Your Wyze camera screen stays pitch black at night when it should be showing clear infrared footage. This means you’re missing crucial nighttime security coverage, and your camera isn’t protecting your home when you need it most.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Step 1: Toggle Night Vision Settings
Open your Wyze app and tap on your camera. Head to Settings > Advanced Settings > Night Vision. You’ll see three options: Auto, On, and Off. First, switch it to Off, wait 10 seconds, then switch it back to Auto or On. This simple reset often kicks the infrared sensors back into action.
Sometimes the app gets confused about whether it’s actually dark enough to activate night vision. Forcing a manual refresh helps the camera reassess the lighting conditions.
Step 2: Clean Your Camera Lens
Grab a microfiber cloth or soft tissue. Gently wipe the camera lens and the small infrared LED lights surrounding it. Even a thin layer of dust or fingerprints can block the infrared light from working properly.
Pay special attention to those tiny red lights around the lens. If they’re covered in grime, your night vision won’t work no matter what settings you adjust. This fix takes 30 seconds and solves the problem more often than you’d think.
Step 3: Power Cycle Your Camera
Unplug your Wyze camera from power for 30 seconds. While it’s unplugged, force-close the Wyze app on your phone. Plug the camera back in and wait for it to fully boot up (about 45 seconds). Then reopen the app.
This hard reset clears any temporary glitches in the camera’s firmware. It’s ideal for situations where the camera software has gotten stuck in a weird state.
Step 4: Check IR Cut Filter Status
Listen closely to your camera when switching between day and night modes. You should hear a soft clicking sound. That’s the IR cut filter moving into position. No click means the mechanical filter might be stuck.
Try tapping gently on the camera body while toggling night vision on and off in the app. This can sometimes unstick a jammed filter. Best used in situations where everything else seems to work except the actual night vision image.
Step 5: Update Firmware and App
In the Wyze app, go to Account > Firmware Update. Install any pending updates for your camera. Also check your phone’s app store for Wyze app updates. Wyze regularly releases fixes for night vision issues in 2025.
Outdated firmware is not recommended when troubleshooting vision problems. New updates often include specific fixes for infrared sensor communication issues.
Step 6: Factory Reset
As a last resort, perform a factory reset. Hold the setup button on your camera for 10 seconds until you hear “Ready to connect.” You’ll need to set up your camera from scratch, but this often resolves persistent night vision failures.
Likely Causes
Cause #1: Blocked or Dirty Infrared LEDs
Those small red lights around your camera lens are infrared LEDs that illuminate the scene in darkness. When covered by dust, spider webs, or moisture, they can’t emit enough light for night vision to work.
Check by looking directly at your camera in a dark room. You should see faint red glowing dots around the lens when night vision is active. If you don’t see any glow, or if some LEDs look dimmer than others, cleaning is your solution. Use a dry cloth first, then slightly damp if needed.
Cause #2: Stuck IR Cut Filter
Your Wyze camera has a physical filter that moves in front of the sensor to block infrared light during the day. Sometimes this filter gets stuck in the “day” position, blocking all infrared light even at night.
You can check this by shining a TV remote at the camera while viewing the feed. Press any button on the remote while pointing it at the camera. If night vision is working properly, you’ll see the remote’s infrared LED flash on screen. No flash means the filter is likely stuck.
The fix involves gently tapping the camera while toggling night vision modes. If this doesn’t work after several attempts, the filter mechanism may need professional repair.
Cause #3: Power Supply Issues
Night vision requires extra power to run those infrared LEDs. A failing power adapter or long, thin USB cable might not provide enough juice. Your camera works fine during the day but struggles when night vision kicks in.
Test with the original Wyze power adapter and cable if you’ve switched to third-party accessories. Ideal for troubleshooting is a direct wall outlet connection rather than power strips or USB hubs. If night vision suddenly starts working with the original adapter, you’ve found your culprit.
When to Call Expert Help
Contact Wyze support when you’ve tried all these steps and still see darkness at night. If your camera is under warranty (12 months from purchase), they’ll likely replace it for free. Even outside warranty, their support team knows specific fixes for your exact camera model and firmware version.
Don’t wait if you notice physical damage to the camera lens or hear grinding noises when night vision tries to activate. These indicate hardware failure that DIY fixes won’t solve.
Copy-Paste Prompt for AI Help
“My Wyze camera model [INSERT MODEL] running firmware [INSERT VERSION] shows a completely black screen at night. Night vision is set to Auto/On in settings. I’ve cleaned the lens and infrared LEDs. The camera works perfectly during daytime. When I toggle night vision, I do/don’t hear a clicking sound. The infrared LEDs do/don’t glow red in darkness. I’m using the original/third-party power adapter. What specific troubleshooting steps should I try for this exact configuration?”