Outdoor Camera recording every 3 minutes at night

I just noticed this happening to me recently as my 3 outdoor cameras’ batteries were all draining quickly.

All three outdoor cameras have firmware v1.15.6.391. 

If I have the camera set to Spotlight, the spotlight will turn on/off every 3 seconds or so. If it is set for regular night vision, the Infrared LEDs turn on/off every 3 seconds or so.

Is there any fix currently?

 Camera still records every three minutes. I reset it. I deleted it I tried everything updated everything still records every three minutes this camera is a failure 

This just started happening to my camera this evening. It had been fine as long as I can remember. 

Hi all,

Another update on this. We had previously reported that we were investigating cases where this issue may have resurfaced after updating to Firmware 1.12. After working with some of our Community members, our engineering team was not able to confirm any cases. It is possible that the Outdoor Cameras in question really were detecting something person-shaped - for example basketball hoops, tall trash cans, etc.

But if anyone experiences the above described symptoms (keep in mind, as of right now the current version is FW1.16), please let me know!

We are experiencing this! 

My cameras are recording every minute or so even though there is nothing there.  I have them set to medium motion sensitivity, people only, and am running version 1.20.27.6769.

My camera is doing this right now, for several nights, and the version is v1.18.  Would like a solution.

Also having this issue. Quite annoying.

TEMPORARY WORKAROUND:  Turn on all your outside lights for 10 minutes and the false triggering will stop!

MODERATOR:  Please make this answer stick at the top, or repost so it does.  People need to know how trivial it is to work around this problem.

More specifically, my triggering occurs only at night and only after a legitimate trigger.  Following that legitimate trigger, the camera will erroneously claim motion every three minutes.  This will repeat until either daytime comes around again, or the battery runs out.  Well, make daylight come around early by turning on enough lights outside to make the camera think it's daylight.  I've tried this multiple times and I can guarantee it works in my situation.  Try it in yours.  I've gotten it reduced to simply turning on my single front porch light for 10 minutes.  The false triggers cease, and I turn my porch light back off.  You may need to experiment with which or how much light you need.  I picked 10 minutes to be well more than twice the 3 minute period.  The fix might work for as little as 3 minutes, or it might even work for just a few seconds.  I haven't spent the time to analyze down to this detail.  My camera firmware version is v.1.18.23.5603

For Simplisafe, you should be able to 100% reproduce the problem and workaround, thus leading you closer to a fix.  This will add to your knowledgebase and thus help you identify and fix the obvious firmware bug.  Hopefully this knowledge can help you fix it and keep it fixed, LOL.  

Hey, I have a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and have been doing this stuff for many decades.  Trust me.

Note to others, turning off night vision or motion detection won't stop the repeats and might not stop the original legitimate triggering that leads to the repeating false trigger.  So don't waste your time on it.  Just make it fake daylight for a while, and the repeating stops.  This is also additional reliable info for the Simplisafe programmers.  (BTW, my rate for this job would be $300/hr (twice my regular rate).  I'm sure you can fix it for cheaper, so don't call me, LOL.)

@DrLightning and @dlpsr and others - 

I’ve been monitoring this from the cheap seats for a while, but was quite active in the discussion a month or so ago, and uploaded quite a number if examples, views, and data sets documenting the false triggering.  SS eventually sent me a replacement camera, which is a marked improvement, but can still be afflicted.  The curious thing is that my observations are exactly the opposite of @DrLightning ‘s - with the new camera, the false triggering starts, and only happens, when my floodlights are on.  If I turn the floodlights off, the false triggering stops in 5-10 minutes.  The LED floodlights are quite bright, mounted 10’ above, and directly over, the camera, and light the area in at least a 30’ radius very well.  My current workaround is to turn motion sensing off while the floodlights are on, which has been working for me, though is a poor work around for a “security” camera.

All 4 of my outdoor cams, including the replacement, are still running v1.18.23.5603., and only the one location is afflicted.  It ran fine for more than a year.  This issue only became an issue around Thanksgiving.

More… it does it day and night.   There is no motion.  

Hmm… @wakarusan ’s experience adds a new twist.  Most of those with afflicted cameras have reported that the repeated false triggering only occurs at night and, I believe, typically starts with a legitimate motion event, but then continues to trigger every 1 to 3 minutes until some form of manual intervention stops it.  I’ve not seen any others reporting that it happens in daylight.  Have I missed something?

I have firmware version v1.20.27....is this newer?

Mine is the same, started the beginning of December 2023 and it's only 1 of 4 cameras. It makes no sense, but very annoying  

Mine is all day and night. Had to put my phone on do not disturb at night to get rid of it from waking us up all night