Night Vision Not Working
Reolink Security Camera
Severity:What Does This Error Mean?
Reolink night vision that is not working is usually caused by the mode being set to Off, a dirty lens, or the IR LEDs reflecting off a nearby surface. Check Settings > Night Vision and set the mode to Auto.
Affected Models
- Reolink Argus 3 Pro
- Reolink E1 Pro
- Reolink RLC-810A
- Reolink Duo 3 PoE
- Reolink TrackMix
Common Causes
- Night vision mode set to Off instead of Auto
- Camera lens dirty or smudged — reduces IR effectiveness
- IR LEDs reflecting off a wall or glass directly in front of the camera
- Camera mounted indoors pointing through a window
- IR LED hardware failure — uncommon
How to Fix It
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Check the night vision mode setting.
Open the Reolink app and go to Device Settings > Night Vision. Set the mode to Auto — this allows the camera to switch to infrared automatically when it gets dark. If it was set to Off or Colour Only, night vision will never activate.
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Clean the camera lens.
Wipe the lens with a soft, dry microfiber cloth. Dust, rain spots, or smudges on the lens significantly reduce night vision range and clarity.
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Check for IR reflection.
If the camera is too close to a white wall, a ceiling, or a window, the infrared light bounces back and washes out the image. Mount the camera at least 50 cm away from any nearby surface. Do not mount it inside pointing through glass — IR reflects off glass completely.
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Test in a dark room.
Take the camera to a completely dark room and confirm the IR LEDs activate — they glow faintly red if you look at the lens directly. If no red glow is visible, the IR LEDs may have failed.
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Consider colour night vision for low-light areas.
Some Reolink models support colour night vision using ambient light (street lights, porch lights). In Settings > Night Vision, try Colour Night Vision mode if the area has any ambient light — this often produces a clearer image than standard IR.