Knowledge Base Tapo Camera Motion-Triggered Smart Action and Privacy Mode Shortcut and Automation
Have you tried out the new smart action features for your Tapo camera? With the new 1.3.0 firmware released on Tapo C310 V1, now you could automate your Tapo smart plugs or smart bulbs when the camera detects a motion using the Tapo Automation function or enable Privacy Mode for multiple cameras together with one tap by Tapo Shortcut. Let’s take a first look at this new feature!
What is New for Tapo camera Smart Action?
1. Motion detection as Trigger -> Camera Motion-Triggered Smart action
2. Privacy Mode as Action -> Schedule Privacy mode in automation/ Privacy mode shortcut
What is Motion-Triggered Automation or Privacy Mode Shortcut in the Tapo app?
Motion-Triggered Automation utilizes the Tapo camera Motion Detection feature to turn on or off your other Tapo devices like a Tapo smart lightening or Tapo smart plugs when the camera senses a motion.
Privacy Mode Shortcut allows you to enable or disable Privacy mode for a camera or a group of cameras via a single tap.
Here are some triggers available with Tapo cameras that you can select to control your smart light or smart plug
Visit here to check the full Tapo Device Trigger & Action list.
Triggers: when motion is detected by Tapo camera
1) Motion Detected
2) Line-Crossing /Area Intrusion/Camera Tempering Detected
3) Person Detection (for models that support AI Detection or cameras subscribed to Tapo care)
Actions: when a trigger happens, then execute the below actions
1) Control Tapo device:
Turn on or turn off Tapo smart plug or bulb
Set brightness or color temperature for Tapo bulb etc,
2) Enable or Disable Privacy mode
3) Active a Shortcut or Automation: run another Shortcut or Automation event
* Optional auto-off can be set up with 'On' duration settings in the Shortcut to turn off the Smart Plug, Bulb, or Switch certain minutes after it’s been turned on. Please refer to QA-Q4 below for details.
1. Motion-Triggered Automation ( set up the camera as a trigger)
2. Privacy Mode Shortcut
What Does Tapo Camera Smart Action Do--Examples and Scenarios Included!
With Tapo motion-triggered automation, you can make use of the motion detector on the camera and make your life smarter.
Examples of Camera Motion-Triggered Automation scenarios:
When the car drives in on the driveway, turn on the garage light.
(Trigger: camera detects motion -> Action: turn on tapo bulb)
When someone comes back home, turn on the porch light for 5 mins.
(Trigger: camera detects person -> Action: run Shortcut -> Shortcut: turns on Tapo smart bulb for 5 mins with ‘On’ duration settings)
Turn the power on to the night light when the camera detects someone walking by at the night.
(Trigger: camera detects motion/ person ->Action: turn on smart plug)
Examples of Camera Privacy Mode Shortcut scenarios:
Schedule Privacy Mode
Trigger: when at a specific time ; Action : turn on privacy mode
When you come back home, enable privacy mode for a batch of Tapo cameras with one tap
With IOS Shortcut, when arriving home, enable privacy mode for cameras, when leaving home, disable privacy mode (*iOS device required)
(Trigger: Location in IOS Shorcut > Action: turn on camera privacy Mode)
More scenarios that wait for you to explore.
Set Up Smart Action for your Tapo camera
Note: for now only Tapo C310 V1 (with 1.3.0 firmware and later firmware) and the upcoming model Tapo C420 have implemented this feature; for other camera models, please keep an eye on the future firmware release.
Visit the FAQ below to learn detailed steps on how to set up automation/Shortcuts for your Tapo camera:
How to create Smart Action (automation or a shortcut) for my Tapo device
Q&As:
Q1. How many Automation and Shortcuts entries can I set up in the Tapo App?
A1: In total 64 Automation and Shortcut rules you can set up in the Tapo APP.
Q2. What are the Tapo cameras that support being used as a trigger in Tapo automation? When will other Tapo cameras support the motion-triggered smart action?
Tapo Camera Models that have Implemented Smart Action |
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Note: For other camera models, the estimated date is not yet confirmed, it is recommended to keep an eye on the future firmware release.
Q3. Can I use ‘Motion Cleared’ (the camera does not detect a motion for a period of time) or other activities of cameras as the triggers for Tapo Camera?
A3: No, only Tapo camera detection options like motion detection, line crossing, person detection, etc. can be set up as camera triggers in Tapo Automation. For other triggers or actions, you could start a feature request thread here for feature request collection and further evaluation.
Q4. How to do an Auto OFF (turn on the device for a time period and then automatically turn it off) for my smart plug or plug when setting up Motion-Triggered automation?
A4: When creating Shortcuts, select Tapo smart device as an action, when set up turn on/off the device, set up ‘On’ Duration there to turn on/off smart device for a certain period of time.
More Articles:
Automate Your Home with Smart Actions
Summary of most Popular Feature Requests for Tapo
[Troubleshooting]Tapo Camera Notification Issues
[Troubleshooting]Tapo Camera Shows Wrong Date and Time
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I have a C110 that updated to 1.1.21 when I first plugged it in (early last week) and a C210 that updated to 1.3.0 once plugged in. The C110 says it has the most up to date firmware...
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So please tell us if we can expect it or it will never be implemented in c200 model.
But do not copy the text again, people want normal answer since they pay for your products.
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@Solla-topee Motion triggered Actions do not work.
Following setup:
- C210, 1.0, Firmware 1.3.0 (220830)
- 2 x C420, 1.0, Firmware 1.2.0 (20220924)
- Tapo Hub H200, 1.0, Firmware 1.2.4 (20220922)
- 2 x Bulb L530, 2.0, Firmware 1.0.9 (220526)
- Tapo App 2.11.5
Tried the following automation:
1) When any camera detects a person, then play alarm on hub and switch on LE530 for 5 Minutes --> Camera detects Person, but nothing happens
2) When C210 detects a person switch on LE530 for 5 Minutes --> Camera detects Person, but nothing happens
3) When C420 detecs a person, play Alarm on Hub --> Camera detects Person, but nothing happens
Switching the light on, starting Alarm on the hub works fine when triggered directly from the app.
Please help me on that. I bought even more cameras from TAPO but I want them to work properly.
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Hello @Kermit1910
Thank you for the valuable case report,the moderator replied here. Please check if you receive the support email in the inbox
As this can be a new issue, can you Start a New thread for this case therefore the moderator can take a closer look at your case and discuss it there, thank you.
Please share a photo of the Motion Detection triggered log and smart actions settings & your local time zone, this may help the team to trace the activities from the motion detection activities in the new post or support email, thank you
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So please tell us if we can expect it or it will never be implemented in c200 model.
But do not copy the text again, people want normal answer since they pay for your products.
Yes, whats it gonna be?
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Hello
I have discovered that when my network is at parental-control (= no connection to the internet) at night, the automated rules fails. However, when I access the camera’s or the plugs via the Tapo-app during that period, everything is working fine, even rtsp-streaming is working fine (all within my own LAN of course). Only the rules of ‘Automatische acties’ (Automated actions?) fails to execute when there is no connection to the internet. The failure is visible in the ‘History’ tab.
After returning from the parental-control schema (LAN) to WAN the automated rules works fine again.
I don’t know if this behavior is ‘working as designed’ or a problem in my configuration but it may be confusing when testing your rules when you’re isolated on your LAN.
Maybe you are in the same case?
My TAPO config:
Plugs: HW = 2.0 ; FW = 1.1.0 B220720R163239
Camera’s C310: HW = 1.0 FW = 1.3.2
Camera’s C310: HW = 2.0 FW = 1.3.0
Camera’s C100: unable to use the Smart/Shortcut/Automation features (too bad!!).
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Hello @Geert-2590
Thank you for the inquiry, the Smart Action including Shortcut & Automation is cloud based, and requires internet connection to use the cloud service. You can allow internet for the camera and see if smart action works.
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Is there a possibility to automation when leave home with GPS information : enable notification for a camera ?
And also when back to home : disable notification of camera please ?
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