Baby Monitor’s Night Vision Not Working? (7 Reasons)

Baby monitors do more than simply watch over and listen to the little ones while parents are not in the same room with them – they also provide peace of mind.

However, no parent is going to feel completely at ease if the night vision on their baby monitor is not working as it should.

In this article, we dive into the reasons why the night vision on your baby monitor may be having trouble and hopefully restore the peace of mind you deserve.

1. You Need to Force Reset the Night Vision Setting

Many baby monitors use an automatic detection method that engages the night vision setting.

When the infrared sensor on your device detects that the camera is in a low-light environment, it should send a message to the camera to activate the night vision setting.

However, sometimes the night vision mode may not engage and will not trigger unless you force it to reset.

There are a few different methods on the web that may provide results. However, the best and most effective of these are included here below:

1. Close any doors and curtains with your camera placed in a darkened room.
2. Switch off all lights in the room.
3. Wait 30 seconds.
4. Now take a flashlight and direct it at the camera lens (your phone flashlight should do the trick).
5. Hold the light on the camera for roughly 30 seconds.
6. Now switch off the flashlight and wait another 30 seconds (you may hear the night vision mode ‘click’ back on).
7. Finally, check whether your baby monitor has entered night vision mode.

2. There is Too Much Light in the Room for Night Vision to Activate

Most baby monitors will use infrared LED lights that activate when the ambient light of the room in which the device is placed drops to a sufficient level to warrant their use.

These infrared LED lights are invisible to the naked eye but illuminate an area of the room so that clear pictures and videos can be sent to your parent unit. This is, in effect, how the night vision mode allows you to keep a watchful eye on your child whilst they sleep.

However, if the light levels in the room are too high or there are sudden changes in the lighting, the night vision mode will not work as it should.

Camera placement is an essential consideration when parents require night vision mode from their baby monitor. If the camera is facing a source of light, it may prevent the night vision feature from activating.

If the camera is facing a window or area of the room that is prone to sudden sources of light, then the night vision mode may deactivate.

If your child sleeps with a nightlight, it is best to ensure that the camera is not facing toward that light.

Similarly, if the room in which your child is sleeping has windows to the road, ensure that the camera does not face toward those windows, as car lights or street lights may interfere with the night vision feature.

However, remember that night vision mode cannot function in a completely dark room, a small amount of light is necessary.

Keep in mind that too little light in a room during the daytime can also trigger the night vision feature to activate when you don’t want or need it to.

If your night vision mode is activating in the daytime, it means that your baby monitor’s sensor is not detecting enough sunlight. Give the camera a wider viewing angle so that it can properly detect the light levels during the day.

You can also adjust the sensitivity of your sensor on some baby monitors; refer to your specific device’s user manual to make the appropriate changes.

3. You Need to Boost the Infrared Light in the Room

The infrared LED lights are your baby monitor’s key component that ensures that the night vision mode displays a clear image for you to check on your little one.

However, you may find that your night vision mode only displays blurry and distorted video that is not at the standard you were hoping for.

Replacing a baby monitor can be expensive, and if the baby monitor is performing well in other areas of functionality, you may not want to part with it. However, that does not necessarily mean that you have to put up with less-than-optimal night vision.

Instead, you can give your baby monitor a helping hand by increasing the infrared light in the room whilst your baby is asleep:

• Owners of baby monitors with sub-par night vision mode can opt to buy infrared-emitting lightbulbs.
• These light bulbs produce invisible infrared light that illuminates the room for your camera without disturbing your child’s sleep.
• These special light bulbs are inexpensive and can even be paired with a mobile phone app to allow control from another room.

Check out our easy solution guide to why your Baby Monitor is making noises!

4. Your Baby Monitor is Out of Battery

Night vision mode can be a serious power drain on a baby monitor.

Switching between modes and displaying the video feed will be putting a strain on your baby monitor’s battery, so it stands to reason that you need to ensure the battery is charged.

This is a basic requirement that should not be underestimated when it comes to your baby monitor performing high-energy functions such as night vision mode.

If the batteries in your device are low, then the night vision feature may not activate on your particular model.

You also may be experiencing a blank screen because the camera has powered down.

Always keep an eye on battery levels and ensure they’re fully charged and ready to get you through the night with night vision active.

5. Your Night Vision Mode Requires Manual Activation

Not all night vision modes are set to automatic. Baby monitors come in different shapes and sizes, but the real differences lie in their functionality.

We’ve taken a look at some of the problems that arise with automatic night vision modes, in which a sensor detects the light levels and then activates the infrared LEDs. However, not all baby monitors work in this particular way.

In fact, you may have a baby monitor that requires you to activate the night vision mode yourself.

It’s crucial that you read your specific user manual and check how your baby monitor uses its night vision mode.

You may well find that you need to select night vision mode on your parent unit, and if that’s the case, your night vision feature won’t work until you do.

6. Your Camera & Parent Unit Require a Reset to Fix the Night Vision Glitch

Problems can arise with even the best pieces of tech, and baby monitors are unfortunately no exception.

However, if you believe that a glitch is causing your night vision feature to stop working, then there is a solution:

• Resetting baby monitors is a tried and tested method to fix many issues found in multiple makes and models.
• The reset procedure may differ between models, but many have a specific reset button that needs to be pressed.
• Once the reset is complete, you should re-pair both the camera and parent unit and see if the night vision is restored.

Please also read our article about how long Baby Monitors last.

7. A Clean Lens is Essential for Your Night Vision Mode

This is a basic necessity for any baby monitor owner to keep in mind – if your camera lens is not cared for, it will affect the quality of your video feed.

Baby monitors require a level of upkeep to ensure that they continue to function and perform as they should.

Cleaning the lens on your baby monitor’s camera is an essential practice that allows your night vision mode to provide the clearest picture quality that it can.

If your lens is grubby and dusty, then the picture quality will suffer and will be most noticeable when night vision is active.

To clean the lens, simply use a soft, clean cloth and wipe with gentle pressure.

Sources

Improve Baby Monitor Night Vision: Instantly!

Fix For Night Vision Not Working on Baby Monitors (VTech, Motorola, Owlet, Yi, Nooie)