How to get CCTV motion alerts on your phone, without the false alarms

Alerts are what turn CCTV from "something we check after a problem" into "something that tells us about the problem." Getting them to arrive, and to be worth opening, takes three things.

1. Choose the right kind of event

• Motion detection: any movement in the area. Simple, but noisy outdoors.
• Line crossing: someone crosses a line you draw, such as your gate.
• Intrusion: someone enters a zone and stays, such as your yard after closing.
• Person or vehicle filter: available on AI cameras and many newer recorders. Ignores animals, trees and shadows.

Outdoors, use line crossing or intrusion with the person filter if your system has it. Indoors, plain motion is usually fine.

2. Set it up on the recorder

On a Hikvision recorder (other brands are similar):

1. Go to Event (or Smart Event) and pick the camera.
2. Enable the event and draw the area or line. Keep it tight to your own property.
3. Set the arming schedule, for example 10 pm to 6 am.
4. In Linkage Action, tick Notify Surveillance Center. This is the option that sends the event to the cloud and your app. Without it, nothing reaches your phone.
5. Apply.

3. Switch on notifications in the app

1. In Hik-Connect, open the device settings and turn on notifications (sometimes called alarm notification).
2. Make sure your phone allows notifications from Hik-Connect, and that battery saver isn't blocking it.
3. Walk in front of the camera and check that an alert arrives with a snapshot or short clip.

Want alerts by email instead?

Most recorders and cameras can also send an email with snapshots when an event happens. You'll need an email account's SMTP details entered in the network settings. It works, but app notifications are faster and easier to manage for most people.

Cut the false alerts

• Use person/vehicle detection instead of plain motion outdoors.
• Exclude the street and neighbours' property from zones.
• Avoid zones that include moving trees, flags or water.
• Use a schedule, so you're not alerted every time your family comes home.
• Lower sensitivity a step at a time until alerts are useful.