Tapo Camera Won’t Connect To WiFi? (Quick Solutions!)

We understand how annoying it can be when you’re just about to set up your security, but your brand new Tapo camera won’t connect to WiFi.

Don’t worry–this issue is quite easy to solve!

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to properly connect the Tapo camera to Wi-Fi, what to do if it’s not connecting, and how to optimize your Wi-Fi signal.

Starting with the most important….

How to Connect Tapo Camera to Wi-Fi?

First things first, make sure you’re connecting your Tapo camera to the Wi-Fi correctly:

1. Open the Tapo application and select “Add Device”.
2. Find the camera model in the Indoor or Outdoor tab.
3. Then, connect the Tapo camera to the power supply.
4. Verify that the camera LED is blinking in red & green.
5. Tap the option “Already red and green” to continue.
6. When asked, verify to allow the location permission.
7. Connect to the temporary Wi-Fi of the Tapo camera.
8. The temporary Wi-Fi is called “Tapo_Cam_XXX”.
9. Wait for the scan and then the “Found it” message.
10. Select your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network from the menu.
11. Insert the password and connect the Tapo camera.
12. Continue with the instructions for the configuration.

That’s it. If the process fails somewhere along the way, continue with the troubleshooting steps!

Tapo Camera Won’t Connect to WiFi – Top Solutions

Before you start: Use your smartphone to verify that your Wi-Fi is accessible and working!

1. Soft-Reset the Tapo Camera

If your Tapo camera shows an error during the Wi-Fi connection, an easy way to bypass issues would be to soft-reset the camera by unplugging.

Also known as a power cycle, this is an effective method to start the setup process freshly, so unplug the Tapo camera for about 40–60 seconds.

When ready, retry connecting to the Wi-Fi by following the steps above!

2. Sign Out & In your Account

Sometimes, the problem is within the Tapo application, and many users have discovered that a quick way to fix potential issues is signing out and in your account.

• To sign out from your Tapo application account, tap on the “Me” option at the bottom menu and select the “Sign Out” option.

This will sign you out from your Tapo account and take you back to the application login screen.

So, sign in to your Tapo account by typing your email or password and retry your camera setup.

3. Ensure your Wi-Fi is 2.4 GHz

Tapo products do not support 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks!

If your router is dual-band, thus you have more than one Wi-Fi, and your Tapo camera cannot connect, you’re probably attempting to pair it with the 5 GHz Wi-Fi frequency (thread).

Hence, try connecting your Tapo camera to the second available Wi-Fi that your router is transmitting.

Important: Band Steering!

If your router is dual-band, but you only have one available Wi-Fi, then both threads are merged through band steering.

You can disable the option manually by logging into your router’s GUI, which can be accessed through http://192.168.0.1/.

You should be able to sign in via admin/admin or admin/password.

Note: The Band Steering option is typically found under the “Wireless” or “Advanced Wireless” tab and may be named differently as per the router model.

4. Allow Permission & Location

When you register a new Tapo account and sign in to the Tapo app for the first time, you will be asked to allow permission and location access.

Those are essential for the camera setup, and if you disallow the access, chances are that you won’t be able to connect the device to the Wi-Fi.

Well, even if you’ve disallowed the access, you can manually grant the necessary permissions!

4.1 How to Grant App Permissions

• iPhone: Open the Settings → scroll down → Tapo → Allow ALL Permissions
• Android: Settings → Apps → See all apps → Tapo → Permissions → Allow ALL

4.2 How to Allow Location Access

• iPhone: Open the Settings → scroll down → Tapo → Location → Always
• Android: Settings → Location → App location permission → Tapo → Allowed all the time

When you have granted location access and app permission, restart the Tapo app and test if the Tapo camera will now connect to the Wi-Fi.

5. Shorten the Wireless Proximity

If your Tapo camera is not connecting to WiFi, one of the most common reasons is a weak signal due to a great distance between the router and camera.

To determine whether that’s causing the Wi-Fi connection problem, keep your phone next to the camera and watch the signal strength indicator.

If you see only one bar of Wi-Fi signal strength, that’s bad–the signal is too weak, and your camera can’t connect.

There isn’t much you can do here. You can either relocate the router closer to the camera or vice versa, which will boost the signal strength.

Tip: Sometimes, it’s enough to position your Wi-Fi router higher in the room, which increases the signal coverage area and boosts the signal.

6. Reinstall the Tapo Application

The Tapo app remains one of the primary suspects for Wi-Fi connection issues with the Tapo camera, hence, a clean reinstallation would clear things up.

The reinstallation will erase any in-app settings and sign you out from your Tapo account, providing you with a fresh beginning.

How to Uninstall the Tapo App?

• iOS: Tap and hold the Tapo app icon from the home screen, and when the options appear, press “Remove App” → “Delete App”.

• Android: Go to the “Google App Store” → “Profile” → “Manage apps and devices” → “Tapo” → “Uninstall”.

How to Reinstall the Tapo App?

When the Tapo application is successfully uninstalled, you can download it back from the App Store for iPhones and Google Play Store for Androids.

7. Factory Reset the Tapo Camera

So, if your Wi-Fi is working and the signal is strong, but the Tapo camera is not connecting, the problem is likely within the device’s system.

The big gun method is, of course, a factory reset, which will reinstall the operating system of the Tapo camera and resolve potential setup issues. 

To reset a Tapo camera, you need to ensure that the device is working and hold the reset button for 5 seconds until the LED blinks red.

On some Tapo camera models, the button is on the outside; on others, you need to unscrew a small latch to reveal it, however, the procedure remains the same.

When you see the red light, the Tapo camera will reset and reboot, allowing you to start afresh with the device initialization.

Tapo Camera Won’t Connect to WiFi – Ultimate DIY Solutions!

If your Wi-Fi is weak and your Tapo camera won’t connect, we’ve prepared a few DIY methods to attempt to get your setup running smoothly.

Install a Wi-Fi Extender

Installing a Wi-Fi extender is the ultimate way to increase the coverage of your wireless network and keep even the furthest devices securely connected.

The Wi-Fi extender is typically a device that plugs into an outlet, connects to your Wi-Fi, and shares an additional Wi-Fi as a mini router.

You can purchase a Wi-Fi extender from any technical store or online shop, such as Amazon!

Use a Personal Hotspot

If you have an old Android phone lying around your home, you can put it to use by turning it into a remote access point for Wi-Fi devices.

You will need a SIM card with available mobile data, so you can enable the “Hotspot & tethering” and share a Wi-Fi to connect your Tapo camera to.

You can then simply put this “remote router” near your Tapo camera, connect the phone to the power permanently, and you’ll have a secure connection.

Rebooting via Smart Plug

So, if your Wi-Fi is weak and your Tapo camera disconnects frequently and won’t automatically reconnect, we have a nice DIY fix.

You can use a smart plug to connect the camera to the wall, allowing you to set up an automatic OFF/ON schedule every few hours to reboot the camera.

Well, restarting the camera forces the device to try to connect to a remembered Wi-Fi, so this may help your device stay connected by constantly reconnecting.

Note: If you have a suspicion that the Wi-Fi connection issue is not due to your network but the camera itself, get in touch with Tapo Support or try claiming your warranty.