What is Smart Sense Parking?
Smart Sense Parking uses radar technology to detect movement around your vehicle and send notifications when it senses activity. When you turn off your vehicle, Smart Sense Parking Mode activates and begins monitoring the area around your dash cam.
When Smart Sense Parking is active, your iQ shows the Smart Sense Parking icon on screen.
When your iQ detects movement, it records a short file and sends a 'Motion Detected' notification. If no more movement is detected outside the vehicle, your iQ stops recording and returns to standby.
If your iQ detects further movement, it continues to record until the movement stops. If your iQ detects an impact during this time, it creates an Event and sends a 'Parking Event' notification.
In the iQ app, Smart Sense Parking notifications appear with a recording where the playback bar highlights the impact section in red.
What do the Smart Sense Parking icons mean?
A P inside a blue shield means your iQ is in Smart Sense Parking Mode.
A red person means your iQ has detected movement using the radar sensor.
A red circle with an exclamation mark means your iQ has detected a physical impact. When this happens, the file is automatically uploaded to the Events section of the iQ app.
Can I adjust the Smart Sense Parking sensitivity?
Yes, you can adjust the proximity (sensitivity) settings in the iQ app. This is useful if your car is parked in a busy area or car park where movement is detected often.
Reducing the sensitivity can help reduce unwanted triggers in busy locations. Increasing it can help capture more minor movement in quieter areas.
What is Smart Sense Parking Activation Voltage?
The Smart Sense Parking Activation Voltage helps your iQ know whether your vehicle is switched on or off. Your iQ measures the vehicle’s battery voltage:
When the voltage is high, your iQ enters driving mode.
When the voltage is low (vehicle switched off), your iQ enters Smart Sense Parking Mode.
What level should the activation voltage be set to?
The default setting is 13V and works for most vehicles. If your iQ does not go into Smart Sense Parking Mode as expected, or enters this mode while you are driving, you may need to adjust the threshold. This is more common with electric vehicles.
Battery voltages vary between vehicles, so finding the right limit may take some trial and error. You can also check with your vehicle manufacturer for guidance.
How will I know if my activation voltage settings are incorrect?
If the setting is too low
If the Smart Sense Parking Activation Voltage is set too low for your vehicle, your iQ may stay powered on and recording even when your vehicle is turned off.
If the setting is too high
If the Smart Sense Parking Activation Voltage is set too high for your vehicle, you may notice that:
Your iQ does not power on and start recording when you switch the vehicle on, or
Smart Sense Parking Mode activates while your vehicle is in motion.
If you see either of these behaviours, adjust the activation voltage settings until the issue is no longer present.
How do I change the Smart Sense Parking Activation Voltage?
Open the iQ app.
Press the More button (three dots or three lines at the bottom right of the screen)
Go to iQ Settings.
Select Smart Sense Parking.
Select Smart Sense activation voltage.
Adjust the voltage by 0.1 volts.
If the problem continues, repeat the adjustment in small steps until the issue no longer occurs.
After you change the threshold in the app, your iQ must restart (turn off and back on) for the updated settings to take effect.
Extra tips
Park with a clear view where possible. Avoid objects very close to the front or rear of the vehicle, such as walls or bushes, which may trigger frequent movement alerts.
If you often park in busy car parks, lower the Smart Sense Parking Proximity to reduce unnecessary notifications, then test and increase slightly if it stops detecting events you care about.
If you mainly park in quiet residential areas, you can increase sensitivity so that smaller movements, such as someone walking close to your vehicle, are more likely to be recorded.
Check that your subscription (Protect or Protect Plus) is active so that Parking Events can upload to the cloud and send notifications to your phone.
Make sure the iQ app has notification permissions enabled on your phone so you receive Smart Sense Parking alerts.
Troubleshooting
If Smart Sense Parking never seems to activate when you turn the vehicle off, try increasing the Smart Sense Parking Activation Voltage in small 0.1 V steps and test again.
If Smart Sense Parking activates while you are driving, lower the activation voltage in small 0.1 V steps until the camera enters driving mode (red dot on the display) when the vehicle is in motion.
If you receive too many notifications from passing traffic or people, reduce the Smart Sense Parking Proximity in the iQ app, then review a few days of recordings to confirm it is at a comfortable level.
If you are not receiving notifications on your phone, check that you are signed in to the iQ app, that notifications are enabled in both the app and your phone’s settings, and that you have a stable data connection.
If recordings do not appear in the Events section after an impact, confirm that your subscription is active and that your iQ has a reliable connection to the internet for uploads.
If issues continue after adjusting settings and restarting both your iQ and your phone, contact Nextbase support with your iQ model, app version, a description of the behaviour, and example dates and times when the problem occurred.