Tapo C225 changing siren doesn’t work.

[jhaleit]

Description

I have multiple Tapo C225 cameras and I’m trying to use a custom sound to work with a smart button. I can't change the sound with siren type

1. camera siren type can detect all the sounds I have in the Tapo app, but changing the setting has no effect.

The Tapo C225 does support all these features, but the plugin seems like it wont work. I included pictures for the states..

Reproduction Steps

Go into HA’s device entity settings and try changing things.

Expected behavior

To change the siren type.

If applicable, add error logs.

No response

Device Firmware

Latest

Integration Version

6.0.9

Using stream component

Yes

Does camera work via official integrations?

Yes

Camera has all attributes filled out in developer tools

Yes

HASS Environment

UmbrelOS

Search for similar issues

Yes

Additional information

[JurajNyiri]

Could you please post steps on how to trigger siren via the app for this camera?

[jhaleit]

Could you please post steps on how to trigger siren via the app for this camera?

Sure I'll explain two ways through the Tapo app that I can play a sound/siren.. (alarm_start and alarm_stop elements do work with HA, but you can't change the sound.. you're stuck with the sound you selected in the Tapo app.)

How to do it through the camera feed:

1. Open the Tapo app and select the camera you want to use.
2. Click the on the top right corner.
3. Tap the Alarm card.
4. Turn on "Detection Alarm"
5. Select "Sound Type" and pick the sound you want or record your own custom sound.

Do it through shortcuts:

1. Click the "Smart" icon at the bottom.
2. Tap on "Shortcuts" on the top.
3. Tap "Add Shortcut"
4. Tap "Add Action"
5. Tap "Control One Device"
6. Tap the camera you desire.
7. Tap "Play Sound" and then select the desired sound you want.

[JurajNyiri]

Thank you, this is confusing me:

(alarm_start and alarm_stop elements do work with HA, but you can't change the sound.. you're stuck with the sound you selected in the Tapo app.)

What alarm_start and alarm_stop elements? Are you referring to these entities?

If those work, and siren entity does not, everything works as expected, camera simply does not support functionality that siren entity uses (--- does not report siren state) and unfortunately there is no way to detect that.

If that is correct, please adjust the description to state only switching the camera sounds do not work.

For the switching of the camera sounds, please enable debug logs, switch the alarm sound and post debug logs here.

[jhaleit]

Yes you're correct. I apologize for miss leading or the miss understanding on my part.

Here is the logs that you're asking for: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8ofrd1mn6t5uqznpmhywb/umbrel-1736965798102.log.gz?rlkey=q2od4afwy4ci35q8isfc3xmzh&st=h439s1wn&dl=0

[JurajNyiri]

Thank you for confirming, those are not the right logs.

https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/configuration/troubleshooting/

[jhaleit]

Thank you for confirming, those are not the right logs.

https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/configuration/troubleshooting/

Sorry, would this be it? https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2p82brby7ajtzg83x6nkg/home-assistant_tapo_control_2025-01-31T14-44-28.381Z.log?rlkey=qng8gz9640psggek5i08sr3k6&st=4h007txz&dl=0

[JurajNyiri]

Yeah thats it, I can see the request and also see the camera accepted it and did not return any error. Weird. This might be a bit harder to debug.

Can you please confirm absolutely none of the options have any effect at all, or only the custom sounds? When looking in the app, make sure to close and open it to ensure it refreshes.

[jhaleit]

After further testing I see it works sometimes if I manually set it through HA (Going into HA and changing the siren type through the device entities), but if I use any type of automation it works for the first time and then after it doesn't work any more.

[JurajNyiri]

Please confirm whether or not it works properly via HA manually selecting all the time or not. Be very specific on the steps taken and results.

[jhaleit]

I found something interesting.. if I have the alarm detection always on in the app it does change easily, but if I have it off it barely works...

I've included a video here to show the problem: video link

[jhaleit]

I've been messing around more with this and I'm finding out quite a few problems..

I'm seeing the siren change in the Tapo app, but the sound that it puts out isn't the sound it changed to. I tried doing a 5-8 second cool off method, but about 2 out of 5 times it works. Then sometimes it doesn't change the sound and/or it takes too long..

[JurajNyiri]

Thank you @jhaleit I checked the video. It is possible when you are controlling it via the Tapo app it sets it back to whatever you had before when you enable the check.

What happens if you:

1. Close app with sound1
2. Turn off alarm detection via HA
3. Change sound to sound2 via HA
4. Turn on alarm detection via HA
5. Open fresh Tapo App, see what is in

From what I can see here this sounds like an issue with camera/firmware honestly. Especially if the setting sticks (and it does every time, based on logs), but camera still plays something else.