR LED will light up to help the camera capture more detail and clear images. If the IR LED is turned off in the Night mode, the camera may capture blurry or black images because of the low light or no light conditions.
Currently, to make the camera display a clear image in the Night mode, there is no plan to add the feature to turn off the IR light when the camera works in Night mode. However, we will keep logging the feature requests and forward them to the related team to evaluate.
Best Regards
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The invisible IR lights also cause light reflection on windows, making it completely unusable from behind windows at night.
That is why I suggested that this unique capability to turn off IR lights in night mode would provide greater flexibility for TP-Link camera users.
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@destar I'm curious about how the invisible IR LED causes light reflection on windows since it's invisible, can you share a video about this usage scenario?
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I too would like to see the option to disable the IR LEDs and Spotlights. When a camera is mounted behind a window they both cause bad reflections. The C325WB camera doesn't have IR but it does have the option to turn the spotlight off. I know the C325WB has a wider aperture but in situations with street lights I think there is enought light to justify not using IR or spotlights when the camera is mounted behind a window.
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Helpful: 4
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