Cabin Camera Footage Pink, Purple or Washed Out? How to Fix It
Charles Alexis
Interior cameras in taxis and private hire cars need to show clear faces day and night. When the footage turns pink, purple or washed out, it is usually the infrared system.
How cabin cameras see in the dark
Most interior cameras use infrared (IR) LEDs to light the cabin at night. You cannot see the light, but the camera can. At night the camera switches to black and white so the IR image is clear.
In the daytime, a small filter called an IR-cut filter moves in front of the sensor to block infrared and keep colours natural. When this filter or the switching goes wrong, colours go strange.
Pink or purple footage during the day
If daylight footage looks pink, red or purple, the IR-cut filter is not in place. Either it is stuck, or the camera thinks it is night.
Fixes:
- Restart the camera. This sometimes frees a stuck filter.
- Check the day/night setting. Make sure it is on auto, not forced to night mode.
- Update the firmware. Switching bugs are often fixed.
- Tap gently. A stuck mechanical filter can sometimes free itself. If it keeps happening, the filter has failed and the camera needs repair or replacing.
Purple tint at night
At night the image should be black and white. If it is purple or pink, the camera is using IR but has not switched to mono mode. This is usually a setting or firmware issue. Check night mode and update firmware.
Glare and white blobs at night
IR light bounces off shiny surfaces. In taxis and PCO cars, the usual cause is:
- Partition screens. Clear plastic screens between driver and passenger reflect IR straight back into the lens.
- Windows. Side and rear glass reflect IR.
- Shiny trim or headliners.
Fixes: adjust the camera angle so it does not point directly at the screen, move the camera, or reduce IR brightness if the camera allows. Some operators fit the camera on the passenger side of the partition to avoid it.
Footage too dark at night
If the image is dark rather than washed out, the IR LEDs may be off, failed, or blocked by the mount or a sticker. Check the IR setting is on and nothing covers the LEDs.
Blurry faces
A common one in taxis: the camera faces the rear seats, but passengers sit closer or further than the focus distance. Check the lens is clean and the camera is aimed at where faces actually are, not the headliner.
Why this matters for licensing
Interior footage is often what protects a driver in a passenger dispute or complaint. TfL has rules around in-vehicle cameras for licensed vehicles. If faces cannot be seen at night, the footage may not do its job when you need it. See our TfL approved dash cam FAQ and our guide to using footage to protect a PCO licence.
Checking cabin cameras across a fleet
You will not know footage is pink until someone needs it. With connected cameras, you can pull a quick snapshot from any vehicle remotely and check the image is right, day and night, without anyone going to the car.
You can see how that works on our connected dash cameras page and our taxi and PHV page.
Summary
Pink in the day means a stuck IR-cut filter. Purple at night means night mode is not switching. Glare means IR is reflecting off a screen or glass. Adjust angle, settings and firmware before you replace hardware.