This Article Applies To:

The Tapo camera features Smart Mode.

The Smart Mode option is on the camera's Device Settings > Video & Display > Night Mode Settings page.

Phenomenon Description:

In theory, when Smart Mode is selected, the camera will turn on the spotlight when it operates in night mode and an event is detected, and it will remain on until no event is detected. 

However, in fact, the spotlight is only turned on for a few seconds when an event is detected. After the spotlights turn off for a few seconds, the camera's live view becomes almost entirely dark for a few seconds. Then, the infrared light or spotlight comes on again.

Workaround:

For the reported phenomenon, you can reply to this thread with the following information for further assistance.
  1. The camera's model number, hardware, and firmware version.
  2. A description of the phenomenon you are experiencing, and the troubleshooting you did.
  3. A video showing the reported phenomenon. You can upload the video to your cloud server (such as Google Drive) or YouTube, generate a download link, and send it to me (@Solla-topee) via a private message with the information "Forum ID 841882 + your nickname + In Smart mode, the camera's spotlight only turns on for a few seconds when an event is detected".

More Articles:

How to configure the Spotlight Settings of the Tapo cameras
Starlight Night Vision: higher-quality image in low-light conditions
What to do if the Detection feature is not working on the TP-Link Camera?