Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 Wireless Security Camera

Arrived defective

I've had Wyze cameras pretty much since they came to the market. In the past month, I've bought a new OG model that went defective within a month (wouldn't stop cycling and therefore not recording) and this outdoor one came out of the box with a bad battery.

It will not charge, it will not take a firmware update. (Yes, I did all the troubleshooting.) the main app screen says it's fully charged, the camera says it's not. It came out of the box with a 4% battery.

I don't know whats happened with their quality but this is concerning. It's problematic enough that they have forced most all services to only be accessible if you have a subscription, then making hardware that isn't reliable makes their products useless.

DO NOT BUY!! Battery will not hold charge.

DO NOT BUY!! Battery lasted less than a month after first charge. I’ve tried to charge with cord, no luck, it will not even turn on while plugged in…. Worthless…$70+ down the drain!

DO NOT BUY - Forced ONE Minute Cooldown (i.e. One Minute of no Recording) - DO NOT BUY

DO NOT BUY:

Reason: Camera's have been rendered worthless due to a Firmware update on 6 November 2023, forcing the V2 (and V1) Wyze Outdoor Camera's into a ONE MINUTE Forced Cooldown Period

This Forced ONE MINUTE Cooldown means it'll record for a given amount of time that you set in it's settings, but after that max recording setting, the camera will go into what it calls a "Cooldown Period" of one Minute of NOT Recording anything. With the required Paid Subscription to Wyze Cam Plus (or Wyze Cam Unlimited) the camera USED to be able to set to a "NO COOLDOWN" period. Now, you'll have a one minute blackout after every motion detected event completes recording.

Wyze has known about this issue since just after the firmware update that occurred on 6 November 2023

DO NOT waste your money on this Camera.

Sr3333

February 16, 2025

Disappointed

This Wyze Cam Outdoor is inconvenient and disappointing. I have Wyze ecosystem and was so happy to see this outdoor wireless camera addition. But, it requires base station.

I don’t know what their reasoning for the base station requirement instead of direct WiFi connection , other than making you spend more. Very disappointing.

It also does not work with the base station that connects door alarms. Why do you have different base stations other than requiring us to pay additional products.

Wyze Cam Outdoor Add-on v2, (Requires Base Station)

I've been using Wyze cameras for several years now and I already had a Wyze outdoor base station with two version 1 cameras and one version 2 camera attached. A base station can handle four cameras in total. So I had room to add this version 2 camera to my setup. This is an add-on only, you just get the camera, not the base station. The technology jump from version 1 to version 2 cameras was big. These version 2 cameras take much better video in the dark. I've included several example photos of how the camera does in the rain and snow. The base station is setup on the opposite side of the house, on the second floor, probably 85-120 feet away from the camera . There is no direct line of sight from the base station to the camera, there are interior and exterior walls in the way. I've been getting a very solid connection from the base station to the camera (version 1 cameras would drop their connections at this site). When I got this camera I charged it up using the included plug and wire. It takes several hours. I then connected it to the base station through the Wyze app. Then I installed it outside. I did attach a small (4"x6") solar to it. The solar panel needs to have a trapezoid shaped connector (not usb-c). I used duct tape to make sure the solar panel to camera connection is secure and water tight. With the solar panel connected I can take about 25 short (20 second) videos a day and go for months without having to recharge the camera. With my other version 2 camera I bring it inside maybe 2 times a year to clean off the dirt and dust that it collects (the cameras are installed at a house on a dirt road), check that the micro usb card is still good and give the camera a top-off charge. The camera, that's basically a cube, attaches to it's flexible stand with a very strong magnet. This makes it easy to mount outside. Take the camera off the stand, then attach the stand to whatever you want with screws or zip-ties, then put the camera back on the stand and tilt it the way you need it. I've had these cameras in 30 and 40 mph winds and the magnet never lets go. There is also a screw-in adapter on the bottom of the camera if you want to use a different camera stand. The camera has a very good sensor and it allows you to see in color in very low light. You can switch to a Night-Vision mode and use the cameras IR light to give you a black and white view in total darkness but before you do that, try using just the normal starlight vision. It's really much, much better than the version 1 cameras. I've been using the Wyze app with Android phones and tablets without much trouble. If you already own a base station you should try one of these version 2 cameras. I was very impressed.

Good cam here's how to get the most from PIR limitations.

INDOOR monitoring is easy, anything can do it. It's why 15 dollar pir sensors with home alarms are so reliable. OUTDOOR is hard no matter who makes the camera.

In use this is a minor upgrade from v1, but night vision is improved significantly in all kinds of weather.

Too much to put in a review but here's some tips for outdoors

1) Don't just open box and point it outside. You will leave an unknowledgeable negative review. Place the camera is the least likely place to be affected by sun, wind, rain,shadows, surface temperatures. Point at a door close by for example. Don't point out into the yard unless it's very static scenery.

2) Use detection zone! Smaller the better and better battery life, limit zone to where people may walk for instance a walkway into the area.

Think you have outside beat then? throw in a pool, then pool floats left in, shadows,reflections, the scenarios are endless which is why outside monitoring is hard in a lot of situations. But point towards your door is simple.

3) spend a lot of time watching motion tagging this will tell you what to exclude. The more you can block out on detection zone on the scene the better. No one's going to be walking on your roof or tree's, exclude stuff.

4) With simple motion/pir some exterior scenarios are just not going to be reliable with anything.

5) GOOD wifi and the base close, check the app for signal strength. If you're expecting 1 bar to provide reliable events it's not going to happen.

So if outside monitoring is so hard what's next? AI and object recognition. It will cut down on the alerts tremendously. However it also has it's limitations. What's a person? what's a dog? is a boat a car? what about part of a boat? guy carrying packages, hand truck, is a raccoon a dog, shadow from a palm that looks like a dog. There's all sorts of object recognition challenges there. I have not tried wyze smart alerts but for outside you should.

Back to the cam, Night vision great. Battery life good (don't point it outside to constant blowing limbs and tree's and expect months battery life, tune it like above. I feel like v1 and v2 seem to correctly identify events but the scene capture always seems to be on the tail end of the event (something the membership video would help), us based cloud servers and company, good cams, benefits of a cheap membership especially with smart monitoring which is going to be the norm.

Vlad S.

December 15, 2024

Battery-powered security with some flaws in motion detection.

Okay let’s look at this Wyze Cam Outdoor Add-on v2. I already have a Wyze home security system with a bunch of Wyze cam and wanted to add some security coverage for my backyard. Its advertised features like long battery life, color night vision, and wireless installation made it my prime choice. Setting it up was genuinely straightforward - the included mounting hardware and app-guided installation meant I was up and running within 15 minutes. The lack of wires made it easy to position the camera exactly where I wanted without any hassle, and the weatherproof design seemed reliable enough to handle seasonal rains and cold snaps. The video quality was impressive during both day and night. The Starlight Sensor delivered bright and colorful images in low light, even in areas that were much darker than I anticipated. It felt like a step up from traditional night vision cameras. The two-way audio feature worked well for casual interactions, like talking to delivery personnel, and the alerts for detected motion were timely and convenient - most of the time. However, my experience with motion detection was mixed. On a good day, the PIR sensor accurately picked up human motion, sending instant alerts. But on windy days, the camera flagged every swaying branch or flying leaf. When it rained, false alarms became a frequent issue, even with the sensitivity turned to its lowest setting. At the same time, there were moments when it failed to detect movement altogether—like when I walked directly in front of it while adjusting outdoor furniture. This inconsistency made it difficult to rely on the camera fully for security purposes. Battery life was another highlight - I didn’t need to recharge it for nearly two months, even with moderate activity levels. That said, I could see how frequent recordings or extreme weather might reduce this. I opted for local storage with a microSD card, which worked seamlessly, though accessing events through the app often lagged, making it frustrating to review footage in real-time. Overall, the camera delivers great visuals and is packed with cool features, but its reliability issues with motion detection and occasional app lag are disappointing. It’s a solid option for basic monitoring, especially if you’re already invested in the Wyze ecosystem, but it might not meet the expectations of those needing a highly dependable security camera.

Bottom line:

The Wyze Cam Outdoor Add-on v2 is a solid choice for expanding your Wyze security system, offering easy wireless setup, impressive video quality with color night vision, reliable weatherproofing, and strong battery life (up to 2 months). However, motion detection is inconsistent, struggling with false alarms from weather and sometimes failing to pick up actual movement. The app's occasional lag in accessing recorded events can also be frustrating. Great for basic monitoring, but its reliability issues may not satisfy those seeking robust security coverage. I’d give it 4 stars and still recommend it. Hopefully they will fix the PIR issue in the future firmware updates.

Pros:

1. Easy to set up with included hardware and app guidance.

2. Impressive video quality with color night vision.

3. Long battery life - up to 2 months.

4. Weatherproof design for reliable outdoor use.

5. Two-way audio for communication.

6. Integrates well with other Wyze products.

Cons:

1. Inconsistent motion detection, with frequent false alarms from weather.

2. Sometimes fails to detect movement.

3. Sluggish app performance when accessing recorded events.

4. Not ideal for users needing a highly dependable security camera.

Amazing!!!!

I now have 11 of these cameras. For 3 different properties. 2 different states and never any issues!!! Unbelievable!!! I breed dogs and when my puppies are ready to sell, I allow my families access to monitor their new addition (s) until time to go home!!! Love this product!!! My cameras mostly require recharging after almost 60 days!!! SPECTACULAR RESULTS!!