TP-Link C420 User manual

How to prevent water ingress into
Tapo Wire-free cameras such as
Tapo C420, C400, etc.
The tapo outdoor wire-free camera supports IP65 Water &Dust Resistant, the camera may suffer
water ingress under some special conditions. To prevent water ingress into the camera, here are
tips to make the camera to be waterproof ready.
1. Ensure the battery back cover is in place. Align the indicator line on the cover with the arrow
icon on the camera body. Press and rotate clockwise to the lock position to replace the cover.
2. After closing the battery back cover, please ensure that the rubber cover on the back cover of
the charging port is tightly closed.
3. When the battery back cover and the charging port rubber cover is tightly closed, there will be
no water mist inside the camera even if it is installed in an environment with a relative humidity of
up to 90%. In foggy weather, there may be water mist on the surface of the camera and the lens,
but it will not affect the inside of the camera. You can wipe the water mist on the surface of the
lens with a paper towel or let it dry naturally.

4. If you need to open the battery cover, please do so in a clean and dry environment. Please
ensure that no water droplets get inside the camera during the process of opening the cover.
5. If the camera accidentally gets water, please remove the battery as soon as possible to prevent
the internal components of the camera from being damaged. After removing the battery, you can
use the cold air of a hair dryer or a fan to dry the inside of the camera until there is no water mist
before continuing to use it. If the camera still cannot be used normally after the water mist is
removed, please contact TP-link technical support for further processing.

Motion Detection Is Not Working
On TP-Link Camera
Generally, the motion detection issue is related to camera setup, if you did not configure it
properly, the motion detection cannot work as expected. However, this issue also could be
caused by other factors, like position, angle, distance, etc.
If motion detection of your TP-Link camera is not working, here are 6 steps you can implement.
1. Check network quality.
Make sure the internet connection is stable. You can check the network connection stability for
tapo camera following the FAQ: How to check the network connection stability of a Tapo Camera
2. Confirm that firmware and APP are both up-to-date.
3. Ensure Motion detection is enabled properly.
•Open the App and click the top right gear.
•Click "Detection and Alerts".
•Check if the "Motion Detection" toggle is ON.
4. Adjust the "Motion Sensitivity" and Choose "Activity zones".
Sensitivity Level could be set as highest (10 Levels at most).
How to create Smart Action
(automation or a shortcut) of my
Tapo devices
What are Tapo Smart Actions?
For Tapo devices, there are two kinds of Smart Actions—Shortcuts and Automation.
Shortcuts
Shortcut lets you perform an action with a simple tap. For example, when you are ready for bed,
you can turn off your Tapo devices and dim the lights with one action.
Automation
Automation allows you to use Tapo smart devices or Time as a trigger to control other Tapo
devices or run a shortcut/automation task. For example, you might want to turn the lights on a
few minutes before you get home from work every weekday.
You can set up a trigger (When something happens) and an action (Then execute the action) in
an automation.
Trigger List

*Triggers may vary by product models and Tapo Care plans. More devices will be supported
soon.
Action List
Action (Then)
Run a Shortcut
You need to create a shortcuts first.
e.g. Then run “Arrive
Home” shortcut
Enable/Disable
Automation
You need to create an automation first.
e.g. Then run “Turn on
light” automation
Control Tapo
Devices
Smart Camera
Enable Privacy Mode
Disable Privacy Mode
Enable/Disable Privacy Mode
Turn On
Trigger (When)
Trigger
Manually
Shortcuts: With one tap
Trigger Time
At Sunrise
Offset（±5h59min）
e.g. When it is 7 pm
every Monday to Friday
At Sunset
Offset（±5h59min）
At Specific Time
00:00 ~ 23:59
Trigger Device
Smart Camera
(Vary by models)
Motion Detected
e.g. When your Tapo
Cam detects a motion
Person Detected
Baby Crying Detected
Area Intrusion Detected
Line Crossing Detected
Pet Detected
Camera Tampering Detected
...
Smart Wi-Fi
Switch
Single Tap
Smart Hub
Ring
Smart Button
Single Tap
Double Tap
Rotate Clockwise
Rotate Anticlockwise
Motion Sensor
Motion Triggered
Contact Sensor
Open
Close
Keep open for more than 1
minute
Temperature and
Humidity Sensor
Temperature above/below your
set one
Humidity above/below your
set one
Water Leak
Sensor
Water Leak Detected
Water Leak Solved

Smart
Lighting
Turn Off
Turn On/Off
e.g. Then turn on if it’s off
and vice versa
Set Lighting to custom state
(Brightness/Color/Mode/Effect)
e.g. Then turn on to
Christmas lighting effect
“On” Duration
e.g. Then turn on to 20%
and then turn off after 2
minutes
Increase Brightness
Decrease Brightness
Increase Color Temperature
Decrease Color Temperature
Random Color
Smart
Plug/Power
Strip/Switch
Turn On
Turn Off
Turn On/Off
“On” Duration
e.g. Then turn on for 2
minutes
Dimmer
Switch
Turn On
Turn Off
Turn on to last “On” state
Turn on to custom brightness
“On” Duration
e.g. Then turn on for 2
minutes
Increase brightness
Decrease brightness
Tapo Hub
Become Silent
Ring
*Triggers may vary by product models. More devices will be supported soon.
How to Create Smart Actions
Option 1: Edit based on the template
1. Go to the Smart Actions page and you will see the Routine Actions (Shortcut or
Automation).

2. Tap on a featured action. Tap EDIT to select devices and change the settings as needed.
Tap APPLY to save changes.
Note: Tapo cameras only support Enable/Disable Privacy Mode.

Option 2: Create your own actions
1. Go to the Smart Actions page and tap +on the top right to add a Shortcut or an Automation.

2. Customize triggers/actions for your smart action.
1) Shortcuts
a. Tap + to add actions.

b. Name your shortcut and choose an icon for it. Tap Done to complete.

c. You can run the shortcut with one tap on My Actions page or on the Home page.

2) Automation
a. Tap +to add triggers (When) and actions (Then).

If there are more than 2 triggers added, you can decide when to perform the action. Tap When
Any Condition is Met, and select “Any Condition is Met” or “All Conditions Are Met”.
3. Name your smart action and set the effective time when the automation will take effect.

4. Your automation will execute when triggered during the effective time.

5. Adjust the camera position and pointing angle.
The position and pointing angle of the camera also play a crucial role in getting the desired
performance from the motion detection features. If you are sure that motion detection is enabled
correctly, checking the position of camera should be the next step. You will find that the camera
was not installed properly, and the covered zone doesn’t involve much movement. So, all you
need to do is to slightly increase the covered region to include the movement area in your system
completely. After fixing the positioning, you will experience better results with the motion
detection features.
6. Make sure the view of the camera has enough movement.
If your camera is installed in a place where there's not much movement or it's not enough to
reach the sensitivity threshold, the camera won't trigger motion detection. It is suggested to test it
by just moving in yourself in front of the camera at different distances.
If you have finished all the above steps but the problem still persists, please contact TP-Link
support for further troubleshooting.