Solution What to do if the Tapo Pan/Tilt camera can't return to its original position properly after tracking
This Article Applies To
Tapo C500 2.0/TC40 2.0
Tapo C510 2.0/TC41 2.0
Tapo C520 2.0/TC42 2.0
Tapo C530 2.0/TC43 2.0
Tapo C560WS V1
Tapo C660 V1
Phenomenon Description
The cameras listed above aim to return to their original position when no events are detected within 30 seconds after tracking. However, the following abnormal situations may still occur
1) The camera does not return to the correct position after tracking, and its viewpoint is offset.
2) When tilting or panning the camera, the Tapo app prompts that it has reached the limit position even though it has not.
Troubleshooting Tips
1. Ensure the screws are tight in the camera card slot and the rubber seal is seated.
2. On the Tapo App > Camera's Device Settings > Reboot Camera page, enable the Auto Reboot feature and check if it improves the situation.
3. Go to Camera Device Settings > Pan & Tilt, and tap “Pan & Tilt Correction” to recalibrate the camera.
Beta Opportunity
Our R&D team has developed a specialized firmware with relevant optimization. Click here to contact your local TP‑Link technical support team and request access to the beta firmware. When submitting your request, please include the following information in your email:
- A description of the phenomenon you are experiencing.
- A description of the troubleshooting you did.
- The camera's MAC address. You can find it in the Tapo app > camera's Device Settings > Device Info page.
- A video or screenshots showing the camera's viewpoints before and after tracking.
Before the Upgrade:
(1) Please be sure you have read the Beta Test Agreement before upgrading the Pre-release firmware!
(2) How to update the firmware of the Tapo devices on the Tapo App
(3) Firmware downgrade is not supported. When a new official version is released, updating it will overwrite the beta version.
More Articles
What to do if the Detection feature is not working on the TP-Link Camera?
Introduction to Motion Tracking and Auto tracking feature
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I have a tc46 hardware V1 and its mounted at the front corner of the house. If someone walks down the side of the house a few times in the day the ptz drifts really far to the point the camera will not go back to the default 0 position. This even makes the saved set points not work.
Camera is 2 month old and has done this since day 1. If the hardware isnt upto spec to return the camera back to a default position then tapo need to develop a software solution to match objects from the saved position.
This is my 6th tapo camera and by far the worst. I can not recommend PTZ cameras by tapo
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Ash2026 wrote
I have a tc46 hardware V1 and its mounted at the front corner of the house. If someone walks down the side of the house a few times in the day the ptz drifts really far to the point the camera will not go back to the default 0 position. This even makes the saved set points not work.
Camera is 2 month old and has done this since day 1. If the hardware isnt upto spec to return the camera back to a default position then tapo need to develop a software solution to match objects from the saved position.
This is my 6th tapo camera and by far the worst. I can not recommend PTZ cameras by tapo
Hi,
Thank you for reaching out and posting in the community.
Could you please confirm whether you have followed the basic troubleshooting steps outlined in our related guide ? These steps can sometimes help improve PTZ accuracy and restore normal behavior:
1. Ensure the screws are tight in the camera card slot and the rubber seal is seated.
2. On the Tapo App > Camera's Device Settings > Reboot Camera page, enable the Auto Reboot feature and check if it improves the situation.
3. Go to Camera Device Settings > Pan & Tilt, and tap “Pan & Tilt Correction” to recalibrate the camera.
If the issue still persists after completing those checks, we recommend contacting your local support team. They will be able to review your specific case in detail and provide a more suitable solution based on your actual usage scenario, whether that involves further diagnostics or other follow-up options.
Best Regards,
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Hilbert-TP wrote
Ash2026 wrote
I have a tc46 hardware V1 and its mounted at the front corner of the house. If someone walks down the side of the house a few times in the day the ptz drifts really far to the point the camera will not go back to the default 0 position. This even makes the saved set points not work.
Camera is 2 month old and has done this since day 1. If the hardware isnt upto spec to return the camera back to a default position then tapo need to develop a software solution to match objects from the saved position.
This is my 6th tapo camera and by far the worst. I can not recommend PTZ cameras by tapo
Hi,
Thank you for reaching out and posting in the community.
Could you please confirm whether you have followed the basic troubleshooting steps outlined in our related guide ? These steps can sometimes help improve PTZ accuracy and restore normal behavior:
1. Ensure the screws are tight in the camera card slot and the rubber seal is seated.
2. On the Tapo App > Camera's Device Settings > Reboot Camera page, enable the Auto Reboot feature and check if it improves the situation.
3. Go to Camera Device Settings > Pan & Tilt, and tap “Pan & Tilt Correction” to recalibrate the camera.
If the issue still persists after completing those checks, we recommend contacting your local support team. They will be able to review your specific case in detail and provide a more suitable solution based on your actual usage scenario, whether that involves further diagnostics or other follow-up options.
Best Regards,
Are you kidding me? It's comments like these that will lose you customers. Have you even read the multiple threads on your forum and individual posts? None of the troubleshooting steps work! After a reboot ptz works fine for about 24hrs and then never returns to default position.
Yes we have opened support tickets, yes you have sent us multiple replacements, nothing works!
And by the way, there's no scheduled reboot on the tapo 660.
What a waste of money not to mention countless hours troubleshooting.
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Here's what a $200 camera gets you, ptz slammed all the way to the right. 4k at it's glory of a tree.
Why isn't anyone listening? What's the point of contacting support and posting here?
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ttaidapos wrote
Here are my two RMAs RUS-260307-082014 RUS-260506-085358
Hello,
Thank you for your information. I will coordinate with the support team on this issue and have them reach out to you promptly to ensure your case is properly handled.
Best Regards,
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Thank you, Tp-link Support has responded, their first step is to provide a firmware update to my tapo c520ws, it seems like a beta firmware, but my temporary solution is to use the automatic reboot feature, because i don't need to bother with pan & correction anymore, because every reboot my camera position returns to default, but later i will test the beta firmware again without turning on the automatic reboot feature, whether the camera position whill shift a few hours later, thats all my report
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Akhirnya problem posisi kamera bergeser di Tapo C520WS V2.0 saya sudah terselesaikan, tim tp-link support memberikan update firmware versi 1.10.0 ( beta ) kepada saya, setelah saya uji dalam 1x24 jam posisi kamera kembali ke default setelah pelacakan, saya menguji dengan fitur reboot otomatis saya nonaktifkan, terima kasih atas respon kepada semua tim terkait, untuk kelanjutan nya apakah firmware ini akan diberikan update kembali dengan versi resmi/ stabil ??
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mafiatu7uh wrote
Akhirnya problem posisi kamera bergeser di Tapo C520WS V2.0 saya sudah terselesaikan, tim tp-link support memberikan update firmware versi 1.10.0 ( beta ) kepada saya, setelah saya uji dalam 1x24 jam posisi kamera kembali ke default setelah pelacakan, saya menguji dengan fitur reboot otomatis saya nonaktifkan, terima kasih atas respon kepada semua tim terkait, untuk kelanjutan nya apakah firmware ini akan diberikan update kembali dengan versi resmi/ stabil ??
That's great, hopefully they release a similar fix for the rest of the cameras.
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Hilbert-TP wrote
ttaidapos wrote
Here are my two RMAs RUS-260307-082014 RUS-260506-085358Hello,
Thank you for your information. I will coordinate with the support team on this issue and have them reach out to you promptly to ensure your case is properly handled.
Best Regards,
Just tested the beta firmware for the C660 and it's even worse. Now the camera faults to the maximum down position in only a couple of hours. Insult to injury, Pan and tilt correction needs to be ran 3 times!
2 replacements and testing of beta firmware doesn't solve this for C660.
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