Frequently asked questions

• How is it mounted — does it really screw in like a bulb?

  Yes. It has a standard E27 thread and screws into the socket at the door, under the eave or in a porch ceiling exactly like a bulb; the socket also powers it (100~240 V), with no separate outlet and no data cable. The install needs no electrician, but note the bulb-camera takes the place of the ordinary bulb in that socket.
• Can I mount it outside, in the rain?

  imou publishes no IP rating for the Bulb Cam — the official datasheet gives only a working range of -10 to +45 °C. So we recommend it strictly under cover: beneath an eave, in a porch ceiling or in a sheltered hallway, away from direct rain. For a fully weather-exposed mount choose an outdoor PT camera with an IP66 rating.
• Does it really do 3K and auto-tracking?

  Yes. The 1/3" 5MP sensor with a fixed 2.8 mm lens delivers 3K (2880×1620) over an H89°/D105° field, and the motorised head turns 0~340° pan and 0~90° tilt with smart tracking, so it follows a person or car entering the frame on its own.
• How does it see at night?

  It has IR night vision up to 25 m for a black-and-white image in full darkness, and for colour it fires the built-in spotlight (full-colour mode). The bulb also lights normally at 5.2 W / 350 lm, so the threshold stays lit as if by an ordinary lamp.
• Does it work with Home Assistant, an NVR or Frigate?

  Yes. The official datasheet confirms ONVIF, so the camera is not locked to its own app: connect it to a Synology/Dahua NVR or add it to Home Assistant, Frigate or Blue Iris over ONVIF/RTSP. To do so, enable the ONVIF/RTSP stream in the imou Life app before integrating.
• How much storage does it support?

  It records to a microSD card up to 256 GB (per the official 5MP datasheet), plus you have Imou Protect cloud storage by subscription for playback from anywhere. For continuous local recording, an AOR schedule and a high-capacity card are recommended.
• Does it have 5 GHz Wi-Fi?

  No. The Bulb Cam runs on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ax) — the 5 GHz band is not supported. The upside is that 2.4 GHz reaches better through walls to the entrance socket; still, check the network signal at the exact mounting spot before ordering.