How to adjust motion detection settings on your Roku Smart Home camera or video doorbell
How to adjust motion detection settings
Motion detection sensitivity and detection zones can be used to fine-tune your camera or video doorbell. The motion detection settings work together to identify movement in a specific area. Whenever motion is detected, the status light on your camera will briefly flash red to indicate an event has been recorded.
Adjust detection sensitivity
Detection sensitivity determines whether big movement, low sensitivity, or small movement, high sensitivity, is needed to trigger a motion event. If you only want an alert when movement of a large object is detected, lower the sensitivity. If your camera is monitoring a small area, increase the sensitivity.
You can adjust detection sensitivity settings in the Roku Smart Home mobile app for iOS® and Android™.
- Tap Home
from the navigation bar - Select your camera or doorbell
- Tap Settings
in the corner - Tap Detection settings
- Move the slider(s) to adjust detection sensitivity settings
When you are done, your changes are saved automatically.
Adjust motion detection zone
Your camera or video doorbell might be positioned to have a wide view, but you only want to detect motion in a specific area. The detection zone feature allows you to define a specific area where your device will detect movement. Everything outside of the zone is ignored and will not trigger an event recording.
You can define the motion detection zone in the smart home app.
- Tap Home from the navigation bar
- Select your camera or doorbell
- Tap Settings in the corner
- Tap Detection settings
- Tap Detection zone
- Toggle detection zone on
- Tap and drag to select the motion detection zone
- You can tap Undo to revert recent changes or tap Clear to remove all selected grids
- When you are done, tap Save
For the Roku Floodlight camera:
- Use the Sensitivity slider to adjust the camera's sensitivity to motion. Higher sensitivity triggers recording when the camera detects objects further away; lower sensitivity triggers recording when objects are closer.
For Roku Indoor Camera 360 SE:
- Use the directional control pad to move your camera to the view where you want to set a detection zone. The detection zone will only be active when your camera is in the selected position. If your camera moves from the position, it will automatically return after 15 seconds of inactivity.
Suggest detection zone
The Roku Smart Home app can automatically recommend a motion zone for your camera. It identifies common objects that can cause false notifications, such as ceiling fans, TV screens, or swaying branches.
- While in Detection settings, click Suggest a detection zone
- The camera view will adjust to exclude areas with potential false triggers
- Click Start over if you prefer to manually set the detection zone
What is a passive infrared sensor
Smart home cameras have a passive infrared (PIR) sensor that detects heat given off by people, warm-blooded animals, and vehicles with a warm engine. To get the full benefits of the PIR sensor, place your camera away from constant heat sources and avoid locations in direct sunlight.
On a Roku Outdoor Camera SE, you can view the effective area window in the smart home app and adjust the position of the camera to better capture the target viewing area.- Tap Home from the navigation bar
- Select your outdoor camera
- Tap Settings in the corner
- Tap Detection settings
- Scroll to the PIR Effective Area at the bottom of the screen
Your camera view will have a blue-green overlay showing the effective area of the sensor which is the lower two-thirds of the image. Adjust your camera's mounting position until the target viewing area is within the effective area.
Note: Due to the PIR sensor's placement, it is optimized to detect side-to-side motion, as opposed to movement from the top-down. Movement from the top down and directly towards the camera are less likely to trigger the sensor.
Change the recording cooldown
The recording cooldown setting is only available on the Roku Outdoor Camera SE. When a motion event recording is triggered, there is a cooldown period before another event can be triggered. You can select a cooldown interval of 1, 3, or 5 minutes. Recording cooldown is offered as a way of preventing your camera from recording back-to-back events since this can quickly drain the battery.You can change the recording cooldown setting in the smart home app.
- Tap Home from the navigation bar
- Select your camera
- Tap Settings in the corner
- Tap Event recording
- Under Recording Settings, tap Recording cooldown
- Choose the cooldown interval
- Tap Save
Change the maximum video length
Use this setting to change the duration of the recordings your camera captures when a motion event is triggered. Shortening the video length can help extend your camera's battery life. Event videos will end early when motion stops. Recording duration is available on the Roku Outdoor Camera (Wireless), the Roku Outdoor Battery Camera, and the Roku Wire-Free Doorbell.
- Tap Home
from the navigation bar - Select your camera
- Tap Settings in the corner
- Tap Event recording
- Under Recording Settings, tap Maximum video length
- Choose a duration
- Tap Save
How to enable motion tracking
Motion tracking is only available on the Roku Indoor Camera 360° SE. This feature enables your camera to detect and track motion, making it a great option for monitoring pets or children in a large room. Whenever motion is detected, your camera will move to keep the object within the camera's field of view. Once the object is out of view or after 15 seconds of inactivity, the camera will return to its initial position or continue the pan scan if one was in progress. If multiple objects are moving at the same time, your camera will follow the largest moving object. Motion tracking works together with your camera's motion detection zone. Everything outside of the motion detection zone is ignored and will not trigger motion tracking.
You can turn on motion tracking in the smart home app.
- Tap Home from the navigation bar
- Select your camera
- Tap More
- Toggle Motion tracking
The motion tracking icon is purple 
when it is on and gray 
when it is off.
Auto Scan
Easily monitor key areas with the Auto Scan feature, which lets you set predefined positions for the camera to move between automatically.
- Tap Home from the navigation bar
- Select your camera
- Tap Settings in the corner
- Select Auto Scan and click Set your own scan stops
- Use the directional pad to move the camera to your desired position and click Set to save it
- Click the Plus + sign to add another stop to the scan. You can set up to 4 scan stops.
- Click Preview to see the camera move through your preset positions
How to turn on motion tagging
Motion tagging highlights detected movement with a green box. If multiple movements are detected, the largest will be highlighted. Motion tagging is only available on smart home cameras. When enabled, motion will be tagged outside of detection zones. However, only motion detected in the detection zone will trigger an event recording or motion tracking. Motion tagging sensitivity is not related to motion detection sensitivity and cannot be changed.
When motion tagging is turned on, it will be visible in any recorded video including event videos, time lapses, and manually recorded videos. This setting is helpful when scanning through footage to find where there was motion. It is not possible to add, or remove, motion tagging to an already recorded video.
You can turn on motion tagging in the smart home app.
- Tap Home from the navigation bar
- Select your camera
- Tap More
- Toggle Motion tagging
Last updated at 2/25/2026 10:00:32 PM
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