Motion Sensor on the camera Xiaomi 360°: how to turn on and configure in 5 minutes

Xiaomi Mi Home 360° cameras have long become the smart video surveillance standard thanks to a combination of affordable price, wide viewing angle and integration with the Mi Home ecosystem. But many users miss one of the key features: a motion sensor that turns a device from a simple webcam into a full-fledged security system. Without the right setup, this module either malfunctions or does not work at all.

The problem is that the Mi Home (and now Xiaomi Home) interface is not always intuitive: options are scattered across different menus, and translation of some items leaves much to be desired. In this article, we will discuss not only the basic activation of the sensor, but also hidden settings that will help reduce the number of false positives (for example, from pets or shadows), and teach you how to connect the camera with other Xiaomi devices for automation.

Important: The instruction is relevant for all models of the Mi Home Security Camera 360° series (including 1080p, 2K and 2C versions), as well as for cameras under the Mijia brand with similar functionality. If your camera is released after 2022, some menu items may be called differently - we will warn you about this separately.

Preparation: What to check before setting up

Before you turn on the motion sensor, make sure your Xiaomi 360° camera is ready to go. Often motion detection problems are not caused by software failures, but by basic installation errors.

• 🔌 Power: The camera must be connected to the socket via the original adapter (use) USB-hubs or extensions may cause interruptions).
• 📶 Wi-Fi: the device must be connected to a 2.4 GHz network (Xiaomi cameras do not support 5 GHz). Check the signal stability - if the indicator on the camera flashes yellow, the communication is unstable.
• 📱 App: Install the latest version of Mi Home (or Xiaomi Home for new models) from Google Play or App Store. older versions may not display all options.
• 🔄 Firmware: Update the camera software through the Settings menu → About the device → Firmware update: Outdated versions often contain bugs in detection algorithms.

Pay special attention to the location of the camera. motion sensor in Xiaomi 360° use PIR-A sensor (passive infrared) that responds to changes in thermal radiation:

• 🌞 window with direct sunlight – the triggers will occur due to heating of the glass;
• 🚪 door with draft - air movement can be perceived as an object;
• 🐕 A place where animals are frequent - cats or dogs will call false alerts.

The optimum height of the installation is 1.8-2.2 meters from the floor, in which case the sensor covers the maximum area (up to 6-8 meters in radius) and minimizes interference.

How to turn on the motion sensor in the Mi Home app

Now, to the basic process, it takes less than a minute to turn on the motion sensor, but it requires you to follow the steps exactly.

1. Open the Mi Home app (or Xiaomi Home) and select your camera from the device list.
2. Go to the Settings section (cog in the upper right corner).
3. Find the Motion Detection item (in newer versions of the app, it may be called Smart Detection → Motion).
4. Activate the slider Enable motion detection. After that, an additional menu with settings will appear.

If the Detection of Motion item is not on the menu, check:

• 🔍 Account Region: Some features are hidden to regions outside China. To unlock them, change the region in the Mi Home profile to China mainland (instruction below).
• 📦 Camera model: Budget versions (such as Mi Home Camera Basic) may not support motion sensor.
• 🔄 Resetting: If the camera was previously configured by another user, reset via Settings → About the device → Reset.

Critical detail: once the motion sensor is turned on, the camera will only record video when triggered, not continuously. To keep the recording constant, activate the option Continuous Write to the Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud subscription is required).

Fine tuning: Sensitivity and detection zones

Basic sensor switching on isn’t enough – without calibration, you’ll get hundreds of false positive notifications. In the Xiaomi 360°, there are two key settings for fine-tuning:

1. Sensor sensitivity (Settings) → Motion detection → Sensitivity: 3 levels available: 🟢 Low: Reacts only to large objects (e.g., a full-length person). 🟡 Medium: Acts on medium-sized movements (arms, heads). 🔴 High: detects even small movements (can react to leaves outside windows).

Detection Zones (Settings → Motion Detection → Detection Zones) You can manually select areas of the frame that you need to ignore (for example, a window or a door).

To adjust the zones:

1. Select the Detection Zone.
2. On the screen will appear a grid of squares – highlight with a mouse (or finger) areas that should be tracked.
3. Undedicated areas will be ignored by the sensor.

💡

If your model doesn’t have the Detection Zone option, upgrade your camera firmware to version 3.5.6 or later, a feature that came out in 2021.

Example of optimal settings for the apartment:

How to Change Region in Mi Home to Access All Features

If your Mi Home app does not have key features (e.g., Face Recognition or Detection Zones), the problem is most likely in the account region. Not all features are available for users from Russia/CIS by default.

1. Open Mi Home and go to Profile → Settings → Region.
2. Choose China mainland (China).
3. Leave the account and log in again.
4. Update the camera firmware through Settings → About the device.

To create automation:

1. Open Mi Home and go to Profile → Automation.
2. Click Add and select If → Device → [Your Camera] → Motion detected.
3. Then select the To → Device → [Action, for example, turn on the lamp].
4. Save the script.

Example of a useful security scenario:

⚠️ Warning: If you use a camera to guard your home, set up a delay in the automation (e.g., 5 seconds) to prevent false alarms if you walk into the room and forget to turn off the system.

💡

Automation only works if all devices are tied to the same Xiaomi account and are on the same Wi-Fi network.

Common Problems and Their Solutions

Even when properly tuned, the motion sensor may not work properly, and here are the typical symptoms and ways to treat them:

If the Xiaomi 360° camera does not respond to the motion sensor settings at all, do:

1. Reset the camera through the button on the case (hold 10 seconds).
2. Update the firmware through Settings → About the device.
3. Reinstall the Mi Home app.

If the problem persists, check the in-app event log (Device → Log).There may be connection errors to Xiaomi servers that block the sensor from working.

Alternative ways to control the motion sensor

Besides the standard Mi Home app, there are several alternative methods of adjusting the motion sensor:

• 🌐 Web interface: some models of Xiaomi 360° support access via browser IP-- The camera address:

Voice assistants:

Alice.

Google Assistant

"Alice, turn on the motion detection camera in the hallway."

Third-party annexes:

Home Assistant

ioBroker

Xiaomi

To access via the browser, you may need to enable the option Local Access in the camera settings (Settings → General → Local Network).

💡

If you use Home Assistant, add a camera through a component. xiaomi_miio. This will allow you to configure the motion sensor with an accuracy of milliseconds and connect it with other smart home systems (for example, HomeKit).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions