If the Tapo C501GW picture is black, washed out or blurry at night, these are the checks from Tapo’s guides.

What This Problem Means

The camera is not switching to night vision properly, or something is reflecting the light back.

Common Symptoms

• A black or very dark picture
• A bright white haze
• The spotlight does not come on

Safe Checks You Can Try

1. Know its night vision

Tapo lists infrared and colour night vision with dual spotlights for the Tapo C501GW.

2. Check the night mode

Tapo’s night mode guide says the modes are under Device Settings > Video & Display > Night Mode Settings: infrared (black and white), full-colour, scheduled, or Smart Mode (infrared, switching to colour when it detects something).

3. Check the Video Mode

Tapo says Smart Mode will not light the spotlight if the Video Mode on the Live View page is set to Day Mode. Set it to Auto or Night Mode.

4. Don’t point it through glass

Tapo says glare and infrared reflection from glass at night cause missed or wrong detections, so mount the camera outside the window or open it.

5. Keep the view clear

Tapo says rain, snow and insects cause the most false alerts at night with infrared on. Keeping cobwebs, plants and nearby walls away from the lens also helps.

When To Contact Support

If none of these checks fix it, contact Tapo support through TP-Link’s UK support site. Have the model and hardware version ready: Tapo says both are on the label on the camera.

Last resort: factory reset. Tapo’s reset guide says to press and hold Reset with a pin for about 5 seconds until the light blinks red. On outdoor cameras you may need to remove the back cover screws to reach it. You will then need to set it up again in the Tapo app. Removing it in the app (long-press its card, or Camera Settings > Remove) also resets it; Tapo says a Tapo Care plan stays on your account.