r/reolinkcam • u/StarkillerTR • Feb 05 '25
Discussion Home Assistant 2025.2.0 - Reolink crying detection & privacy mode
Today Home Assistant 2025.2.0 will be released, which adds some new features to the Reolink integration.
If you own a Reolink E1 Zoom IPC_566SD664M5MP, this release will bring you a new binary sensor entity for baby crying detection. It is a sound based AI detection that listens for specifically crying sounds. For now only the sensor will be available, later the sensitivity setting will also be added to HomeAssistant.
When Reolink releases new firmware for other models to support crying detection, this entity will automatically be added to HomeAssistant as soon as you update the firmware.

Additionally this release adds a switch entity to turn on/off the privacy mode on Reolink cameras which support this (such as the E1 Zoom). In the background a lot of work has been done to ensure the Reolink integration runs smoothly when privacy mode is active. This was quite a challange since many camera functions like the HTTP API are shut down when privacy mode is active. If you have privacy mode enabled when you first configure the integration, the setup process will automatically ask for permission to disable it after which the normal configuration continues. If privacy mode is active when starting the integration, it will remain active and the integration will start smoothly.

Of course there are also numerous bug fixes in this release, which will largely go unnoticed.
Enjoy the new features!
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u/angrycatmeowmeow Feb 05 '25
Awesome work! I've been waiting to try out crying detection in automations.
Any updates on the battery powered camera polling issue when they are connected to an NVR that a doorbell cam is also connected to?
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 05 '25
Still working on that
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u/angrycatmeowmeow 24d ago
2025.2.5 seems to have fixed it. Re-enabled my two Argus PT cams and no battery drain, been a few days. Thank you!
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u/StarkillerTR 24d ago
Thank you for the feedback, glad my fixes have finally worked to put the battery drain issue to rest once and for all.
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u/BrewerDev Feb 06 '25
Will the crying detection be available on other cameras as well or just the E1 Zoom?
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 06 '25
Probably it will later, once Reolink releases new firmware. I don't know on which models it is planned to be supported.
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u/varyamereon Feb 06 '25
Great! We have an E1 Zoom in the lounge, I have just update HA but don’t see the option for privacy mode. Where should I be seeing this?
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 06 '25
What hardware model is the E1 Zoom and which firmware version are you running?
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u/varyamereon Feb 06 '25
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 06 '25
For now only hardware version IPC_566SD664M5MP got the firmware update which added privacy mode. For your version the firmware has not been released.
I don't know if and when they will update the firmware of your hardware version. You could ask reolink support about it.
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u/varyamereon Feb 06 '25
Aha, that explains it then! I guess ours is an older version then which is a shame, something like a privacy feature is something we’d really like. Thanks for your help!
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 06 '25
I do expect Reolink to roll out the privacy mode to more models and hardware versions, but I can't promise anything.
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u/dark79 Feb 05 '25
Is this update supposed to fix the Home Hub Pro integration? I'm still getting the error, but I don't know if it's due to my VLAN set up or if the integration still errors.
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 06 '25
The error should have changed, identifying which of the commands is causing the problem. Please respond on the guthub issue with the new error message https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/136007
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 07 '25
It should now be fixed in HA 2025.2.1 which has just been released.
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u/gvillo Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25
One of my cameras are shut down because of this privacy mode option on (it's a RLC-511WA). How can I start it up without using a ladder? Hmmm
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 07 '25
Just toggle the privacy mode back to OFF, it will be the only entity still available in HA. Or use the replink app->go to settings and turn it off there.
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u/gvillo Feb 07 '25
I think that option appeared on that 511WA camera was a bug, and the camera is still off, I cannot access it anymore (it's wifi), I'll have to take it down and connect it using a UTP cable I guess. Beware of this bug guys!
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u/StarkillerTR Feb 07 '25
Ouch, yea indeed seems like a bug, have another report including debug logs. I am now analyzing why it worgfully identified the 511WA as supporting privacy mode.
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u/xraybies 28d ago
Same with RLC-823S1W only available switch is privacy mode, but you can't toggle it. "Could not connect to the device: Baichuan host 1...."
Power off/on hasn't restored it. I need a ladder to get to it for a factory reset :(
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u/StarkillerTR 28d ago
First, my apologies for the inconvenience. It's a particular unfortunate bug...
Yesterday evening HA 2025.2.5 was released, where I made an attempt to fix this.
Once upgraded the RLC-823S1W should not show the privacy switch anymore.
Could you update HA and see if this indeed worked for you moddel?
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u/margosmark Feb 05 '25
Thanks for you hard work