Wyze V3 Pro - Info / FAQ
Due to great deal of interest in the Wyze Camera's as whole, I wanted to put together a thread to share some info that may help others as the deals come up often and people seem to have same questions, especially with launch of V3 Pro.
Long time V2, V3 series user here in Southwestern Ontario.
I have recently upgraded my V3 Cameras to V3 Pro, wanting better resolution but most importantly, better detection for things like person, pet etc with CamPlus. My V3's missed 20-30% of person detections and this I was able to figure out based on my two front cameras having an overlap area and one missing the event recording for such event [Person].
I did a direct replacement for V3's, meaning I installed the V3P's in the same places as my existing V3's. [Left side of the front home, Directly above front door (I do not use a smart doorbell), Backyard Left and Backyard Right]
I kept my V3 in the garage, as it serves its purpose of just double checking on my garage door .
I have had my V3 Pro installed since Monday Nov 7, 2022. Upgraded firmware on all immediately upon powering up to latest available, I also popped in my 128GB that I had in my V3 since April/May 2020, still going strong.
MicroSD Card Recommendation with minimum specs for/from Wyze, I recommend going with a good brand name like Sandisk or Kingston etc and avoid Amazon since fake ones can be mixed in as others have reported in the past:
Read Speed: 30MB/s
Write Speed: 10MB/s
Some highlights:
- V3P Audio is better, no more hissing noise like the V3's have and it was and has never been resolved on the V3s.
- V3P has a built in spotlight, comes handy in dark areas, or if you would like to let people know that you have a camera in place, comes on and off upon motion and you select how long you want it to stay on for.
- People detection is significantly improved / most accurate I've seen on a Wyze Camera.
- Connectivity / loading in the app has improved vs my V3's
- V3P has the same great night vision / coloured night vision that the V3 did.
- V3 Officially supports 256GB MicroSD.
- Continious recording 24/7 with Event notifications [5 minute cool down between notifications if you do not have the paid CamPlus Subscription/ CamPlus has no gaps in notifications and no time limit either)
- You can run a cable up to 40feet, no problem, been tested and used by many of us. [I use this one], Please note only Cables with oval shape / rounded corners will fit unlike the V3, the V3P Cable connects directly to the camera and not via a extended cable portion. There is a waterproof gasket in the connector so you are still protected.
- V3 Pro Field of View: 116 Degrees vs V3 Field of View: 130 Degrees
- MicroSD card continuously locally 24/7 in 2K [1440p?] Quality:
16GB = 1-2 Days
32GB = 2-4 Days
64GB = 4-8 Days
128GB = up to 10-14 days
Some FAQ:
Q: How long does it record each alert? How much can it record to cloud?
A: 12 seconds for the FREE tier, if you have CamPlus, then it will record full length, some of my events are like 1-2 minuets long on my camera I see. However since I do have a 128GB SD Card [256GB Officially supported], I can review the footage of that entire time frame if needed before during and after the alert.
Q: Can this send activity alert notifications to text or email for example, or just to their phone app push notification? Is there a delay to receive the notification?
A: 1) No, it does not and will not send activity alerts through text or email, only through app push notification. So far coming from V2 in the past, then V3 and now V3 Pro, I have seen a significant improvement with V3P Cameras person detection with CamPlus [Required, Free tier does not provide notifications without cooldown of 5 minutes], I would say its instant and 99% [If not 100%] accurate with CamPlus vs V3 which missed a good 20-30% of Person detections despite subscription. Remember: CamPlus Sub = No Cooldown of 5 minutes vs Free / No-Subscription = Cooldown of 5 minutes before detection of motion [not specific person]
Q: How to mount?
A: You can mount it directly, the camera has a built in screw hole, and a screw hole is provided, I used that to mount all my V3 Pro Cameras, you can also put the screw under your soffit / wall / ceiling and hook the cam in, as long as the screw is close to surface, it will be nice and tight, won't go anywhere, I got all my cameras mounted like this. If you are at all paranoid about that screw not being enough, you can pickup one of many available mounts on Amazon, that screw into the bottom of the unit [no modifications needed] and may give you a better angle if needed. I like my cameras as close as possible to the wall/ceiling so that is why I never mounted it with a 3rd party mount.
Q: Will it be ok outside with -xx Temps?
A: Yes, this camera is designed for indoor AND outdoor use, up to -20 however based on my own experience, I don't think its going to have any issues with even colder weather as long as its mounted in a dry place and not directly exposed to elements. I have had the V3 and Previously V2 before that mounted under my covered front porch and under soffits above garage for combined 3+ years without any issues in South Western Ontario and it none have skipped a beat.
Q: Can you review the recordings through the app?
A: Yes, you can review the recordings through the iOS / Android app from anywhere, as long as the camera has connection to the internet and all without taking out the MicroSD card from the unit. You can also save clips etc right to your phone from the app.
Q: How does Continious recording work?
A: It will overwrite on the oldest content first, it's a loop and thats exactly how loops work, once SD card is full, it starts to write over the oldest content and so forth.
Q: Got multiple Wyze Cam's, whats the best app?
A: Wyze app!, Put them in a group [option available on the first tab, top left where you normally go to "ADD a Device" and you can view all at once instantly [they will all load together immediately and its much better than viewing 1 camera at a time]
Q: CamPlus Subscription options for Multiple Cameras and sharing?
A: CamPlus has a option for up to 4 Cameras [$49/year] or Unlimited Cameras under the same account [$99/Year]. If you have 4 Cameras, obviously go with the cheaper, if you have 6-7 or more cameras, go with the Unlimited Cameras subscription as it is cheaper [49/year + $15 each camera, once you are at $80/year USD, you are already better off getting the unlimited subscription. You can share cameras, however you cannot share your subscription and its benefits, so far for my usage, its been fine, I do not need my users to have all the CamPlus features. I am signed into my main account on my Google Hub Max, so it works out in my home overall.
Q: Can you share the cameras with family / friends?
A: Yes, you can add users to allow access to cameras and your users get access to CamPlus features. Shared users don't get access to administrative options like Settings or ability to make changes, which is a great thing but not if you intend to give full control.
Q: Whats up with Roku selling same Cameras as Wyze, did they buy Wyze or whats going on?
A: From my understanding Roku has signed a licensing deal with Wyze to provide the software / help build the software. Roku is simply buying the cameras from the same wholesaler and having Wyze support them in rebranding their version of the app and providing Ai Smart Detections. Only thing you'll gain from Roku is the ability to view cameras on their TV, otherwise service will cost more like their version of CamPlus [Using Wyze backbone]
My Devices [Current and Previous]:
4x V3 Pro's [2022]
1x Pan Indoor 1st Gen. [2020]
5x V3 for 2+ Years [2020 - 2022] [4 Mounted Outdoor and 1 Inside], [4x Retired / 1x Active]
Google Nest Indoor Cam [Retired as it was too costly to keep sub active, lacked local recording]
V2 for 2 years - 2018-2020, mounted outdoor with a cover from Amazon [Retired]
Issues I've had in the past / present:
V3 Pro: One location in my house, per my router gets signal of -69db [which is great] but I believe its a software issue where the V3 Pro tends to drop WiFi in that location . Seems if signal reaches -63db or higher number like -65db or -68db etc , V3 Pro drops the signal and fails to connect until restart.
Signal gets worse as it goes up in negative numbers, like -100db or lower = bad signal. My solution has been to move a node near the Camera and its been running solid for 3 days non-stop with signal range of: -50db to -57db. Hopefully Wyze will correct this issue with a firmware update.
V3Pro: Bugs in the app, still needs improvements as some settings don’t stick immediately as of Nov 15, 2022
V3: I had 1x V3 that I got first, brick on me after a firmware update two firmware versions ago as of Sep 16, 2021, Amazon did a replacement, no issues since.
I am aware of the security flaws in the past that have come up, so far for my current usage, they do not cause a great deal of concern but it something you may want to consider.
Long time V2, V3 series user here in Southwestern Ontario.
I have recently upgraded my V3 Cameras to V3 Pro, wanting better resolution but most importantly, better detection for things like person, pet etc with CamPlus. My V3's missed 20-30% of person detections and this I was able to figure out based on my two front cameras having an overlap area and one missing the event recording for such event [Person].
I did a direct replacement for V3's, meaning I installed the V3P's in the same places as my existing V3's. [Left side of the front home, Directly above front door (I do not use a smart doorbell), Backyard Left and Backyard Right]
I kept my V3 in the garage, as it serves its purpose of just double checking on my garage door .
I have had my V3 Pro installed since Monday Nov 7, 2022. Upgraded firmware on all immediately upon powering up to latest available, I also popped in my 128GB that I had in my V3 since April/May 2020, still going strong.
MicroSD Card Recommendation with minimum specs for/from Wyze, I recommend going with a good brand name like Sandisk or Kingston etc and avoid Amazon since fake ones can be mixed in as others have reported in the past:
Read Speed: 30MB/s
Write Speed: 10MB/s
Some highlights:
- V3P Audio is better, no more hissing noise like the V3's have and it was and has never been resolved on the V3s.
- V3P has a built in spotlight, comes handy in dark areas, or if you would like to let people know that you have a camera in place, comes on and off upon motion and you select how long you want it to stay on for.
- People detection is significantly improved / most accurate I've seen on a Wyze Camera.
- Connectivity / loading in the app has improved vs my V3's
- V3P has the same great night vision / coloured night vision that the V3 did.
- V3 Officially supports 256GB MicroSD.
- Continious recording 24/7 with Event notifications [5 minute cool down between notifications if you do not have the paid CamPlus Subscription/ CamPlus has no gaps in notifications and no time limit either)
- You can run a cable up to 40feet, no problem, been tested and used by many of us. [I use this one], Please note only Cables with oval shape / rounded corners will fit unlike the V3, the V3P Cable connects directly to the camera and not via a extended cable portion. There is a waterproof gasket in the connector so you are still protected.
- V3 Pro Field of View: 116 Degrees vs V3 Field of View: 130 Degrees
- MicroSD card continuously locally 24/7 in 2K [1440p?] Quality:
16GB = 1-2 Days
32GB = 2-4 Days
64GB = 4-8 Days
128GB = up to 10-14 days
Some FAQ:
Q: How long does it record each alert? How much can it record to cloud?
A: 12 seconds for the FREE tier, if you have CamPlus, then it will record full length, some of my events are like 1-2 minuets long on my camera I see. However since I do have a 128GB SD Card [256GB Officially supported], I can review the footage of that entire time frame if needed before during and after the alert.
Q: Can this send activity alert notifications to text or email for example, or just to their phone app push notification? Is there a delay to receive the notification?
A: 1) No, it does not and will not send activity alerts through text or email, only through app push notification. So far coming from V2 in the past, then V3 and now V3 Pro, I have seen a significant improvement with V3P Cameras person detection with CamPlus [Required, Free tier does not provide notifications without cooldown of 5 minutes], I would say its instant and 99% [If not 100%] accurate with CamPlus vs V3 which missed a good 20-30% of Person detections despite subscription. Remember: CamPlus Sub = No Cooldown of 5 minutes vs Free / No-Subscription = Cooldown of 5 minutes before detection of motion [not specific person]
Q: How to mount?
A: You can mount it directly, the camera has a built in screw hole, and a screw hole is provided, I used that to mount all my V3 Pro Cameras, you can also put the screw under your soffit / wall / ceiling and hook the cam in, as long as the screw is close to surface, it will be nice and tight, won't go anywhere, I got all my cameras mounted like this. If you are at all paranoid about that screw not being enough, you can pickup one of many available mounts on Amazon, that screw into the bottom of the unit [no modifications needed] and may give you a better angle if needed. I like my cameras as close as possible to the wall/ceiling so that is why I never mounted it with a 3rd party mount.
Q: Will it be ok outside with -xx Temps?
A: Yes, this camera is designed for indoor AND outdoor use, up to -20 however based on my own experience, I don't think its going to have any issues with even colder weather as long as its mounted in a dry place and not directly exposed to elements. I have had the V3 and Previously V2 before that mounted under my covered front porch and under soffits above garage for combined 3+ years without any issues in South Western Ontario and it none have skipped a beat.
Q: Can you review the recordings through the app?
A: Yes, you can review the recordings through the iOS / Android app from anywhere, as long as the camera has connection to the internet and all without taking out the MicroSD card from the unit. You can also save clips etc right to your phone from the app.
Q: How does Continious recording work?
A: It will overwrite on the oldest content first, it's a loop and thats exactly how loops work, once SD card is full, it starts to write over the oldest content and so forth.
Q: Got multiple Wyze Cam's, whats the best app?
A: Wyze app!, Put them in a group [option available on the first tab, top left where you normally go to "ADD a Device" and you can view all at once instantly [they will all load together immediately and its much better than viewing 1 camera at a time]
Q: CamPlus Subscription options for Multiple Cameras and sharing?
A: CamPlus has a option for up to 4 Cameras [$49/year] or Unlimited Cameras under the same account [$99/Year]. If you have 4 Cameras, obviously go with the cheaper, if you have 6-7 or more cameras, go with the Unlimited Cameras subscription as it is cheaper [49/year + $15 each camera, once you are at $80/year USD, you are already better off getting the unlimited subscription. You can share cameras, however you cannot share your subscription and its benefits, so far for my usage, its been fine, I do not need my users to have all the CamPlus features. I am signed into my main account on my Google Hub Max, so it works out in my home overall.
Q: Can you share the cameras with family / friends?
A: Yes, you can add users to allow access to cameras and your users get access to CamPlus features. Shared users don't get access to administrative options like Settings or ability to make changes, which is a great thing but not if you intend to give full control.
Q: Whats up with Roku selling same Cameras as Wyze, did they buy Wyze or whats going on?
A: From my understanding Roku has signed a licensing deal with Wyze to provide the software / help build the software. Roku is simply buying the cameras from the same wholesaler and having Wyze support them in rebranding their version of the app and providing Ai Smart Detections. Only thing you'll gain from Roku is the ability to view cameras on their TV, otherwise service will cost more like their version of CamPlus [Using Wyze backbone]
My Devices [Current and Previous]:
4x V3 Pro's [2022]
1x Pan Indoor 1st Gen. [2020]
5x V3 for 2+ Years [2020 - 2022] [4 Mounted Outdoor and 1 Inside], [4x Retired / 1x Active]
Google Nest Indoor Cam [Retired as it was too costly to keep sub active, lacked local recording]
V2 for 2 years - 2018-2020, mounted outdoor with a cover from Amazon [Retired]
Issues I've had in the past / present:
V3 Pro: One location in my house, per my router gets signal of -69db [which is great] but I believe its a software issue where the V3 Pro tends to drop WiFi in that location . Seems if signal reaches -63db or higher number like -65db or -68db etc , V3 Pro drops the signal and fails to connect until restart.
Signal gets worse as it goes up in negative numbers, like -100db or lower = bad signal. My solution has been to move a node near the Camera and its been running solid for 3 days non-stop with signal range of: -50db to -57db. Hopefully Wyze will correct this issue with a firmware update.
V3Pro: Bugs in the app, still needs improvements as some settings don’t stick immediately as of Nov 15, 2022
V3: I had 1x V3 that I got first, brick on me after a firmware update two firmware versions ago as of Sep 16, 2021, Amazon did a replacement, no issues since.
I am aware of the security flaws in the past that have come up, so far for my current usage, they do not cause a great deal of concern but it something you may want to consider.
Last edited by Samshares on Nov 15th, 2022 8:48 am, edited 5 times in total.
