By the SightShield team · · 3 min read
Why most people turn alerts off
Almost everyone who sets up phone alerts on a CCTV system switches them off within a week. The camera alerts for swaying trees, headlights, rain, insects at night, stray dogs and every family member walking past. After fifty pointless notifications, the one that matters is ignored. The fix is not to give up on alerts but to use the right detection type and settings.
Basic motion vs human and vehicle detection
If your cameras or NVR support human and vehicle detection, use it instead of basic motion for alerts. Many brands market this under their own names, such as Hikvision AcuSense; CP Plus, PRAMA and Honeywell offer similar AI features on their IP ranges.
| Type | How it decides | False alerts |
|---|---|---|
| Basic motion detection | Any change in pixels in the picture | Many — leaves, shadows, rain, lights, animals |
| Human/vehicle detection (AI) | A trained model classifies the moving object | Few — ignores animals, weather and light changes |
| Line crossing / intrusion | AI target crossing a line or entering a zone | Fewest — only events in the defined place |
Step-by-step setup
- Choose which cameras need alerts — usually the gate, doors and perimeter, not indoor cameras when the family is home.
- Enable human detection (and vehicle detection where relevant) on those cameras.
- Draw a detection zone that excludes the road, neighbours’ property and trees.
- Set a minimum target size so distant people on the road are ignored.
- Use line crossing for walls and gates rather than whole-picture motion.
- Set a schedule: alerts only at night, when the shop is closed, or when you are away.
- Turn on notifications for those events in the app and test by walking through the zone.
App and phone settings
- Allow notifications for the CCTV app in phone settings, including on the lock screen.
- Exclude the app from battery optimisation on Android, or alerts may arrive late or not at all.
- Choose which users receive alerts; not everyone in the family needs every one.
- Use the app’s alert-free mode or arming schedule rather than deleting rules.
Fixing common problems
| Problem | Likely fix |
|---|---|
| Too many alerts at night | Insects near IR lights or rain — switch to AI detection, raise target size |
| Alerts for cars on the road | Redraw the zone inside your boundary |
| No alerts at all | Notifications disabled in app or phone, schedule wrong, or rule not linked to “notify” |
| Alerts arrive late | Battery optimisation, weak internet at site, or app servers busy |
| Alert but no recording | Recording schedule set to continuous only, or event recording disabled |
Recording on motion vs continuous
Alerts and recording are separate settings. For businesses, record continuously so nothing is missed, and use events to mark and search the timeline. Recording only on motion saves disk space but risks missing the moment before detection. Many NVRs record continuously at normal quality and switch to higher quality on events.
CCTV hard disk size calculator →Reviewing events quickly
AI events also make searching footage faster: instead of scrubbing through hours of video, filter by “human” or “vehicle” on a camera and time range. This is one of the biggest everyday benefits of AI cameras, even if you never use alerts.
Getting it right first time
We set detection zones, schedules and app notifications during installation and walk-test them with you, so alerts work from day one. For existing systems, our AMC visits include tuning alerts.
CCTV installation and AMC →Quick answers
How do I stop false motion alerts on my CCTV?+
Use human and vehicle detection instead of basic motion, draw zones inside your boundary, set a minimum target size and use schedules.
Why am I not getting CCTV alerts on my phone?+
Check app notifications, phone battery optimisation, the alert schedule, and that the detection rule is set to notify.
Should CCTV record only on motion?+
For businesses, continuous recording is safer, with events marked for searching.
Can old cameras do human detection?+
Often, if connected to an AI NVR that runs detection for them.