Why did all my floodlights turn on?

[Kes2]

In the past 2 days, I suddenly noticed in the evening that all my floodlights all around the house were on and I had to turn them off. They're configured to turn on only when they detect motion within certain zones. I've had them for 6 months and it just started happening. I can't see any activity or setting that could have caused this. Is there a way to find out why this is happening?

[alejandom]

Hi @Kes2,

I hope you are well, I would like to know if you still have the same problem or it was a one time behavior?

If for some reason you still have the same issue I'll leave you down some reasons why your floodlights, set to be motion-activated, might be turning on all of a sudden:

• High sensitivity: Floodlight cameras often have two detection zones - one for triggering lights and another for recording. It's possible the light sensitivity is set too high. Check your camera app for settings related to light sensitivity and adjust it to a lower level.

• Environmental factors: Sudden changes in light due to swaying branches, small animals, or even bright headlights can sometimes be misinterpreted as motion. Try repositioning the floodlights to minimize these interferences.

• Technical glitch: There's a chance the issue is with the floodlights themselves or the app. Check for any recent updates to the app and ensure the floodlights are securely connected. Rebooting the floodlights might also help.

• Manual activation: While unlikely, double-check if there's a way to accidentally turn on the lights through the app or a remote.

Here are some additional tips for troubleshooting:

• Review motion detection history: Most camera apps keep a record of detected motion. See if there are any recordings during the times the lights came on unexpectedly. This can help identify potential triggers.

• Consult the manual: Your floodlight camera's manual might have specific troubleshooting steps for motion detection issues.

Please try those steps, and let us know if you're still having the same situation or if it has been fixed.

Regards,

Mario.

[Kes2]

I've just figured this out. They all turn on whenever the power supply fluctuates.

They're all hardwired so I was able to recreate this by finding the circuit breaker switch and turning it off and on. The floodlights all turned on for about 30 seconds after power was restored. They're located on all 4 sides of my house and one of them that faces a neighbor is configured to never turn on the light. So this couldn't have happened due to any other external motion.

Is it possible to disable this behavior, particularly for the floodlight I configured to never turn on. My neighbor's complained that this once happened in the middle of the night.

[alejandom]

Hi @Kes2,

I hope you are well, yes there is an option to turn off the floodlights, below you will find the steps to turn off the floodlights, additionally there will be a link with more information about the floodlights management.

1. Open the Google Home app 
2. Tap and hold your device's tile.
3. Open Settings     
   What turns on the floodlight
4. Tap the switch to turn Motion on or off.
5. Set Motion sensitivity to High, Medium, or Low.

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/10500343?hl=en#zippy=%2Cmotion-and-motion-sensitivity

Regards,

Mario.