The Wyze error code 90 shows up quite often when viewing the Wyze camera and it’s related to the camera communication protocol. In other words, it means your Wyze cam can’t be reached by the streaming servers that are trying to access it.
You try to view the camera and suddenly you’re faced with the error message: Please try to power cycle the camera (error code: -90) / Device is Offline. Another type of message: Device is offline (error code 90). Please check your internet connection or power cycle the camera.
As the error message indicates, to fix this first try power cycling the camera. Unplug it, wait 30 seconds, then plug the camera back in and allow it to reinitialize.
If that doesn’t work you’ll probably need to flash a new firmware via the camera’s SD card (shown in the next section). Additionally, Wyze error code 90 can be solved by checking the communication channels, making sure that both the camera and mobile phone have access to the Internet, and that the router’s firewall is not blocking the connection.
Error code 90 may appear:
- On the live stream for any Wyze Cam device (Wyze Cam v1/v2/v3, Wyze Cam Pan v1/v2, Wyze Video Doorbell, Wyze Cam Outdoor).
- When you’ve just finished setting up a Wyze Cam device in the Wyze app.
- If you try to access your camera in the app after it’s been set up.
- After basic troubleshooting (restarting the device, rebooting your router). It appears to connect to the live stream, then the error appears shortly after.
How to fix Wyze error code 90
As we explained earlier, the Wyze error code 90 is usually caused by poor internet connectivity. This camera is completely dependent on the internet and if for some reason the internet connection or Wi-Fi coverage has problems, the camera will display a lot of errors and stop working at all.
However, in a few rare cases, the Wyze error code is caused by an incompatibility issue between the camera and the smartphone or by a wonky MicroSD card. Below are the steps to fix Wyze error code 90.
Power cycle the camera (reboot)
Reboot the camera, wait 30-60 seconds, and power it back on. Close the app on the phone and start it again. Reboot the phone as well. It has been reported that sometimes power cycling the camera fixes the issue.
Step-by-step power-cycling method:
- Unplug the camera from its power source.
- Allow 30 seconds to pass for the camera to be fully discharged
- Plug the camera back into the power source and let it reinitialize.
- Check if the error is fixed.
Re-install the Wyze cam phone app
Uninstall the Wyze cam app from the phone and install it again to see if the communication between the server and camera works. Additionally, you can try to use another phone just for troubleshooting.
To delete and re-add the camera, follow these steps:
- Open up the Wyze app and tap on the gear icon
- Under the Device Settings select Delete Device at the bottom of the screen
- On the next window hit Yes
- The camera’s LED light should blink yellow which indicates that the camera is not connected
- Then you need to press the reset button (located on the side) until you hear “Ready to connect” (within 10-25 seconds)
- Next, you need to add the camera. Go to the Wyze app and tap New Device > Wyze cam
- Type your WiFi network name and password
- Scan the QR code that shows on the phone with your Wyze cam
- You should see the live picture on the screen
Check the physical connection at the back of the camera
Ensure you’re using the USB cable that comes with the camera. Inspect the back of the camera to check if the cable is well plugged into the camera.
Sometimes the cable may become loose, or it’s not fully inserted in. Check the USB cable as shown in the picture below.
Check the internet connection
Wyze error code 90 is usually caused by problems with the internet connection. Make sure your internet works fine and is stable. If you’re using Wi-Fi, ensure that the area where the camera is located is covered by a strong signal.
If the camera is more than 60 feet away from the router or the access point, bring the camera closer to see if the issue is solved. If the error disappears then you have a problem with the internet.
Also, try to reboot your router or simply turn it off, wait 2 minutes and turn it back on. After that, reconnect your smartphone with the Wyze camera through its app.
Another troubleshooting tip, check the camera’s back LED lights, if the internet connection is okay it should be solid blue or flashing below. The meaning of the lights is listed below.
If you see the LED flashing blue, it means that the connection to the server was correct and that the camera is properly installed. At this point, you should be able to watch the camera live image using the Wyze phone app.
Change the Wi-Fi router frequency
As you know, the Wyze cams connector the Wi-Fi to gain access to the internet. Sometimes there may be issues with the wireless internet that could cause the error code 90 to show up. The common problems with the router that need to be addressed:
Wi-Fi signal is not strong enough
If your Wyze cam is far away from the Wi-Fi router then the internet signal could be weak, or not reach the camera at all.
Sometimes the camera may go on and off which is another indication of a bad Wi-Fi signal. To solve the issue, place the camera closer to the router, let’s say a distance of 50-100 meters (150-300 ft).
Obstacles may block the Wi-Fi internet signal
Place your router at the correct spot, don’t hide it behind your smart TV, or behind a door, or close to a wall. These obstacles may block or weaken the signal. Move the camera closer until the connection is strong.
The router’s firewall is blocking the communication
It may happen that a rule on the router’s firewall settings can block the communication between the Wyze cam and the router (internet). Check your firewall settings and see if there’s any such rule. You can even contact your ISP to double-check it on your behalf.
There’s an interference of the Wi-Fi signal
The Wyze cam works with the 2.4 GHz frequency which is more prone to interference (compared to 5 GHz). If there are a lot of Wi-Fi signals around the camera, it may show an error when communicating to the internet.
Try to avoid interference by moving the router to another place. Additionally, change the wireless channel on your router settings from auto to manual. It’s stated 1, 6, and 11 are the most optimal.
However, you need to try one by one to see which one works better for your area. When in auto mode, the router continually jumps channels to find the most optimal (since everyone else router in the area is doing the same), that’s what is causing the connection error or connection drop on the Wyze camera.
Here’s how to change the frequency. Follow the instructions in your modem or router’s manual, or contact your ISP’s customer support to update these two settings:
- Security [Mode/Level/Other]: This must be “WPA/WPA2”.
- If you do not have that option, make sure it is on WPA2.
- WiFi Mode: This must be “802.11 b/g/n”.
- Make sure the 2.4 GHz band is enabled on your router.
Check the internet connection on the phone
Sometimes the phone doesn’t have an internet connection, meaning it’s not getting any internet from the router or phone’s data connection such as 3G, 4G, or 5G.
If there’s an internet connection problem on your phone, the camera can’t link to the service, hence generating the error code 90. So, try to connect the phone to the same Wi-Fi as the camera.
Remove the SD card from the camera
In many cases, Wyze error code 90 is caused by a wonky MicroSD card. The card hasn’t been inserted properly or the connection is not done. Remove the microSD card and put it back in, make sure it’s fully inserted.
Power cycle the camera and then try again to see if the issue is fixed. Also, don’t go for cheap SD cards, buy a decent one.
Update the camera
Update the camera and the phone app. Keep your camera updated to the latest firmware. Go to Update Firmware under the Device Details page and make sure the camera is up-to-date. At the same time, update the Wyze cam app on your smartphone.
Flash the firmware
This is the final method on how to fix error code 90 on Wyze cameras. If none of the methods shown above didn’t work for you, then you need to re-flash the firmware on the camera which will make it work.
The root of the problem is Wyze’s firmwares that quite often are released without being properly tested out and contain bugs or other incompatibilities that break the camera.
The idea is to flash the Wyze camera microSD card with an older firmware version. So, if currently, the camera is not working, then you can re-format (re-flash) with older working firmware.
To reflash your Wyze cam via micro SD card, follow these steps:
- Format the SD card using the Wyze app. The SD card needs to be formatted as FAT or FAT32, otherwise, this procedure will not work at all. So make sure you got that right.
- Insert the SD card into your laptop. You may need an SD adaptor if your rig doesn’t come with one.
Download an older version of the Wyze cam firmware. All the versions can be found here. Navigate and find the right product. - Once downloaded, you need to rename the files as “demo.bin”. Any other name will make the procedure fail.
- Copy and paste the demo.bin file to your SD card (which is already plugged into your laptop).
- While the camera is powered off, insert the microSD card in the slot.
- Power up the Wyze cam.
- Press and hold the reset button on the camera until your head “Read to connect” and then release the reset
- button immediately. (It may take 30 secs to a few minutes until you hear the voice message).
- The camera’s LED light should start blinking yellow.
- Re-add the camera on the Wyze app.
Note: It has been reported that sometimes the firmware won’t get reflashed if you’re using SD cards over 32GB. In that case, use a smaller size such as 8GB or 16 GB.
Contact Wyze support for help
If you tried all the above suggestions to solve the error code 90 issue but still can’t get it fixed, simply contact the Wyze cam team via their website and they’ll provide the necessary support.
Conclusion
The problem with the Wyze error code 90 is related to Internet connection issues, most likely the camera and the app can’t communicate via the internet.
Follow the instructions listed above in this guide and we’re sure the error code 90 will disappear. If not, drop a comment on the box and we will try to specifically help you out.
