Turn Any IP Camera into a Smart Face Recognition System

Security technology has evolved rapidly, and AI-powered face recognition is now more accessible than ever. What was once a high-end feature reserved for expensive surveillance systems can now be added to any IP camera even if they are outdated, with the right cloud software. Whether you want to enhance home security, automate access control, or improve business monitoring, face recognition can provide real-time alerts and actionable insights.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to enable face recognition on any IP camera-without needing additional hardware such as expensive NVRs. With just a few simple steps, you can set up AI-powered detection, receive email notifications, and integrate with third-party systems using API webhooks. Let’s get started!

Why Add Face Recognition to Your IP Camera?

Traditional security cameras provide valuable surveillance, but they often lack intelligent detection - meaning they can’t distinguish between a known person, a stranger, or even a false alarm like an animal or moving shadow. Face recognition technology solves this problem by identifying and alerting you only when specific individuals are detected.

Here’s why enabling AI-powered face recognition on your IP camera is a game-changer:

Enhanced Security - Identify intruders in real time and receive instant alerts.
Automated Access Control - Allow only authorized personnel into restricted areas.
Reduced False Alarms - Eliminate unnecessary notifications triggered by motion or irrelevant objects.
Integate with Other Systems - Connect with smart home systems or business security platforms via API webhooks.

By adding face recognition to your existing IP camera, you can create a smarter, more proactive surveillance system - all without replacing your current hardware.

Now, let’s see how to set it up.

Step 1: Connect Your IP Camera to IP Camera Master with FTP

First, configure your IP camera to send frames to IP Camera Master at a predefined frequency or only on motion detection. There are various protocols for this, such as FTP, RTSP, and RTMP.

For face recognition, FTP is the method you must use as face recognition is only supported with FTP and it is affordable, widely supported by all IP cameras. To set it up, log in to your camera’s firmware panel, navigate to the FTP settings, and enter your camera’s password(from ip camera master), the IP Camera Master FTP endpoint, and your account email.

For a step-by-step guide on configuring FTP for your IP camera, check out this detailed blog post.

Step 2: Add Face Images to be Recognized

Once your camera is linked with FTP to IP Camera Master, we are ready to enable face recognition for that camera. Click on AI from left navigation menu.

Click on "Face Recognition and Detection". Now choose your FTP connected camera.

On this page, you'll find your recognition data, including the detected person, date and time. You can easily filter the data, download the recognized frames, and review the relevant details.

Click on the "Show Faces" button to view a list of individuals to be recognized by this camera, along with their activation status.

Click the "Add Face" button and select a clear image of the person to be recognized. Provide a name for the individual, and if desired, enable email notifications by checking the "Send email notification" checkbox. If you check the "Activate" checkbox, detection will start immediately upon saving. You can also change the activation status after adding the face.

Thats it! Once you click save, if status is active, face recognition will begin!

Conclusion

Face recognition is a powerful ai feature that elevates your surveillance system, offering enhanced security, reduced false alarms, and real-time actionable insights. Best of all, it doesn't require any additional hardware-with FTP, you can integrate AI-powered face recognition with any IP camera, even older models, ensuring that you don't need to replace your existing equipment.

This premium feature is available for those who want to take their security to the next level. If you're interested in enabling face recognition for your IP camera, simply reach out to us at support@ipcameramaster.com. We'll provide you with the pricing details.

Start making your surveillance smarter today without the need for expensive hardware upgrades!